Via AllHipHop.com By DeOnna Hicks

A native of the same borough as many Hip-Hop Hall-of-Famers, Brooklyn resident PUSH! Montana is paving his own way and solidifying himself as more than just a money and drugs rapper, but a musician as well as a businessman. Applying street hustle techniques, pairing them with professionalism and work ethic, was the recipe used to get Montana on major releases, and featured in the most reputable outlets of urban media.

In the process of shooting visuals for every song off of his most recent release, “FRESH Dope.” recoding the P.U.S.H! EP, When PUSH! Comes to Shove, the mixtape and the “Brooklyn Boys” documentary, the rapper behind the popular moniker is well on his way to outranking everyone else in the game baring the name.

AllHipHop.com: I have to know, what’s the deal with the exclamation point in your name? 

PUSH! Montana:: The exclamation point is there for people to say my name with emotion. my music is soul food for ya soul fool. [Laughter] But for real I always wanted my listeners to exude emotion and feeling when  saying, reading or hearing my name. i put my heart and soul in to  every rap. so in turn my fresh dopeboys/girls give me the same thing in return.

AllHipHop.com: Born and bred in Brooklyn, some of the biggest names in music are from Brooklyn what impact has you borough had on you musically?

PUSH! Montana: It has a great impact on me. I have to be great coming behind Big Daddy Kane, BIG, and Jay-Z. They showed me that you can be lyrical and still have commercial success. But not even just the artist, but being from Brooklyn period. You know we feel like the toughest muthaf*ckas on the planet. Like wherever you go , its always gonna be somebody from BK there. And we are just aggressive and wont take no for an answer. I’m executive producing a documentary right now called “Brooklyn Boys”. I’m working with Emmy award winning director Michelle Watson. We’re in the streets asking all the Brooklyn rappers about their come up, struggles, successes, and we trying find out just why are we so different.

AllHipHop.com: What’s a typical day like for you, from start to finish?

PUSH! Montana: Well i have like an everyday routine in the mornings. i usually wake up from 7 to 8 am. I pray, workout, eat, record at least a verse, and go over my expenses. All in that order. Everyday. That keeps me focused, and helps me get ready for the day. Then after that I’m handling business. I’m a CEO of Money In The Bank Records. So everyday its just trying to build the brand. I might be scouting video  locations, doing a video, shooting “Brooklyn Boys”, recording, going to the store to get paper and ink for the printers [Laughter], just  everything involving progression and building the PUSH!, Money In The Bank, and Wink Loc brands.

AllHipHop.com: I watched an older interview where you spoke on the origins of your rap career, dating back to your senior year of high-school which really wasn’t that long ago. Why do you think that you’ve gotten more notoriety than some of your peers that may have been rapping longer than you.

PUSH! Montana: Because I got that FRESHDOPE! you know, I’m a dope n*gga. I speak on real situations and motivate people to be something in life. I’m not just out here trying to put metaphors together. I’m uplifting and enlightening. When you do that you touch peoples heart, not just their mind for 5 minutes. But to be real, I’m not even at 2% of where I’m supposed to be, and where I’m headed. I shoulda been a household  name. But its cool imma be there soon. GOD willing. I’m gonna be one of the greats when its all said and done.


AllHipHop.com: Explain how you linked with Maino and the impact that has had on your music career?

PUSH! Montana: I hooked up with Maino in 2002/2003 when he got out of prison. We met up through passing in the studio and the streets.You know Brooklyn is big but small. Everybody know everybody if you’re somebody. But we just connected, became homies immediately and  just kept building from there. He’s the realest n***a in the world. To this day he motivates me and keeps me focused knowing the situations he came from and where he’s at now.

AllHipHop.com: Who are some other underground rappers you feel rank amongst the best today?

PUSH! Montana:: Damn there are a lot. I mean I f*ck with a lot of them. You got Killa Kyleon, Gibbs, Curt@!n$, DZA, Nipsey, my L.E.P n*ggas, Dom Kennedy, its a bunch. Then in Brooklyn we gotta whole movement of dudes that go hard. Wink Loc, Mouse, Ace N Pesh, Lucky Don, and Troy Ave out here goin hard. And my n*gga Ra Diggs is a beast. He’s just not  on the streets at this time. FREE RA DIGGS!!!!

AllHipHop.com: Some people hustle simply for the love of it rather than the money, what was the case for you?

PUSH! Montana: I started hustlin for money. I mean in 8th grade i sold weed so i could get better clothes. [Laughter] I wasn’t poor but when all the kids rockin tommy and polo and I’m in bugle boy, i wasnt wit it. I remember my moms caught me wearing my gold fronts and made throw them out. I was mad as hell. But to answer ya question, nigg*s hustle for that feeling. i got a song about that. i had my own crib at 18, was driving Lexus’ at 19 and had a CL500 at 21.  And i never stood on no corner selling crack. Ima different type of n*gga. These are facts.  But its the feeling of knowing you the realest n*gga in the room. The feeling of knowing when you pull up at an event everybody gonna be talkin bout you and bitches tryna get your attention. REAL DBOY. I ain’t talkin’ scammers or stick up kids. No disrespect to them. Its all a huslte. But to be in the club throwin’ hundreds and popping bottles knowing the risks you took to get it!? Knowing you following the g code and wont fold for nuthin?! Man aint no feeling like it.

AllHipHop.com: With all the pretenders that have made a name for themselves rapping about hustling, do you think listeners are less receptive to your subject matter regardless of it’s authenticity?

PUSH! Montana: Yeah, and just from the abundance of music that’s put out every single day. People might not like my name or how i spell it and wont listen or might not like that i wear a black flag everywhere. But once they listen, I GOT THEM! They understand why im one of the best newcomers and why I feel in my heart that I’m the best in it after Hov. I’m speaking on real subjects and emotions that rappers nowdays aren’t talkin  about. I can straight up out rap nigg*s if you wanna do that. Metaphors, story telling, consciousness all that. I’m working hard on my craft everyday to get better. A Lot of my n***as is in the can rooting for me. I gotta provide for my family. Its bigger than just PUSH!. I gotta lot of people to feed. I’m tryna provide opportunity so we don’t gotta sell drugs no more. 

AllHipHop.com: You speak about enjoying putting songs together, even if it’s not for yourself, do you ever think you executive produce an album for someone?

PUSH! Montana: HELL YEAH! I love it. Me and Mandalay Jay already did my bro Wink Loc’s street album “LOCOMOTIVE” and that’s already been considered a hood classic. I wanna work with more artist because I have soooo many ideas, concepts, and beats that i wouldn’t use myself. but with the right artist would be crazy. I’m just a fan and student of music.  I see myself getting in to producing, acting and directing. [Laughter] I’m just getting acclimated with beat making. A lot of time i will have ideas for beats and these producers wont get it or get back to me fast enough. So I just wanna be able to express myself in all forms. I would like to get into acting as well. I think it would be a challenge for me to do it. And the directing i would like to get in to as well. While working on “Brooklyn Boys” with Michelle Watson my eyes have opened up wider. I think we can make an impact socially with these films. Touch on topics maybe people don’t really wanna speak on. But before its all said and done, Money In The Bank will be as Def Jam was and I will be top 5 dead or alive. now put that in your pipe and smoke it. [Laughter] For real though. I’m making a statement. EXCLAMATION POINT! - PUSH!