In 2008, Stalley made his mixtape debut, titled Goin Ape, with fellow Ohio-native rapper Terry Urban. In 2009, he followed with the release of the new mixtape, titled MadStalley: The Autobiography, and a newfound reputation as a force on stage. Stalley attended the 2010 Iron Mic Competition in Beijing as the featured MC.
After Stalley signed a deal to Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group (MMG) label. Stalley has worked with producers Ski Beatz on the tracks, including "Address", "S.T.A.L.L.E.Y.", "Do It Big", and "Harsh Ave". Artist, named Rashad Thomas, was featured on album Lincoln Way Nights and a recording artist, named J. Rawls would be featured on the track "Babblin".
Stalley was featured on Curren$y's Universal/Def Jam album Pilot Talk on the track "Address" (released in June 2010), as well as he featured on Ski Beatz's Universal/Def Jam projects– including 24 Hour Karate School and 24 Hour Karate School, Pt. 2. In February 2011, Stalley completed a sports-themed music project, commissioned by ESPN, for future use in television and online programming. Stalley's Lincoln Way Nights (released in February 2011) has received 130K+ downloads and reigned at number 2 for Bandcamp hip hop releases. Lincoln Way Nights (released in November 2011) debuted at number 18 on the iTunes hip hop charts and has sold 4K+ copies.
Stalley also was featured on the Maybach Music Group albums, including Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, along with Rick Ross's mixtape Rich Forever. He also appeared on Ross' fifth studio album God Forgives, I Don't.
His most recent mixtape Savage Journey To The American Dream (released in March 2012), which reached 100K downloads in the first week, and was featured as the Stereogum Mixtape of the Week and the Spin Rap Release of the Week (7 out of 10). It was graded an XL by XXL, and HipHopDX awarded it 3.5 out of 5. The mixtape almost entirely produced by Huntsville, AL underground veterans Block Beattaz. Stalley's debut retail single "Swangin" featuring Scarface, from his Honest Cowboy, released on March 26, 2013 reuses a beat from G-Side's namesake track "Swangin" off their 2008 album "Starshipz & Rocketz", also produced by Block Beattaz. The music video was released on July 9, 2013 and featured a cameo from Paul Wall. On August 8, 2013, following of his mixtape's release, it was met with generally positive reviews from critics such as PopMatters. After it was revealed, it received a nomination at the 2013's BET Hip Hop Awards for the "Best Mixtape Category". After receiving a great response from his label, he released Honest Cowboy: EP to iTunes on September 17, 2013, which is on the same day as the release of the label's third compilation album Self Made Vol. 3.
On August 22, 2014, Stalley announced his debut album, Ohio, and four days later, he announced October 27 as the release date.
On August 21, 2015, almost one year since announcing his debut album, Stalley released a seven track mixtape, titled The Laughing Introvert. On January 25, 2016, Stalley released his 7th mixtape titled Saving Yusuf.
In 2017, Stalley released his second and third albums through Real Talk Entertainment, New Wave[/ablum] and Another Level. In an August 4 interview with Respect. magazine, he confirmed he was now independent.
Tell Montez I Love Her
Stalley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I just spent 500 in the shopping mall
So I can look good for ya’ll
Guess I gotta take this mask off
Cause everything ain't picture perfect
She 60 now, and she still workin
These tears jerkin and its painful I can't help
I feel stingy everytime I treat myself, so at times this fun rap is really work for me
The school route seemed easier
That probably would have end up pleasin her
Cause these words ain't reachin her
And they damn sure not feedin her
She happy that im happy, thats what a mother supposed to say right? well actually
That be the pride tellin her, her son do no wrong
If music is his passion, she gone rep for’em
Proud mother she is, show me off to her friends
While im tryna show off to mine, in a new benz
So who am I really tryna impress lately?
This persona I walk with got me lookin all crazy
I havnt spoke to my sister in three years
I wonder if she even cares
And if this song she would even hear
It hurts we dont communicate
I got kids, you ain't see they face
Kylee’s beautiful, Cam too
And we all want to tell you, we love you
So feel free to call next time you in town pass through
No hard feelins I dont hate you
Growin up you were the only sibling I knew
You taught me a lot believe that
Our conversations on music I miss that
You was the first to introduce me to Dilla
Until this day I ain't never heard nobody real’a
Dont know why our lives went our seperate ways
I speak to mommy about it and all she say “you know your sister got her ways”
I'm happy to hear your fashion thing pickin up
You just moved and you tryna straighten Braxton up
I know its gotta be hard for a single mother
But always know you can count on your little brother
But dont let the ills of the world pull you under
It takes Patience to be great, thats why momma gave you that name
And if you wonder, I just had to get this off my chest
I couldn't let more time pass without wishin you the best
In this verse from Stalley's song "Tell Montez I Love Her," he reflects on his life and relationships, particularly with his family. He starts off by mentioning that his mom called him to say that they turned off the gas, which highlights the financial struggles that he and his family face. Stalley then goes on to talk about how he spent $500 on clothes, implying that he's trying to put up a front of having money and material possessions when they may be struggling financially.
He continues to admit that everything isn't as "picture perfect" as it may appear to be and that he's dealing with internal struggles. Stalley also talks about how his mom is 60 and still working, which shows the sacrifices that she's made for her family. He acknowledges that he hasn't spoken to his sister in three years, and he wonders if she even cares about him. He talks about his children and how they want to tell his sister that they love her. Ultimately, Stalley wants to wish his sister well and let her know that he's thinking about her, and he admits that he couldn't let more time pass without expressing these feelings.
Overall, the verse is a reflection of the struggles and complexities of family relationships, as well as the pressure to maintain a certain image, even when things are tough.
Line by Line Meaning
My momma called tell me they done turned the gas off
My mother informed me that the gas supply has been shut off.
And I just spent 500 in the shopping mall
I just spent 500 dollars at the mall.
So I can look good for ya’ll
I spent this money to impress others.
Guess I gotta take this mask off
I have to be honest about my true self.
Cause everything ain't picture perfect
Not everything is as it seems at first glance.
She 60 now, and she still workin
My mother is 60 years old but still working.
These tears jerkin and its painful I can't help
I am crying and it is difficult to control my emotions.
I feel stingy everytime I treat myself, so at times this fun rap is really work for me
I feel guilty when I spend money on myself, so sometimes making music is more of a job than an enjoyable activity.
And at times its got me thinkin what its really worth to me
Sometimes making music makes me question its value to me.
The school route seemed easier
Going to school may have been an easier option.
That probably would have end up pleasin her
My mother would have been happy if I had chosen to go to school.
Cause these words ain't reachin her
My mother may not understand or appreciate my music.
And they damn sure not feedin her
My music is not providing financial support to my mother.
She happy that im happy, thats what a mother supposed to say right? well actually
My mother is happy if I am happy, but that is not always the case.
That be the pride tellin her, her son do no wrong
My mother's pride may make her believe that I can do no wrong.
If music is his passion, she gone rep for’em
If music is my passion, my mother will support me.
Proud mother she is, show me off to her friends
My mother is proud of me and shows me off to her friends.
While im tryna show off to mine, in a new benz
I am trying to show off in front of my peers by driving a new car.
So who am I really tryna impress lately?
I am questioning who I am trying to impress lately.
This persona I walk with got me lookin all crazy
My image may be affecting my mental state.
I havnt spoke to my sister in three years
I have not talked to my sister in three years.
I wonder if she even cares
I am unsure if my sister even cares.
And if this song she would even hear
I am not even sure if my sister will hear this song.
It hurts we dont communicate
It is painful that my sister and I do not talk.
I got kids, you ain't see they face
My sister has not seen my children's faces.
Kylee’s beautiful, Cam too
My children, Kylee and Cam, are beautiful.
And we all want to tell you, we love you
We all want to tell my sister that we love her.
So feel free to call next time you in town pass through
My sister is welcome to visit and call when she is in town.
No hard feelins I dont hate you
I do not hate my sister and there are no hard feelings.
Growin up you were the only sibling I knew
Growing up, my sister was the only sibling I had.
You taught me a lot believe that
My sister taught me a lot and I appreciate it.
Our conversations on music I miss that
I miss talking to my sister about music.
You was the first to introduce me to Dilla
My sister was the first person to introduce me to Dilla.
Until this day I ain't never heard nobody real’a
To this day, I have not heard anyone who is better at making music than Dilla.
Dont know why our lives went our seperate ways
I do not know why my sister and I have gone separate ways.
I speak to mommy about it and all she say “you know your sister got her ways”
I talk to my mother about our situation and she says that my sister has her own way of doing things.
I'm happy to hear your fashion thing pickin up
I am happy to hear that my sister's fashion business is doing well.
You just moved and you tryna straighten Braxton up
My sister just moved and is trying to take care of her son, Braxton.
I know its gotta be hard for a single mother
I understand that it must be difficult for her as a single mother.
But always know you can count on your little brother
My sister can always count on me, her little brother.
But dont let the ills of the world pull you under
My sister should not let the problems of the world bring her down.
It takes Patience to be great, thats why momma gave you that name
It takes patience to become great, and that is why our mother gave my sister her name.
And if you wonder, I just had to get this off my chest
In case you were wondering, I needed to express these feelings to you.
I couldn't let more time pass without wishin you the best
It is important to me to wish you the best, and I could not let more time pass without doing so.
Contributed by Sarah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kalon robinson
Gave me chills.
clarence makeitclear
This track make me remember my Mom (RIP) !!!
Great Sound.
Alfred Cowans
Dam This Beat HARD💪🏾💯
Vic Damone
Song is real
Craig Watler J
The comments should be off the charts