HERITAGE. WE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT HIS MOST
RECENT ACTIVISM.
RECENT ACTIVISM. >> I FEEL LIKE AMERICANS ARE --
I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF KIDS HAVE A
NEGATIVE WHEN THEY COME FROM
OTHER COUNTRIES LIKE I DID.
>> Reporter: KAREEM, WHO GOES BY
HIS STAGE NAME MONTANA IS A
MOROCCAN AMERICAN RAPPER KNOWN
FOR HIT SONGS LIKE
"UNFORGETTABLE."
"UNFORGETTABLE." GOT OVER 1 BILLION STREAMS.
IN HIS MOST RECENT WORK, HE IS
CASTING A SPOTLIGHT ON MUSLIM
CULTURE.
CULTURE. IT’S JUXTAPOSED WITH THE BRAVADO
USUALLY SEEN IN RAP VIDEOS.
THE IMAGES HAVE SPARKED SOME
CONTROVERSY BUT THE RAPPER SAYS
HIS INTENTION IS TO SHOW OFF HIS
CULTURE.
CULTURE. >> MUSLIM FROM MOROCCO, I MOVED
TO L.A. WHEN I WAS 20-SOMETHING,
BUT I COME FROM MOROCCO, I COME
FROM NORTH AFRICA, I COME FROM A
MUSLIM BACKGROUND.
MUSLIM BACKGROUND. I WAS BORN MUSLIM.
MY MOTHER PRAYED HER WHOLE LIFE,
NEVER HAD A DRINK, SMOKED,
NOTHING.
NOTHING. JUST WATCHING HER AROUND THE
HOUSE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVING
ALL THE DISCIPLINE AND ALL THE
MOTIVATION, HE FEEL LIKE THERE’S
A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST LIKE HER
THAT DON’T FEEL LIKE THEY COULD
BE THEMSELVES TO BE WHAT THEY
WANT.
WANT. >> Reporter: AS A FORMER
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT HIMSELF,
THE MUSICIAN IS USING HIS
INFLUENCE TO HIGHLIGHT
IMMIGRATION ISSUES BEYOND HIS
MUSIC.
MUSIC. ♪
♪ >> WHEN I WAS 13, DIDN’T KNOW
ENGLISH, DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO
SPEAK A WORD OF ENGLISH.
I JUST FELT LIKE A SORE THUMB,
STUCK OUT, YOU KNOW.
DIDN’T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE WAS
TALKING ABOUT, IN THE LUNCHROOM
BY MYSELF.
BY MYSELF. I JUST WANT PEOPLE THAT COME
FROM MOROCCO, SEE I COME FROM
AFRICA, TO KNOW THEY CAN BECOME
WHATEVER THEY WANT.
>> Reporter: FRANK MONTANA
RECENTLY DONATED $50,000 TO HELP
IMMIGRANT YOUTH IN HIS FORMER
HOMETOWN
HOMETOWN HOMETOWN.
HOMETOWN. >> FRANK MONTANA.
>> Reporter: AND HE WAS INVITED
TO THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO
DISCUSS GLOBAL INVESTMENT IN
EDUCATION.
EDUCATION. >> LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IT SHOULD
BE A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.
IT’S GREAT TO BE RIGHT HERE NEXT
TO YOU, IN FRONT OF ALL YOU
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE TO MAKE A
CHANGE.
CHANGE. >> I JUST FEEL LIKE PEOPLE THAT