Mac & Cheese 5 is the twenty-third mixtape by Moroccan-American rapper French Montana. It was released through Coke Boys Records and Gamma on February 23, 2024. The mixtape features collaborations and guest appearances from Amber Run, Kanye West, Saint Jhn, Buju Banton, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, ATL Jacob, Westside Gunn, 41, JID, Lil Durk, Jeremih, Bryson Tiller, Meek Mill, and Mikky Ekko. The deluxe edition was released five days later and features an additional guest appearance from DThang. Production was handled by Montana and ATL Jacob themselves, alongside Dem Jointz, Doc McKinney, and Illangelo, among others. The mixtape was supported by its only single, "Okay".[1]
| Mac & Cheese 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Mixtape by | ||||
| Released | February 23, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 64:05 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer |
| |||
| French Montana chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Mac & Cheese 5 | ||||
| ||||
Background and release
editIn an interview with the Breakfast Club the day that the mixtape was released, Montana spoke about why he released it:
I feel like I needed to get everything out the way then go back to the mixtape vibes. I always try to go where the puck is going, not where the puck is at. I feel like the game needs mixtapes. That feeling isn't there anymore. Albums is dope [sic] everybody's getting used to it, but I want to hear [Lil] Wayne mixtapes, Rick Ross Rich Forever mixtapes, Wiz Khalifa [Kush & Orange Juice] mixtapes. I just want to get back to that vibe and I want to lead the way with the mixtapes.[2]
The mixtape was originally supposed to be released on January 5, 2024, but was delayed for unknown reasons.[3] A day before its original release date, Westside Gunn posted the original tracklist on Instagram, notably featuring "Another One of Me", a Diddy single featuring Montana and the Weeknd, who is sampled on "Where We Came From".[4] Montana also garnered negative attention for allegedly manipulating music charts by releasing 126 songs in total of the mixtape, which includes the regular songs and a sped-up, slowed-down, instrumental, and a cappella versions of each song, clocking in at just over six hours in total.[5] He later responded to the allegation and shared why he made that decision in an interview with TMZ:
Taylor Swift dropped eight versions of her album. I'm just learning the hustle from them. I dropped five versions...My fans always love my beats so I dropped the instrumental. I dropped a capella for all the DJs that like blending and I dropped clean. I dropped the sped-up one because of TikTok, and I dropped the chopped and screwed. So people can stop asking me for all different types of versions, and I guess all those songs equaled out to 126 songs. I was watching everybody doing it. I was watching JT [Justin Timberlake] and a bunch of other people who had big records, and I see them just put out instrumentals and all that. I'm like, how come it's so easy to find this, and when I went on their page, and I saw they had six different versions, I was like, they're geniuses.
Reception
editScott Glaysher of HipHopDX gave the album a 3.6/5, saying: "Mac & Cheese 5 still has far too many "Haaaaan" ad-libs to win a Pulitzer but, with said, it will go down as one of French's best projects in quite some time".[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dirty Bronx Intro" (with Amber Run) |
|
| 3:31 |
| 2. | "Talk to Me" |
|
| 3:15 |
| 3. | "Stand United" (with Kanye West and Saint Jhn featuring Buju Banton) |
|
| 2:43 |
| 4. | "Splash Brothers" (with Rick Ross and Lil Wayne) |
|
| 3:41 |
| 5. | "Okay" (with Lil Baby and ATL Jacob) |
|
| 3:12 |
| 6. | "Casino Life 3" |
| ADHD | 2:33 |
| 7. | "Where They At" (with Kanye West and Westside Gunn) |
|
| 2:53 |
| 8. | "Skit" | Kharbouch | 1:27 | |
| 9. | "Too Fun" (with Kyle Richh and Jenn Carter) |
|
| 3:27 |
| 10. | "Facts" |
|
| 2:15 |
| 11. | "Praise God" (with JID) |
| Dxor | 3:14 |
| 12. | "Money Ain't a Thing" (with Lil Durk) |
| ADHD | 3:13 |
| 13. | "Goals" (with Jeremih) |
| Buda & Grandz | 3:37 |
| 14. | "Other Side" |
|
| 2:10 |
| 15. | "Fake Friends" (with Bryson Tiller) |
| TT Audi | 2:51 |
| 16. | "Where We Came From" | 1:52 | ||
| 17. | "Made It in USA" |
|
| 2:37 |
| 18. | "Millionaire Row" (with Rick Ross) |
|
| 2:46 |
| 19. | "Ride the Wave" |
|
| 1:50 |
| 20. | "Back in Style" (interlude) |
|
| 2:48 |
| 21. | "Documentary" (with Mikky Ekko) |
| 4:09 | |
| Total length: | 60:16 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22. | "Too Fun" (remix; with Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, and DThang featuring 41) |
|
| 3:51 |
| Total length: | 64:05 | |||
Notes
- "Where We Came From" contains samples from an unreleased song, "Marylyn (Witches and Panthers)", written by The Weeknd, Doc McKinney, and Illangelo, and performed by the former.
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 14 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[8] | 2 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 5 |
References
edit- ^ Pointer, Flisadam (December 8, 2023). "French Montana & Lil Baby's 'Okay' Video Is A Look At The Rappers' Out Of This World Lifestyle". Uproxx. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (February 23, 2024). "French Montana Releases 'Mac & Cheese 5' Mixtape Feat. Kanye West, Lil Wayne & More: Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Singh, Karan (November 25, 2023). "French Montana Announces 'Mac & Cheese 5' Release Date: 'This One for the Books!'". HipHopDX. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Powell, Jon (January 4, 2024). "The official tracklist for French Montana's 'Mac & Cheese 5' project has been revealed". Revolt. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ McIntyre, Hugh (February 23, 2024). "French Montana's New Album Features 126 Songs". Forbes. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ Glaysher, Scott (February 26, 2024). "French Montana Rewinds The Clock & Gets Back To Bars On 'Mac & Cheese 5'". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "French Montana Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "French Montana Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "French Montana Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2024.