Montana of 300 facts for kids

Montana of 300, whose real name is Walter Anthony Bradford, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He was born on March 3, 1989, in Chicago, Illinois. Many people know him simply as Montana.

He is famous for his unique rap style. It mixes different music types like trap and drill. He also creates new versions of popular songs, called remixes. Both his original songs and remixes often include religious messages.

Montana released his first album, Fire in the Church, on May 20, 2016. After that, he aimed to release a new album every year on May 20. This date is special to him for reasons he hasn't shared. His second album, Don't Doubt the God, came out on May 20, 2017. His third, Pray 4 the Devil, followed on May 20, 2018. He also released A Gun In The Teacher’s Desk on November 16, 2018. His fifth album, Views from the General's Helmet, was released on May 20, 2019.

Montana had said that his sixth album, Rap God, would be his last solo album. After some delays, it was finally released on January 6, 2022.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Walter Anthony Bradford was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 3, 1989. He grew up with two brothers and three sisters. Montana started rapping when he was 15 years old. He listened to many famous artists like Tupac, DMX, Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z.

In 2008, Montana and his high school friend, Montelle Talley, formed a rap group. Montelle Talley is known as "Talley of 300." They named their group "300" after the movie of the same name. The movie is about 300 Spartan soldiers who bravely fought against a much larger army. Montana was especially inspired by a line from the movie: "No Surrender, No Retreat, Only the hard, only the strong, Against all odds." This idea of strength and fighting against challenges became important to him.

Music Career Highlights

In 2014, Montana released his first mixtape, called Cursed with a Blessing. A mixtape is like an album but often released for free or with less formal distribution.

In September 2015, Montana appeared on the popular TV show Empire. Later that year, in December 2015, Montana and Talley of 300 released a joint mixtape. It was titled Gunz and Roses. This mixtape included popular songs like "FGE Cypher" and "Mf's Mad."

On May 20, 2016, Montana released his first official studio album. It was called Fire in the Church. This album had 18 songs. It featured other artists from his music group, Fly Guy Entertainment, and also Kevin Gates. The album was praised by XXL magazine for its strong lyrics and clever messages. Fire in the Church reached number 95 on the Billboard 200 music chart.

On February 10, 2017, Montana released another album. This one was a collection of songs with his Fly Guy Entertainment group members. It was titled No Surrender No Retreat.

Film and Television Appearances

Montana of 300 has also appeared in a few television shows.