There wasn’t a bigger debut single in Hip Hop last year than “Trap Queen.” Fetty Wap’s ode to his ride or die was successful enough to go double platinum. For many, this was a shot in the bucket kind of luck. Then “679,” “My Way,” and “Again” all shot to the charts as well. One thing became certain, Zoo Wap wasn’t a fluke. Having the closest view of his meteoric rise was Monty who not only was featured on “My Way,” but made seven appearances on Wap’s self-titled debut album. Fetty’s best bro is already seeing the fruits of his contribution. Was it the viral video of Monty being surprised with a new BMW i8 or accompanying his bro on a national tour with Post Malone? The day I’m scheduled to interview the Remy Boyz member, he’s preparing for a show at The Palladium later on that night.
Getting some time with Monty at his hotel room in West Hollywood, Monty explains his relationship with Wap and releasing solo music this year.
Meeting Fetty Wap At A Chicken Store Lead To A Creative Relationship
Photo By: Ural Garret
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HipHopDX: This is the first big national tour for you, Fetty Wap and Post Malone. Must be nice to getting able to reach out to fans in such a big way right?
Monty: It’s getting the same energy of the fans that you put into your songs. Watching them turn up to your songs while you’re performing your shit is crazy. Every night a wild night. Too many wild nights. Every night is a zoo.
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DX: You and Zoo Wap’s relationship goes back some years. What was the initial meeting between you guys like?
Monty: I knew Wap for a while. It’s probably been like ten years. I met him in a chicken store in the hood. After that, me and Zoo been together ever since. That’s just been my bro real talk. We’ve just been real cool. We started making music together and then, we’re here now. Remy Boyz 1738. That’s basically how it happened.
DX: You were featured around seven times on Fetty Wap’s debut album.
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Monty: I appreciated that too. Shout out to my brother Fetty Wap. He gave me the opportunity to be on his debut album.
DX: Unlike most artist of today, Fetty Wap had four of last year’s biggest singles out the gate, but bypassed the mixtape to album rollout.
Monty: It feels good to be apart of the project, especially where I’m from. You just don’t get any artist that come out like that and become megastars. Zoo is really gifted and talented. He’s blessed. He came a long way from nothing to something and I watched the whole thing right with him. He worked hard for it. Can’t take nothing from him.
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DX: Can you describe the atmosphere on the project? Oh yeah, congratulations to both of you guys for going platinum.
Monty: Yo real talk, I actually just read about that today. The energy was crazy. Normally, when we were in the studio, we never know what we’re making sometimes. We just go in there, put the beat on and we just go there with it. We speak whatever we speak and it comes out however it comes out. Most of the music is on the spot music. Fetty doesn’t even write his music down. He just goes in the booth and does his thing. That’s basically how it happened. The energy was definitely in the air. It just made you want to go harder out there and turn-up.
“He [Fetty Wap] got niggas out of the hood and it’s now up to us to put that footwork in.”
Photo By: Ural Garrett
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Monty: Creatively, I try to bring Monty to the table. I do me. Fetty Wap is going to do what he do. I try to bring more rap to the table as Wap sings and do what he does. You’re just going to hear my point of view. We still a little similar, but I try to rap more than Zoo. Zoo does Zoo and he has his own style.
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DX: You’re from Paterson, New Jersey as well. What was life like for you like before linking with Fetty?
Monty: I grew up in Trenton, New Jersey and born there. Then I moved to Paterson around 2001. I was basically running the streets. I played ball and rapped. That’s all basically before all rap. Me and Zoo, it’s crazy because we were living in the same area. I went to Eastside High School and Zoo went to the same high school, but I guess we were at different levels. I didn’t even meet Zoo there.
DX: Clearly, this is a platform you have. How do you take that and transfer that to a solo artist?
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Monty: I just try to capitalize off of it. Zoo did what he promised he was going to do. He got niggas out of the hood and it’s now up to us to put that footwork in. That’s what it’s all about. We going to make sure we keep sending this hot fire out there, eating up these streets. I got a lot of music you’re going to hear this year. I can’t wait to release this shit. You’re really going to hear a lot about Monty this year. Don’t be surprised. You’re going to hear something from me and Fetty Wap this year.
DX: Did you learn anything from Fetty’s success last year in how you carve your own lane?
Monty: Basically, just keep making these records. You never know what could happen. Some of these records got us so far. We must be doing something right. This music got us to where we are so far. We just going to keep doing what we been doing. That’s what Monty is going to keep doing, making these records. Real talk.
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Real Friends Buy Each Other Beamers
DX: The video of Fetty passing you the keys to that nice BMW i8 went viral. What was that moment like for you?
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Monty: I ain’t even know. We were just in the house chillin’. Zoo will surprise you, he’s like the surprise king. You never know what Zoo might do. One day, I was in the house. I guess he saw me getting a new car. I was thinking about getting a Bentley actually. Before that, I had an Infiniti G37 and I got into an accident with that. I had an accident where it crashed on the highway with the car spinning out of control. After that, I was chilling for a while. I didn’t need to drive because everyone around me was driving so I was Gucci. Next thing you know, I go outside and the i8 was right there. I love that nigga for that. That’s my nigga right there.
DX: You guys work fairly well together. Will we see a joint collaboration?
Monty: You might. You never know. 2016 is where anything can happen.
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DX: You guys have platinum records and national tour. Did you ever think you guys would make it this far?
Monty: We had it in us. We knew we had the potential to do something. We just needed something to get us out there and Fetty called it. I guess it was just meant to happen. “Trap Queen” and “679” just happened like that. It speaks for itself. When you get four in a row in one year. It just ain’t anybody making music. We’re not just making music, but powerful records.
DX: “Trap Queen” was around for about a year before it blew up nationally. Do you remember the earlier moments of that record?
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Monty: I don’t think I was there when he was recording it. I was there when he wrote it. Not even when he wrote it, but when he first thought of it. He was like, this the one that’s going to get us out the hood. That’s exactly what he said. He had a couple words on his phone and just going off it. He went and just laid it one day and put it up on the cloud. It’s been up from there.
