Montana Of 300
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Walter Anthony "Tony" Bradford (born March 3, 1989), better known by his stage name Montana of 300 (or simply Montana), is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from
Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...
. Born in
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, he moved to Peoria in late childhood. He attended Manual High School. He created his rap group 300 with one of his best-friends Montelle Talley also known a
Talley of 300
His debut
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, ''Fire in the Church'', was released on May 20, 2016. He is best known for his rap style, incorporating trap, R&B, and
drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...
beats, while also making remixes to hit songs that, like his originals, often include religious subtext. Since releasing ''Fire in the Church,'' Montana has committed to releasing an album every year on May 20. The significance of the date is unknown. His second album, ''Don't Doubt the God'', was released on May 20, 2017, and his third album, ''Pray 4 the Devil'', was released on May 20, 2018. His fourth album, ''A Gun In The Teacher’s Desk'', was released on November 16, 2018, and on May 20, 2019, Montana would release his fifth album, ''Views from the General's Helmet''. Montana has repeatedly announced that his sixth album, ''Rap God'', would be his final solo release. After several delays dating back to 2019, the album was finally released on January 6, 2022.


Early life

Tony Bradford was born on March 3, 1989, in
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. He has two brothers and three sisters. He started rapping at age 15, and grew up listening to artists such as
Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
, DMX,
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
, and
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
. Both his parents suffered from serious substance abuse issues, his father from alcohol and his mother from crack cocaine. After witnessing his parents' struggles, Montana ceased using narcotics, not wanting to "fry his brain." In 2008, Montana, his friend from high school, Montelle Talley (known professionally as "Talley of 300"), as well as several others joined to form the rap group "300". The name for the group was based on the movie of the same name, in which a group of 300 Spartans overcome more than 300,000 Persian Soldiers to hold on to their territory. Montana was particularly inspired by the line, "No Surrender, No Retreat, Only the hard, only the strong, Against all odds".


Career

In 2014, Montana released his first
mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
, titled ''Cursed with a Blessing''. In September 2015, Montana made a cameo appearance in the popular television show, ''
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
''. In December 2015, Montana and Talley of 300 released a collaborative mixtape titled ''Gunz and Roses''. Staples of this tape included "FGE Cypher" and "Mf's Mad". On May 20, 2016, Montana released his debut studio album, titled ''Fire in the Church''. The 18-track release, which only included features from his Fly Guy Entertainment labelmates and
Kevin Gates Kevin Jerome Gilyard (born February 5, 1986), better known by his stage name Kevin Gates, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is currently signed to Bread Winners' Association with a partnership with Atlantic Records ...
, was lauded by '' XXL'' magazine for its "heat-seeking bars and thought-provoking metaphors". The album peaked at #95 on the
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...
. On February 10, 2017, Montana released a compilation album with his Fly Guy labelmates, titled ''No Surrender No Retreat''. On February 11, 2025, it was announced that Montana was arrested on multiple charges; such as Criminal Trespassing, Domestic Battery, Resisting Arrest, and Theft.


Discography


Albums


Studio albums


Mixtapes


Compilation album


Singles


As lead artist


As featured artist


Filmography


References


External links

* * {{authority control 1989 births Living people African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers Rappers from Chicago American drill musicians American trap musicians Gangsta rappers 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians MNRK Music Group artists 21st-century African-American musicians Musicians from Peoria, Illinois