If Montana Montana Montana looks back at the artist who released Really Not a Rapper in 2014, he recalls an individual trying to find his way within a larger picture that features his life beyond music. More than a decade later, his experiences have changed, and his perspective has matured while the motivation behind his music has gained clarity.
His return is not about reinventing himself based on his previous self. Instead, the new era offers a chance to continue Montana’s tale of #RNAR and let the music incorporate all the experiences that took place after the debut record.
“I’m not interested in recreating Really Not a Rapper 1 because nostalgia alone isn’t evolution,” Montana says.
#RNAR Has Become Bigger Than a Title
From the moment Really Not a Rapper emerged on the scene, there was a clear contradiction built into the title. At the time, Montana had been making rap music but was also challenging the notion that his entire identity centered on being a rapper.
With time, #RNAR turned out to be more of a philosophy that blends together the music and experience of the entrepreneur, father, businessman, and storyteller. Through this concept, he approaches songs from the perspective of someone documenting real life rather than constructing an image solely for the recording studio. “I’m not trying to become a new artist,” he explains. “I’m trying to make the strongest current version of the artist I already built.”
It makes all the difference in Montana’s upcoming material. He still sees California and his upbringing on the West Coast as a fundamental part of his sound and identity, while his subject matter continues to draw from everyday experiences involving relationships, money, business, travel, humor, and life in his surroundings.
A New Chapter Without Turning His Back on the Past
Montana Montana Montana’s upcoming music includes records such as “Hella Nogal,” which reconnects to his Bakersfield roots behind 925five Records, alongside songs such as “Drunk Song” that’ll allow him to explore a more accessible and radio-friendly side of his sound.
The distinction is intentional. Montana does not believe every song needs to carry the weight of his past. Some records might capture a certain moment or experience, while others can just be a fun song for him to create and perform.
“There’s more perspective now,” he says. “I still make art that’s entertaining, memorable, feel-good, and playable music.”
The strategy also allows an opportunity for his Really Not a Rapper series to continue. Montana has other project ideas in development, but he does not see abandoning #RNAR as necessary proof of artistic growth. The brand and his identity as an artist can change with him.
A potential Really Not a Rapper 7, for example, would carry the lineage forward without attempting to sound like a 2014 release. Production has changed, people listen to music differently, and the standards around music and visuals have evolved.
Returning With Something Left to Say
The motivation behind his comeback reaches beyond the desire for attention. Montana believes there is still more of his life worth documenting and more work to accomplish through both music and 925five Records. “I’m returning because I have unfinished business, more life to document and a company and catalog that I’m building for the long term,” he says. A perspective that gives his new material a different foundation from his earlier work. Montana can draw from the history that established his name while approaching each new record from where he stands today.
For listeners familiar with #RNAR, the return offers another chapter in an ongoing story. For those discovering Montana Montana Montana for the first time, his forthcoming music provides an introduction to an artist whose identity has always extended beyond the microphone.
Listen to Montana Montana Montana’s previous work: