When asked what separates him from his competition, East Atlanta Montana said, “I don’t look at people like competition. I’m just here to make the world a better place. We all have greatness inside of us. Life not about competing; it’s about motivating the generation after you.”
East Atlanta Montana is originally from Atlanta, Georgia, from an area in Atlanta known as Zone 6. Growing up in this environment toughened Montana greatly and exposes him to particular elements that would later shape his growth, especially as a teenager. Montana notes his mother’s tireless efforts are trying to raise him and his siblings. He was in and out of detention centers and on house arrest where he used his mother’s laptop to record music and ended up in more trouble, so he had to go to a military program for 6 months, where he received his GED. After he came back, he formed a group called Gwalla Boyz.
The group quickly gathered clout and created a buzz throughout Atlanta, and they were soon offered management and label contracts. However, they couldn’t sign any deal at the time because there were so many members, and they couldn’t agree. Subsequently, the group’s CEO, Mario (Montana’s brother), kept the group’s name, created a promotion team with Montana, organized parties across Atlanta, and the name became even more prominent.
With their newfound connection and growing popularity, they used the opportunity to meet upcoming and established superstars, and they traded favors in the way of collaborations. Montana’s artists have established contacts with and collaborated with Lil Quill, Coco Vango, and some of his singles to date include “I’m Guwop” and “She Poppin.” The former has been attributed as the track that brought Montana to the global limelight, which he continues to build on to date.
Montana attributes his motivation to his family and noting that he wanted to break the generational curse of struggling and working for people, which has always plagued his family. Knowing that he comes from a family of hardworking people, he said, “I got tired of them giving all of their energy to somebody else and their business when they can have their own, and my motto is to lead by example, so I had to show them instead of constantly telling them but also I’ve had a love for music since I was a kid and I started writing raps at 11.”
He also describes himself as someone who loves everything about music which he describes as therapeutic, and his way of venting and telling people about current situations and things he’s been through in the past. “Since I’m not much of a talker and I don’t like to express myself to people because sometimes I can be afraid of judgment and I like to perform. I never get stage fright. It’s like I was made to make music. I don’t feel like myself unless I’m doing stuff that’s music-related.” He summed.
In five years, Montana sees himself becoming successful and still in a happy relationship. On his bucket lists are going on tour with a label, mentoring artists, and maybe having a business open or trying to open one. Stephens wants to start a family business and name it after his grandmother, who died of cancer. Real estate is also one of the things he’d like to venture into within the next five years.
Montana is committed to inspiring the next generation of kids, especially those from a single-parent background, to understand that there is light at the end of the tunnel and always to be themselves. He hopes that by seeing him (somebody like them), it’ll give them hope never to give up and always have someone to look up to. Noting that he had no real mentors growing up, he understands the importance of having someone to look up to, “I want people to look at me and know anything is possible.”
Follow Easy Atlanta Montana on Instagram to learn more about him and his music.
