Freaks

Album: Excuse My French (2013)
Charted: 77
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Songfacts®:

  • This dancehall-flavored track was released as the second single from Excuse My French, It premiered on Hot 97 on February 13, 2013 and was released to iTunes the next day.
  • Montana revealed to Rap-Up.com that the song was originally intended for Wale. "Wale like my brother. He had it first, so one day he played it for me. I said, 'Yo, can I have it?'" said French. "Him just being my brother and really just wanting to see me do good, he gave it to me. Thank you, Wale."
  • The song features Nicki Minaj. Montana told Billboard magazine: "Nicki Minaj being from my home town, we were talking about doing something together, and this record was it. I wanted to do something different, especially with Nicki on the record with me, and Rico Love produced it. The game hasn't had a dancehall song, a Jamaican song like this in so long, and Nicki being from Trinidad and me being from Morocco, that record is international."
  • This samples both Li'l Vicious Destination Brooklyn track of the same title and Chaka Demus & Pliers' 1994 single "Murder She Wrote." Rico Love told Rap-Up.com: "We put two together and made a fusion, made a marriage."
  • The Eif Rivera-directed video is set in vibrant house party with French Montana and Nicki Minaj reveling amongst gyrating dancers and, curvaceous models. French explained to MTV News that he wanted to combine the song's Caribbean energy with a Hip-Hop twist.
  • The song only achieved middling sales, peaking at #77 on the Hot 100. French later admitted to Billboard magazine that he made a mistake switching up his sound for this reggae-inspired tune. "When you go to the club and every record they're playing is yours, you try to go left, and I made that mistake," he said. "Jay Z told me he once made that same mistake too. Your first album you never know what's going on with the business and labels. The second one you're like, 'F--- this.' You get the ball in your own court."

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