R&B/Hip-Hop

Before Montez Ford grappled with heavyweights for a living, he wrestled with his love for hip-hop and whether he could make his rap dreams a reality. Today, the WWE superstar is certified in both arenas: He’s one-half of the tag-team group The Street Profits and is now a burgeoning MC looking to suplex the competition with his newest mixtape, God Is Good. Ardent supporters of Ford shouldn’t be surprised by his mixtape title, being that he’s posted the phrase on his Twitter timeline every day for over seven years and counting. 

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“That God Is Good mentality applies throughout life in general, from being a kid to growing up now and putting the best foot forward and just putting positivity out there,” says Ford. “That’s usually what drives not just me and my wife, but our brand. That is a mentality. It’s not just a saying. It’s a lifestyle.”

With an unyielding faith in God, Ford’s acceleration in wrestling doesn’t surprise many. He’s received praise from The Rock, was previously a tag-team champion, and has the biggest support from one of the top stars in the company, his wife, Bianca Belair. The latter plays the duel role of fighter and cheerleader for Ford, and has done wonders for his confidence, as he pulls inspiration from her inside and outside of the ring. And though his animated demeanor remains his calling card amongst wrestling enthusiasts, God Is Good finds Tez in more of a reflective bag. In “Through the Valley,” Ford’s affinity for Sunday Service is the theme, as he and former WWE superstar AJ Francis take listeners to church. On the flip side, he flexes his rap muscles and channels the spirit of former NBA MVP Derrick Rose on this braggadocios effort “09 D. Rose.”

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“You’ll [hear] these conversations, songs, and melodies about different experiences that go through our minds and the conversation within ourselves. We may feel three different ways about something, and they all might be justified,” says Ford.

Billboard spoke to the WWE superstar about his new project, God Is Good, his love for Little Brother and Common, living up to his potential inside the ring, and who he would collaborate with on his dream album.  

When did you first fall in love with hip-hop?

Montez Ford: I can go all the way back to even like grade school. At the time, when I was in middle school, high school, I was listening to people like 9th Wonder [and] Little Brother because they were based out of the state I was growing up in North Carolina. I heard Drake before Comeback Season because he used to do work with 9th Wonder who was a professor at the university where my sister was going. All these links made me have a hand in it. I loved recording. Listening to J Dilla for instrumentals and beats [and] Kanye when it comes to the tools. I been in love with it for as long as I remember. 

I remember the deep-rooted stuff like listening to Common’s Be album, and I saw Common last week when we did Hot 97. I was like, “Bro, I just want to tell you that Be album changed my life.” At the end of every one having this long monologue about what you should be. I remember one of the kids said, “Be a wrestler.” See, I’m like, “This is it.” Hip-hop has this way of motivating you, but also getting you amped at the same time. It’s for the soul. I been in love with it as long as I can remember.

What other albums did you lean into when creating God Is Good?

Pretty much all of them. Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life because he’s got a funk type of groove but you don’t realize Stevie raps and got melody. He can do everything. I would definitely say Common’s Be album and pretty much everything Nas does.

Nas is actually my favorite of all-time. Kanye’s The College Dropout because pretty much when I did this College Dropout and Late Registration they have skits. I’ve always been a huge fan of concept albums because I ain’t the best rapper. If I can tell a story, then I feel like the concept of the album is better and it makes more sense. Just like in wrestling, if we’re telling a story with what we’re doing then everybody can relate to it more. I’m not just throwing out random bars because I only got so many bars. 

You’ve been tweeting God Is Good the last seven years. Talk about that concept and why you ran in that direction.

I been in the church for as long as I can remember. My mother had us in New Friendship Baptist Church in Chicago. Church put us in the choir and we always been heavily based in the church. Our whole family is very church-oriented. Even after I moved to the south I was pretty much getting groomed to become a pastor. Who knows? When I retire I might pull a Ma$e. 

I always been heavily rooted in the church and in the year 2000, I lost my sister to a car accident. The night she passed I was actually gonna be in the vehicle with her but she told me, “No.” Not only her being my savior, but just like reminiscing even this interview of us having right now, how every day is precious. Even me, I’m guilty of it and we take advantage of it. So I say God is good every morning because I have a chance to get it right and put positivity and happiness in the world. Maybe to correct a wrong or if I said something wrong to somebody yesterday, I have a chance to get it right.

Which songs on the album best define where you are right now?

It’s like a concept. Basically, it’s a conversation between a couple individuals and it’s their testimonies. It shows all of us have flaws. All of us have good and bad thoughts and that’s normal. All of us have perspectives and ideas and we’re all justified in everything we saw. Nobody is essentially really wrong but this is their viewpoint. That’s what these songs are. Just showing these different melodies and the experiences of the guys in the songs. I have artists on there but they’re not “mainstream.” It’s some guys I wrestle with and guys who have the same talent and love for this. It’s a chance for them to show that. It’s only so many bars I have out there.

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Tougher experience for you: First time in the booth or getting in the ring?

That’s crazy. I would say I was actually more nervous getting inside the booth than getting inside a ring. I been doing crazy stuff my whole life from climbing trees to the military to going out with a beautiful woman. Also, filled with music that’s when you’re the most vulnerable. Having a conversation and then you’re opening up to the world with these intimate thoughts and ideas and emotions within yourself. 

Unmasking yourself like that can be pressure at first. It’s also how you deliver it. It’s one thing how you rap or sing a song – anybody can say words – but it’s how you say it. Not just the person you saying it to but are they getting the message? I would definitely say stepping in the booth is more nerve-racking. I been doing crazy stuff all the time. I don’t have to think when I do crazy stuff, I just do it.

In the booth, you get multiple takes. If you fumble one word, you can go back in and fix it up. Wrestling, hell nah. What y’all see is what y’all get. We have to fix it versus in the booth it’s just multiple takes. It doesn’t take away from an artist’s craft, but in regards to wrestling and preparing me for the booth it’s different.

Wrestlemania, for example, it’s 88,000 people out there and another 16 million people watching live. You go out there and you have your match entertaining the fans and everything is live. If you fall or break something, you still go. In the booth, it’s the same thing. You have your words and you’re vulnerable with your lyrics, but if you mess up a word you can go back and can deliver it even better. With wrestling, that intent has to be all there at once. It does help me prepare more when I do have to go to the booth because now I’m so used to doing things rapid at one shot.

When you played Bianca [Belair] your music for the first time, what was that moment like for you? Having somebody so close listen to you in that light.

I’m so glad you asked that question because she was actually the person I was the most nervous to let listen to it. Because this is the person I’m the most vulnerable with. I remember every time I’d go with her to something and make sure it’s polished and if there’s something I need to fix I’m like, “It needs a little bit more pitch there.” She’s the most nerve-racking person I’d want to listen because this is the person I want to please all the time and make happy. Also, I’m giving her my most vulnerable state of opinion, but I also trust it too. I’m not looking for her to tell me things I want to hear. 

I know she’s gonna be very raw and honest if that ain’t it. She’s gonna be like, “Babe, that ain’t it. Re-do that.” She’s also the person I trust the most. That is nerve-racking itself. Especially the person you love and you gonna show her this thing and you saying these words in that tone. It’s like, “Okay!” She’s always been raw and honest. That’s why I choose her initially like to put it out there before I send it to anyone else. She might be like, “Alright babe, you might need to fix this.”

If you could pick one rapper and one producer to make the ultimate album with you, who would you choose?
I would say Alchemist and for the rapper Nas. If I can do two I’d say Hit-Boy and Nas. Nas has been my favorite. I always feel like his storytelling has been the absolute best, along with Common’s as well. Nas’ delivery, swag, intensity and the fact he can rap on anything. 
I feel like Nas is one of the first guys to actually do the jazz beats and rapping over them and incorporating people like De La Soul and a lot of other individuals did as well. He’s one of the first people I heard. 
Another one is Q-Tip. Nas is one of my favorites because of his delivery and presence. On a special note, I think “Blue Benz” is one of the greatest songs. If I had theme music for my life it would probably be “Blue Benz.” If me, [Angelo Dawkins] and Bobby [Lashley] had to get a commercial theme that would be our theme it’s so nasty.
Have you thought about taking any of the records from God Is Good and using them as your entrance music? 
Yes. I would definitely use one. It’s one called “Through the Valley.” It’s crazy, we having this interview and the whole album is finished, and that’s the one I’m perfecting right now. That’s the one I’ve put the most energy into. It just reminds me of everything from childhood. From choirs to singing in the church and just God himself. Feeling the presence of everything in music.

“Touch the Sky” by Kanye West is one of my favorite songs of all-time. Just the band, the horns and how grand everything sounds. I’m not comparing myself to Kanye, but just how grand the music sounds. I’ve always been a fan of grand-sounding music in hip-hop. Nas can attest to that. Rick Ross’ music is very grand.
I spoke with Jey [Uso] about him and Jimmy [Uso] going one-on-one at Wrestlemania. That would be his dream match. Have you and [Dawkins] ever spoke about what a one-on-one match would look like if it ever came down to it?
Yes, 100 percent we have. We definitely would steal the show. We would literally steal the show and good luck to anybody that would try to follow us. I know him so well and he knows me so well. 
When I first got signed, I used to go over to his apartment and Sami Callihan’s apartments to watch wrestling before I got signed to WWE. I knew [Ricochet] and you guys knew them and all them were in the business. That’s how I met all of them before I got heavy into wrestling. They’re like “You know to wrestle?” I’m like, “I’m signed but I ain’t gonna be able to have no two-minute sequence with you.” 
Now it’s 2024 so it’s been over eight years. They say if you get to 10 that’s a lifetime. It’s already past lifetime. With my wife and Dawks, this is all I know. We always talk about how it would be so stellar and people would see the contrast in styles and we’d feed off each other so well. Speaking of Jey and Jimmy, they know each other longer than us so I only imagine the type of magic they could put on.
Potential is a word I love and hate because people can just hang on to it and never breakthrough. I feel like for you everyone is saying the potential is through the roof if you go into singles competition. How are you fighting against just living in a world of potential and hoping to crack that ceiling of being a WWE champion?

It’s being prepared. At this point, the only person I could feel sorry for if I don’t reach my potential is myself. Without being egotistical, if you know something for yourself, you know it. The worst thing you can not be is prepared. I feel like I would not even do myself injustice but I would do you all an injustice by believing and knowing and having so much faith in myself knowing I have these capabilities and knowing I didn’t fulfill them because I didn’t take advantage of those things or I wasn’t prepared. 
I feel like, for me, it’s always being prepared when it comes to promos, appearances or my shape, ideas how I want to present myself. If I’m not prepared, then I’m failing myself. If you’re failing to plan, then you’re planning to fail. While having all this potential and insight, I thank God so much. For me, it’s like don’t just hear that, stay prepared because at any time – you know how opportunity is – if it comes knocking and you’re prepared, you’re ready. It’s like, “You’re good, you can do this.” Then the blessing comes by your door and you don’t answer it or you too late or you still thumbing up the papers because you not prepared. It’s only my fault that I just let it waste because it was there. 
I feel like, for me, just always being prepared, which I am. I’m ready. For me, to handle it is always being prepared. Anybody with potential can get mad and say, “It should be happening.” If you’re not ready and they came right now it doesn’t matter how much potential you have. For me, it’s always being prepared when it’s time.