In celebration of French Montana’s 38th birthday, producer Swizz Beatz brought a little bit of Morocco to the Bad Boy recording artist’s California estate. Out of all the guests at the rap star’s birthday party, the hitmaker, who helped define the sound for DMX, presented the grandest and most exotic gift to his friend.
On Thursday, Nov. 10, the “Give It it You” chart-topper gave Montana a camel, hoping to usher in French’s 38th rotation around the sun with something unique and extraordinary. The gifting took place at Montana’s swanky birthday party at his Hidden Hills home. In attendance, but without livestock in tow, were other celebrity tastemakers such as Chris Brown, Jamie Foxx, Vin Diesel, Tiffany Haddish, Soulja Boy, Coi Leray, King and Justin Combs, and Jordin Sparks.
Here’s a Camel for You
Whatever they gave paled in comparison to the Verzuz co-founder. In an ecstatic rush, it posted a video of him receiving his pet for the first time on the day of the party.
On Instagram, French shared the news with his 33.5 million followers, writing: “Shout my n***a Swizz. He got me a camel for my birthday.”
Swizz Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Daoud Dean, commented under the post, writing, “Had to bring my brother a Big gift @saudibronx HBD @frenchmontana BX Zaaaaaaaa.”
The video shows the dromedary lying down and chilling with a colorful frock over its back.
How Much Does a Camel Actually Cost?
The answer is complicated and depends on where you buy it, how old or large it is, and the specific breed of the animal you select.
There are three different types of camels in the world: dromedary (one hump), Bactrian (2 humps) and a wild Bactrian, which is endangered.
The animal, which has been used as a modality of travel for millennia, can grow from 7.2 to 12 feet, weighing in anywhere from 662 to 1,544 pounds, and can be quite pricey.
According to sources, the average cost of a camel in the United States is $10,500 and $15,500. The cost of a dromedary similar to the one copped by Swizz Beatz for French Montana can range between $5,500 and $15,500. With a net worth of $150 million, it probably didn’t make a dent in the Ruff Ryders impresario’s portfolio.
Another factor that is important to consider when buying a camel is its gender. Male camels, called bulls, “can be dangerous as they have less temperament so it is preferred to keep the cow camel or the female one for domestic use at the farm level,” Farmingbase writes.
Swizz’s Fascination with Camels
In a 2020 interview with Variety magazine, Alicia Keys’ husband, doted on the beasts of burden, calling them “sacred.” He also gave tips on how to select the best match to bring home.
He said, “Before you buy camels, you get to observe them. There’s test races where you can get to understand the attitude of the camels.”
“Say, for instance, you’re seeing a camel suddenly go from the right lane to all the way across to the left — you can tell that that camel has a bad attitude,” Swizz continued. “That might not be your best camel out of the gate. You want a camel that is focused, that listens to commands. You want camels from great homes and breeders. They get treated very well — amazing food, massages.”
Swizz’s Camel Collection
Swizz has a collective of 12 camels he races, making him the first African-American and Westerner to own an actual team in the Middle East.
The last thing he wanted to share was that “Camels have to feel the love to give the love. You can’t have stressed-out camels in a race. Camels are sacred over there.”
It seems that there was plenty of love for French’s new pet.
