Key Takeaways:
- The mixtape marks a major reunion between French Montana and Max B after years of anticipation.
- Production credits include Metro Boomin and Harry Fraud, with a posthumous contribution from Chinx.
- The rollout includes visuals and vlogs that emphasize the duo’s legacy and creative bond.
French Montana and Max B are officially back. The longtime collaborators released their new project, Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos, on Friday (Jan. 9), which boasts 22 hard-hitting tracks. The joint effort picks up a partnership that first took off with the original Coke Wave mixtape in 2009 and helped cement a signature blend of fly talk, street detail and melody in New York rap.
The mixtape’s rollout came with a strong visual push. Its lead single, “Make America Wavy Again (MAWA),” landed with a Kid Art-directed music video, and the follow-up track, “Whippin That Wave,” also received an equally impressive clip to match. In the days leading up to release, the duo also posted a couple of vlogs as part of the promo.
Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos leans into crime-movie scenes, designer-laced flexes and the iconic hook-first bounce that made the series a staple. The set opened with the two aforementioned singles before running through standouts like “Bulletproof Maybach,” “Ever Since U Left Me,” “Heaven,” “The Race” and “Be All You Can Be.” The guest list stays tight but meaningful: Metro Boomin is credited on the aptly titled “Metro Wave,” “Serenation” and “Narcos,” while Harry Fraud shows up on “Bulletproof Maybach” and “Effortless.” The late Chinx also makes an appearance on “N**ga Like Me.”
In a recent sit-down with NBC New York, French framed the reunion as something bigger than a nostalgia play: “I feel like our story just got a deeper meaning to it [than] just making music.” They also spoke on their unmistakable bond. “It's camaraderie. Brotherhood is friendship,” Max explained. “It’s just love, loyalty, [and] being there when times is hard. Being there when nobody else is around. Being there when it’s dark, when it’s raining. And you call the phone, and your bro pick up. He accept the call … That's how [French] was coming the whole time.”