“Unforgettable” by Moroccan-US rapper French Montana featuring Swae Lee is now certified as 11x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) for selling 11 million units in streams and sales in the United States. The achievement issued today July 31, 2023 by the RIAA, follows the song’s certified Diamond status last August.
The music video which was shot in Uganda has now surpassed 1.5 billion streams on YouTube and features the Ugandan youth dance troupe Triplets Ghetto Kids. “Most of them live in the States now,” according to Montana. Unforgettable has surpassed 1.7 billion streams on Spotify.
“He had the vision for this record from even the demo,” said Sal Slaiby of XO management label as they celebrated the Diamond milestone last year at a private party.
French noted that his diamond plaque was also a big win for his home country Morocco, where he moved from to the US at age 13.
“Unforgettable” was the lead single from “Jungle Rules,” released by Epic Records/Bad Boy Entertainment in July 2017.
French 2022 mixtape, “Montega,” with producer Harry Fraud featured a credited but uncleared sample of Jamaican singer Everton Blender’s Higher, produced by Tony Rebel.
World Music Views reported that the Rebel Salute director Tony Rebel was not aware of the sample, even though it was released on his Flames Record label.
(Read More on Tony Rebel Lawyer’s response to French Montana’s “Ghetto People” sample).
Upon hearing Montana and Fraud’s sample of “Higher” with Blender’s voice echoing and the distinctive horns, he initially responded in shock by saying, “me a send it to my lawyer dem a New York right now.” He then contemplated, “I wonder if somebody clear it, who would be the one to clear it?”
The Nazarite Vow artist says he will be pursuing legal action to seek recompense for the unauthorized use of the song.
