Duke Montana
Duke Montana born Duke Barker (7 February 1975 in Rome) better known as Grind Muzik Rap King is an Italian-American rapper, actor and businessman. He collaborated with several Italian and American rappers, including Snoop Dogg, Kool G Rap, Lil Ortega, Onyx, Club Dogo, Fabri Fibra, Wu-Tang Clan, Ice-T.[1] He is the father of the Multi-Platinum producer Sick Luke.[2]
Duke Montana | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Duke Barker |
| Also known as | The King of Rap, Grind Muzik Rap King |
| Origin | Italy |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, actor, businessman |
| Instruments | Rapping, turntables |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
Personal life and early career
Duke Montana was born in Rome to an American father and Italian mother. In the early years of his life he lived in Santa Ana, Los Angeles. In the early 1990s, when he was fourteen, Montana founded his first hip-hop collective, Power Mc's, together with the producer Ice One and Julie P. with which he released the Power to the People LP. He also collaborated with important members of the American rap scene including Onyx, Ice-T, Wu-Tang Clan and starred in the film Le amiche del cuore, directed by Michele Placido, playing the role of himself.[3] During those years he spent his life between Corpus Christii, London and finally Los Angeles. There he performed in many live concerts until 2000, when he finally settled in Italy. After his solo EP, Atlantis Land, during year 2006 he began a close collaboration with Truceklan that culminated with his official entry in the crew.[4] Their songs, such as Corpus Christii, often contained references to violence, extreme sex and drug abuse.
Career
Truceklan
In 2008, with Noyz Narcos and other members of the Crew Montana, Duke Montana took part in the album Ministero dell'Inferno and in the album Guilty (2010), including collaborations with Italian mainstream rappers 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", 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 personal dispute between Montana and Narcos. Montana dissed Narcos with a public 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.[5] 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.[6]
Solo career
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.[7] 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.[8]
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.[9]
- 2008 – Moralità Corrotta, porn movie.
- 2008 – Mala Vita, porn movie.
- 2010 – Ganja Fiction, reportage
- 2016 – Zeta, film
Discography
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
- 2000 – Flaminio Maphia feat. Duke Montana - Veteranos Por Vida
- 2000 – Flaminio Maphia feat. Duke Montana, Chef Ragoo, Piotta & Brusco - Combattimento Mortale III
- 2006 – Gel & Metal Carter feat. Duke Montana - Corpus Christii
- 2007 – Chicoria feat. Duke Montana - Combattemose Roma
- 2007 – Chicoria feat. Duke Montana - How We Livin'
- 2007 – Noyz Narcos feat. Duke Montana - Don't Fuck With Me
- 2007 – Noyz Narcos feat. Mystic1, Duke Montana & Miss Violetta Beauregarde - 666
- 2007 – Metal Carter feat. Duke Montana - Con Il Crack
- 2008 – Santo Trafficante feat. Inoki, Duke Montana – Split Personality
- 2008 – Lou Chano feat. Duke Montana & Noyz Narcos - The Gates Of Hell
- 2008 – Gel feat. Mystic1, Duke Montana & Chicoria - True Stories
- 2008 – Duke Montana feat. Noyz Narcos - Bersaglio Accerchiato
- 2008 – Lou Chano feat. Cole, Fabri Fibra & Duke Montana - Deadicated
- 2008 – Rough feat. Duke Montana & Metal Carter - We Crave Hardcore Rap
- 2008 – Noyz Narcos & Dj Gengis Khan feat. Duke Montana - Keep Your Mouth Shut
- 2009 – Cole feat. Duke Montana & Chicoria - Groupie Love
- 2009 – Gast feat. Duke Montana - Everyday
- 2009 – Gast feat. Duke Montana & Noyz Narcos - Sideshow
- 2009 – Gast feat. Chicoria & Duke Montana - Runnin' This Rap Shit
- 2009 – Gast feat. Cole & Duke Montana - Baby
- 2010 – Noyz Narcos feat. Duke Montana - Sotto Indagine
- 2010 – Noyz Narcos feat. Duke Montana - Nel Teschio
- 2010 – Noyz Narcos feat. Duke Montana & Chicoria - L'ultima Chiamata
- 2010 – In The Panchine feat. Duke Montana & Noyz Narcos - Gatto Delle Nevi
- 2011 – Metal Carter & Cole feat. Gast & Duke Montana - Croce Nera Sulla Mappa
- 2011 – Guè Pequeno feat. Duke Montana & Noyz Narcos – Mind Your Bizness
- 2012 – Chicoria feat. Duke Montana - Lonely Streets
- 2012 – Chicoria feat. Duke Montana - Polvere Alla Polvere, Cenere Alla Cenere, Relativo Al Genere
Notes
- MTV - Duke Montana's Biography
- - Duke Montana's son
- RapBurger - The "King of the Underground", Duke Montana's Life
- Atom Heart Magazine, interview with Duke Montana.
- Repubblica - Eighteen underground rappers and writers arrested in Rome
- Rapper.it - Frankie HI-NGR Mc and Duke Montana
- Outsiders Music Archived 21 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine - Duke Montana released "Stay Gold"
- RBL Music Italia, Duke Montana opens Wiz Khalifa's Italian tour
- Rock-it, Truceklan and Club Dogo acted in hard movie Mucchio Selvaggio.
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