West End Ottawa rappers have been making a name for themselves over the years, including a collective of talented artists known as the Ritchie Boyz.
“This song was basically about me loving my hood and wanting to put it on the map—and being about my grind and money above everything else.” – OJ Montana
Hailing from the Britannia-area of Ottawa on Ritchie Street—north of Carling Ave.—the Ritchie Boyz is a group consisting of rappers, producers and a visual production team that has become known for putting in serious work. Along with promoting their own material, the squad from Ritchie has also co-signed a lot of other West End talent, often giving them a platform to grow from.
Scene from the “Hot” video
One such artist is OJ Montana, a talented rapper, singer and songwriter representing the FTG rap movement. At the beginning of the year, OJ dropped the audio for his single “Hot,” and followed it up with slick looking video directed by OpenWorldVisuals.
After the release, I connected with OJ via Instagram and he broke down the roots of the record:
“The rise of street politics. I’m more of a hood guy then a street guy and my friends know that. I’m not trying to be something I’m not. This song was basically about me loving my hood (Ritchie Street) and wanting to put it on the map—and being about my grind and money above everything else. Although I had a few more aggressive lines to show, I’ll do what I have to do to protect myself and call who I have to call if I need too. But, I’m mainly focused on money and grind, I don’t go out of my way for problems.”
Scene from the “Hot” video
Since its premiere the visual has racked up over 3,500 views, as OJ stays focused on dodging the obstacles and pursuing his rap career.
Most recently, OJ, friends, family and other FTG rappers took to Instagram to pay their respects to the late FTG Metro. The 18-year-old rapper was the victim of senseless gun violence just eight days into the new year.
OJ’s latest release “Too Soon,” is a tribute to FTG Metro and can be found it the post below.
“Hot” and “Too Soon” have been added to HipHopCanada’s official Spotify playlist, Canadian Fresh.
You can follow @Montana_OJ on Twitter.
5 Ways to Support HipHopCanada:
- Submit Your Music
- Follow Canadian Fresh (HipHopCanada’s Spotify Playlist)
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on X (Twitter)
- Like us on Facebook
