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Atlanta - Rapper French Montana has signed with Bad Boy Entertainment and Epic Records, the music companies told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The move means the rapper has left Interscope Records, but will remain under Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy imprint.
Combs is the founder of Bad Boy and LA Reid is the chairman and CEO of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Last year, both companies signed a deal to partner with each other so Epic could provide Bad Boy music artists with promotion, marketing, sales and distribution.
"This means everything to me," said Montana, a Moroccan-born rapper. "It's a new home. A new deal. A new structure. A new family. New money. ... As far as Puff and LA Reid, I feel like they are the last of a dying breed of people who still care about music. I respect everything they do."
Montana joins a roster of rap stars at Epic that includes Rick Ross, who was an executive producer on Montana's first album for the label, Future, Yo Gotti and DJ Khaled. He calls the collection of label mates the "Dream Team." Combs' son Christian Combs signed with Bad Boy and Epic this year.
"French Montana is a proven hit maker," Combs said in a statement. "When I first heard him, I knew he had that special Bad Boy sound and I believed in his potential."
While Montana, an ex-boyfriend of Khloe Kardashian, debuts his new venture with Bad Boy and Epic, he'll be doing the same with his new video, Figure It Out, featuring Kanye West and Nas. The song was introduced in February on Montana's mixtape Wave Gods, but Thursday marks the first time the song is available for purchase or streaming.
In 2013, Montana released his debut album, Excuse My French, led by the hits Pop That and Ain't Worried About Nothin. The rapper said he plans to release his sophomore album and film Respect the Shooter later this year.
