Photographed by @mpvinny300
If you’ve seen Fetty Wap in concert, you’ve definitely seen [Monty](https://www.instagram.com/remyboymonty1738/?hl=en) on stage right next to him. The New Jersey native came up alongside Fetty Wap not only as his best friend and hypeman, but a recording artist in his own right. Beyond his features on some of Fetty’s most iconic hits to date, from 2015’s “My Way” and “679” to 2019’s “Birthday,” the East Coast rapper continues to put in the work—perfecting his craft in the studio any chance he can.
Real name Montana Buckz spent his formative years playing basketball and hooping. He states, “I almost went to the NBA, but the schooling was crazy. I went from Jersey to Florida, then went back to Jersey. It was wild.”
What most may not know is Monty actually let Fetty sleep in his car in the early days. Fast forward to this year, Monty promises we’ll be getting “a whole lotta fire” from the 1738 clan, while leading his Remy Boyz inprint. Most recently, Monty released his own single titled “Freak,” as fans wait patiently for the cinematic visual to come.
On the 7th episode of Shirley’s Temple, Shirley Ju sat down with Monty at Matrix Studios LA for an intimate conversation. Read below as we discuss coming up in New Jersey, falling in love with hip-hop after hearing Jadakiss, friendship with Fetty Wap, his recording process, the “My Way” session, his new single “Freak,” working with Taz Taylor, passing out smoking with Snoop Dogg, and more!
Photographed by @mpvinny300
Photographed by @mpvinny300
**How was New Jersey? I know you were just back home.**
Back home is always lit, home is home base. I love going back home, checking out everybody I grew up with, people, friends. It’s lit out there. I got family from Trenton, Patterson, Florida. Jersey’s pretty rough yo, Jersey is tough. We right there, East Coast right by New York. Right next to Philly. It’s definitely a way different vibe than over here. Everybody knows Cali gangland, we already know it’s up.
**When did music come into play?**
Hip-hop’s been a part of me for a long time, since as far as I could think. I had a passion for it. One day I heard a Jadakiss verse, oh shit that shit was fire. I wrote it down, I thought “I can rap! I can do this.” I started rapping my own raps, putting stuff together and making it count. Making music became something I liked to do, started getting better at it.
**Coming up, did you think you’d be here where you are today?**
Nah, it was really having fun. It’s always all for the passion of making the music. It went from that to okay, I'ma go drop these records and get lit in my city, to now we’re all over. Now we’re lit. It’s time to take it to the next level.
**The Remy Boyz 1738 was a movement with Fetty Wap. What’s the latest?**
We got y’all, this year I'm telling you. You’re about to get a whole lot of fire, we’re tapping in this year. Right now, we’re putting our splash on the new touch up. I'm still elevating myself, been in there working with writers. I write my own shit too, but I like getting feedback from other people and seeing how they come. It’s all in.
**Do you write versus freestyle?**
I mostly freestyle. What I do is I get a headstart. I get a couple in my head and I go in first, boom. Whatever comes to me, I start it off like that then I go in. I write it down so I dont forget it, ‘cause I might forget it. I’m smoking, I’m thinking about the next 8 and I forgot the last 8. \[laughs\]
**“Trap Queen,” “1738,” “My Way”... how do you feel when you hear those timeless records?**
Aw man, it’s still history. Still to this day, damn came from the hood. We really started from the trenches, from the bottom. This is all a W for us, that's how I see it. If this never happened, who knows? We’d still be trapping back in the hood. For us being able to put out this good music, to have fans relate to us and rock with us to that point was crazy. Shout out to Wap, he just went Diamond with “Trap Queen.” 10 million sold, that’s huge. He got the plaque recently.
**When did “Trap Queen” come out?**
2015\. I wasn’t there in the session, but I was there when he wrote the song. I came in the house and Zoo’s already there. He came out like “yo, I got it! I got a song,” he literally said it. This the real legit story, it was 5 in the morning in the wintertime. He goes “Mont, this the one. We’re about to get rich off this song.” He’s singing it, I don't even think there was a beat behind it yet. “Trap Queen…” \[Fetty voice\] It sounded fire but I was tired as hell. It really was the one, Zoo really had it. It was fire.
**What happened after that?**
We was really locked in too, we had records after records. By the time he did “Trap Queen,” we had 5 to 6 records already booming in the town. A few were already booming already, then “Trap Queen” went super crazy.
**Do you remember the “My Way” studio session? That was also back in 2015.**
It was 50 n\*ggas in the studio in Jersey, I was so lit. “My Way” studio session was super legendary. I remember as soon as we got out that session, I jumped in a car and I’d let somebody hear it. It was a girl too, she was driving me somewhere. She said “nah this is fire!” She already fell in love with it, it was an instant hit.
**How did it feel being in your hometown and having that go mainstream?**
Being around the area was different, shit like that doesn't happen. We’re going to enjoy this shit, but you gotta be careful too ‘cause you never know. You know how it is right here. People see somebody doing good, all that shit comes with this. We had to up everything.
**Were you guys partying like crazy? I know 1738 is named after Remy Martin.**
We had the 1738 sometimes. At that time, that’s the most expensive thing so we couldn’t always cash out all the time to get the 17. We got the green bottle, the green bottle was it. We’re making all the magic off the green bottle. 1738 was a brand, that's how that came about. We’re lit, we’re getting turnt up making a lot of good music. Working consistently, day in and day out in the studio.
**Do you remember your first show you sold out? You’re always on stage with him.**
I remember our first big headlining show was in Boston. The headliner was Wap and us, Rae Sremmurd was up there, Dej Loaf, Bobby Shmurda. I don't think Bobby Shmurda made it that night. \[laughs\] My guy DC Youngfly was there hosting it. That's my guy, that's my bro. He reminds me of Mike Epson, everything he says is funny. I've been around him a few times, my security wants to throw jokes at him because they know he’s gonna roast them. They want to laugh.
**What's the song that goes up the most?**
A lot of the records go crazy. It’d have to be “679” or “Trap Queen” go crazy.
**Speaking of “679,” what happened with The Chainsmokers?**
The Chainsmokers stole my flow, tell ‘em I'm looking for them. Just playing. \[laughs\] They my guys, shout out to Chainsmokers. They had a song that was very similar to mine, but I didn't notice. I remember somebody kept tagging me a while ago, I think Complex. I was so busy running around, I didn't even pay it no mind. I’ma keep it so real. It was lit for them so shout out to them, I did something right. \[laughs\] Let’s get it.
**What obstacles did you face in the music industry and how did you push through?**
There’s always some shit going on, you know how this industry shit is. You gotta stay working, that’s it. You’ll always have obstacles, but you gotta keep pushing and overcome them. If you get something blocking your shit, figure out how to go around it and keep shit going. Or know who not to keep around, ‘cause you got a lotta people in here for some ulterior motive or some clout. You gotta be careful.
**Talk about your new single “Freak.”**
“Shorty she a freak!” I made that out here with my guy, it was lit. We about to the drop the visual. I'm about to drop a project, I'ma drop an EP. I dropped 2 singles, “Mission” and “Freak.” We’re going to keep killing them with visuals and singles this year, taking this to a whole nother level.
**How was the video shoot?**
I did shoot that in Covid, don't worry they all got tested. The “Freak” video was lit, we shot it in Jersey. It wasn't too crazy. We didn't have 50 bitches there, but we got the job done. No cap.
**How’d your link with Taz Taylor?**
Shout out to Taz, that’s my guy. He’s lit. Fetty’s in there working on an album with Internet Money. That's why we’re out here, we’re tapping in with him. We’ve been working consistently. Taz the guy, so we’ve been locked in.
**Wap released an album last year right?**
Wap dropped _You Know The Vibes._ It was a fire album. I'm on #1, check that out. It’s lit.
**How has your friendship with Wap evolved over the years?**
Zoo’s my guy. He does his thing and I do my thing, you know how it is. Not together all day everyday, but it’s all love when we link. Gotta get the work, we get back to it, then back home to our families.
**What inspires you to create music today versus back then?**
Musically, you gotta stay hungry. A lot of my drive comes from when I do a record. I do something I really like, it makes me want to do another one. I’ma keep chasing something, I’ma getting it. That keeps me going.
**Talk about your own weed strain with Stay Kind Co.**
I have [Kali Stix](https://www.instagram.com/kalistix/), make sure you guys check that out. It's online, go order that. We have edibles, hand sanitizers, CBD cream, we have it all. Stay Kind Co, it’s up.
**How's the entrepreneur life?**
It’s been lit man. I'm still growing, you gotta do more than this rap stuff. Hopefully I’ma see me in movies like Denzel Washington, like I seen Will Smith in _Bad Boys 3_. I’m tryna act. I act, but I'm in the very early stages. If I got to, I’ma get in there.
**Anything you want to collaborate with?**
I gotta collaborate with Snoop, the OG. I was high as hell with Snoop, I passed out in the studio that day. I passed out, facts. This was 3 years ago. It was back to back gas. We’re smoking gas all day, heavy pressure. Went straight into Snoop and it was man down! Wap was there, they recorded a record that night.
**Did Wap keep up?**
Zoo be up, he don’t go to sleep. That n\*gga barely sleeps. That n\*gga’s always up, he’s up early and he don’t go to sleep. Bro, when do you go to sleep? He gets tired. \[laughs\] When he’s asleep, when he’s out he’s out.
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