Kalan.FrFr

Kalan.FrFr
Birth nameKalan Emani Montgomery
Born (1995-04-11) April 11, 1995 (age 29)[1]
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresPop rap
Years active2018–present
Labels
WebsiteOfficial website

Kalan Emani Montgomery (born April 11, 1995), better known by his stage name Kalan.FrFr, is an American singer and rapper. Based in Los Angeles, he has collaborated with several of the city's hip hop and R&B artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Tyga, Mozzy, Dom Kennedy, Ty Dolla Sign, Blxst, and Steve Aoki, among others. He signed with Roc Nation to release his second album Two Frfr (2021), which marked his first entry on the Billboard 200.

Early life and education

Kalan is a native of Southern California and split time with his mother in Carson and his father in Compton.[2] He attended San Diego State University as a scholarship player on the school's college football team,[2] making an appearance in the 2014 Poinsettia Bowl.[3]

Career

Kalan moved to Atlanta, Georgia after college to start his music career.[4] He returned to Los Angeles after a short time and released two EPs, Hurt and TwoFr.[2] In 2019, he collaborated with Casey Veggies on the song "Shake Somethin" for Veggies' 2019 album Organic. He signed to Roc Nation in 2021 and released his debut album TwoFr 2.[5] He also released an expanded version of TwoFr 2 with appearances by Lil Durk, Mozzy, and Stunna 4 Vegas.

In 2021, Kalan was featured in the single and music video "West Like," a collaboration with Destiny Rogers.[6] The also performed the song together during the half-time show of a Los Angeles Clippers game at the Staples Center the same year.[7] Kalan also collaborated for the song "Whole 100" on Mozzy's album Untreated Trauma, which peaked at No. 19 on the US Billboard 200.[8]

Kalan performed at the 2022 Made in America Festival, the same year that he collaborated with DreamDoll on the Kendy X remix of "For Me". He collaborated with K-Ci and Jeremih in 2023 for the song "Stay Part 1," a track from The Love Album: Off the Grid by Sean Combs. He also released Not Hard 2 Understand, a six-track EP.[9] Billboard noted his presence as a surprise guest as a highlight of the Ultra Music Festival in Miami in 2024.[10] Of his 2024 album, Not Hard 2 Understand, AllHipHop.com said that "the charismatic yet laidback storyteller combines a clever mix of punchlines and flexes".[11]

In 19 June 2024, he performed the song "Right Wit It" along with G Perico, for Kendrick Lamar's concert The Pop Out: Ken & Friends at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, during the first set by DJ Hed, titled the Act I – DJ Hed & Friends.[12]

Discography

Albums and EPs

Year Album Notes
2018 Hurt [2]
TwoFr [13]
2021 TwoFr 2 [citation needed]
2022 222 [14]
2023 Not Hard 2 Understand [13]
2024 Make the West Great Again [15]

Singles

Year Release Notes
2024 "Stuck" With 310babii[16]
"High Vibrations" [17]
2023 "Butterfly Coupe" With Tyga[18]
"Butterfly Coupe Part 2" With Quavo[19]
2022 "No Stoppin" With Blxst[20]
2021 "West Like" With Destiny Rogers[21]
"No Love" With Mozzy[22]
"Scoring" [citation needed]
2020 "Get In" With Stunna 4 Vegas[23]
2019 "Time for It" (Remix) With Azjah, Shordie Shordie[24]
"Switch Sides" With Steelz, Jonn Hart, Rayven Justice
"Big Bank Take Lil Bank" With Dan Diego
"Conscious" With BandzTalk
2018 "Love Song"
"Wooh"
2016 "21" With Rich the Kid

References

  1. ^ "Kalan Montgomery - 2016 Football Roster". San Diego State Aztecs.
  2. ^ a b c d Meara, Paul. "Interview: Kalan.FrFr's Story Shines Through His Music, Which Is As Real As It Gets". BET.
  3. ^ Bill Wagner (December 24, 2014). "Mids pull off improbable Poinsettia Bowl victory". The Baltimore Sun. p. A8, A11.
  4. ^ Williams, Aaron (17 November 2021). "Kalan.FrFr Is Blowing Up, But For Now, He's Just Happy To Be Here". UPROXX.
  5. ^ Hardison, Ryan (10 March 2021). "SDSU football alum and rapper Kalan.FrFr signs with music label Roc Nation". Daily Aztec.
  6. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (May 27, 2021). "Premiere: Watch Destiny Rogers' New Video "West Like" f/ Kalan.FrFr". Complex.
  7. ^ "It's A 'West Like' Affair: Kalan.FrFr and Destiny Rogers Perform At The LA Clippers Opening Game Halftime Show [Photos]". Global Grind. 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  8. ^ "Billboard Chart History - Mozzy". Billboard.
  9. ^ Han, Samantha. "With His Latest EP Rising Los Angeles Star Kalan.FrFr Says It's Not Hard To Understand". Contrast.
  10. ^ Kat Bein (March 26, 2024). "The 10 Best Moments of Ultra Music Festival 2024".
  11. ^ Shirley Ju (February 26, 2024). "Kalan.FrFr Explains Why "Relationships Suck" As He Plugs "High Vibrations" Single". AllHipHop.com.
  12. ^ Victorian, Brande (June 19, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Brings 25 L.A. Artists Together for Juneteenth Show, Playing Drake Diss Track "Not Like Us" Five Times". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Davis, Ahmad. "Kalan.FrFr Announces His 10-City "TWOFR University Tour"". Rap UP.
  14. ^ Cho, Regina. "Kalan.FrFr returns with new '222' album". Revolt.
  15. ^ Spencer, Tallie (16 May 2024). "Kalan.FrFr Wants To "Make The West Great Again": On New Album, Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," & West Coast Mount Rushmore". Hot New Hip Hop.
  16. ^ Ech, Joey (12 January 2024). "The 13 best New Hip Hop Songs This Week". XXL.
  17. ^ Ju, Shirley (23 February 2024). "Track of the Week: Kalan Fr.Fr's "High Vibrations"". The Source.
  18. ^ Ju, Shirley (11 August 2023). "Tyga Hops On Kalan.FrFr's "BUTTERFLY COUPE"". The Source.
  19. ^ Callas, Brad (20 October 2023). "Kalan.FrFr Enlists Quavo for "Butterfly Coupe Part 2" Remix". Complex.
  20. ^ Lee, Cydney. "R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Zacari, Kalan.FrFr, THEY. & More". Billboard.
  21. ^ Espinoza, Joshua. "Premiere: Watch Destiny Rogers' New Video "West Like" f/ Kalan.FrFr". Complex.
  22. ^ Findlay, Mitch (15 February 2021). "Kalan.FrFr Taps Mozzy For "No Love"". Hot New Hip Hop.
  23. ^ D, Dre (9 October 2020). "Kalan.FrFr & Stunna 4 Vegas Just Wanna "Get In"". Hot New Hip Hop.
  24. ^ Baker, Josh. "Kalan.FrFr Is Letting You Know It's Not Hard To Understand With New EP". Ebony.