Duke Montana

Truceklan

Duke Montana and Sticky Fingaz from Onyx.

In 2008 together with Noyz Narcos and other members of the crew Montana took part to the album Ministero dell'Inferno and later in 2010 to the album Guilty, including collaborations from Italian mainstream rap scene such as Club Dogo, Marracash and Fabri Fibra. During these years he performed in many concerts all around Italy and Switzerland. In 2011 he gave birth to the project "Black Bandana Click", together with Metal Carter and Noyz Narcos, with the intention to publish an album, Klan Related, and three extra tracks. The project failed because of a sudden break between Montana and Narcos, due to a personal feud. Montana dissed Narcos with an open dissing track named "Stai messo male", in which Narcos was described as a poser, drug-addict, actually coming from a wealthy family.

Feud with Frankie HI-NRG

In 2009, when he still was a member of Truceklan, Italian police led several drug operations which involved many members of the crew. The investigations led to the seizure of more than 10 kilograms of drugs and to the arrest of eighteen people, also including Chicoria and Noyz Narcos, while Montana never had criminal record.^[7] In those days the rapper Frankie Hi-NRG MC, during an interview on the Italian national networks, declared:

Rap is a job, you have to be an author, a composer. If you want to use drugs, use it, but it should be used as an accessory, and never as a flag. I'm a rapper too, but I never encourage extreme sex or the use of drugs.

— Duke Montana, Interview with OnlyHipHop

Truceklan replied to this provocation with a diss, written and sung by Duke Montana. In the intro of the videoclip some members of his crew, using a spray, write on a car Snuff It, Frankie. Later, an actor in the part of Frankie is represented to have sex with another man and finally is beaten up and forced to enter in an ambulance, driven by other members of the crew. In the final scene Duke and Noyz Narcos slash a copy of Frankie's last album in front of the camera. Frankie never replied to the diss.^[8]

Solo career

Duke Montana and Noyz Narcos

Duke Montana opening Wiz Khalifa's Italian tour in Milan.

In 2011, Montana released the album Grind Music II, self-produced and distributed by Edel Music. In the same year he published his further album, Stay Gold, produced by Sick Luke. It included collaboration with the American hip-hop group Onyx ("Bloodsport"), Club Dogo ("Carta Viola"), Fabri Fibra ("Alphabet Killers"), and other mainstream and underground rappers.^[9] In 2012, he recorded the track "Smashin' (Italian Remix)" featuring Onyx and The Beatnuts. Currently he is the president of Golden Age Biz, his personal label, which has a partnership with Sony BMG for distribution and Live Nation Entertainment for his live tours. It also deals with the production of Black Barz and other emerging underground rappers. On the 15 July 2012, Montana opened the first and the only Italian date of the American rapper Wiz Khalifa, in Milan, together with Fedez and Baby K.^[10]

Cinema

During his career as an actor he took part to several regular and porn movies, in each of which he always played the role of himself. Most of the scenes are criminal themed or however describe the social unrest and corruption proper of the Italian society:

• 1992 – Le amiche del cuore directed by Michele Placido.
• 2007 – Mucchio selvaggio together with Club Dogo and Truceklan, porn movie.^[11]
• 2008 – Moralità Corrotta, porn movie.
• 2008 – Mala Vita, porn movie.
• 2010 – Ganja Fiction, reportage
• 2016 – Zeta, film

Albums

• 1991 – Power to the People (Power Mc's)
• 2000 – Atlantis Land - Virgin Records
• 2008 – Ministero dell'Inferno (Truceklan) - Propaganda Records
• 2008 – Street Mentality - Propaganda Records
• 2010 – Grind Muzik Mixtape - Propaganda Records
• 2012 – Grind Muzik II prod. Don Joe, Shablo, Sick Luke - Edel Music
• 2012 – Stay Gold prod. Don Joe and Sick Luke - Sony BMG
• 2013 – Black Barz Mixtape - Golden Age Label
• 2014 – Grind Muzik 3 Mixtape - Sony BMG
• 2016 – Raw - Sony BMG
• 2018 – Grind Muzik 4 - Kazal

Single tracks

• 2000 – Atlantis World
• 2000 – Da Hip Hop Witch (soundtrack)
• 2006 – Lovin' Lola (Summer Hits 2006)
• 2009 – Diss Track feat. Truceklan

Collaborations