Max B is one of the most influential figures in hip-hop history and one of the most misunderstood. Here is the real story - the facts, the timeline, and the full picture of who Charley Wingate is and what he has built.
Real Name and Background
Max B's real name is Charley Wingate. He was born on May 21, 1978, in the Abraham Lincoln Houses in Harlem, New York. He is known by multiple names in the culture: Max B, Max Biggavelli, the Wave God, the Silver Surfer, Wavy Crockett, Don Biggavel, Biggavel. Each name represents a different facet of the persona he built over his career.
Career Timeline
Max B came up in Harlem through the Byrd Gang collective alongside French Montana in the mid-2000s. He built a reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in New York rap - melodic before melodic was the dominant style, wavy before the word "wavy" existed in the cultural vocabulary (because he invented it).
In 2009, he and French Montana released the original Coke Wave mixtape, which became one of the most influential tapes of its era. That same year, Max B was convicted on federal charges and sentenced to prison. He would spend the next sixteen years incarcerated.
During those years, his influence never stopped. Artists including Drake, Wiz Khalifa, and A Boogie wit da Hoodie publicly credited Max B as an influence. French Montana continued building the Coke Wave brand and kept Max B's name in the conversation at every stage of his own rise.
The Release and the Comeback
Max B was released from federal prison on November 9, 2025. He came home to a music industry that had been shaped in part by his influence - and he came back swinging. Within months of his release, "Ever Since U Left Me" featuring French Montana reached #1 on Billboard Rhythmic Airplay and #1 on Mediabase Rhythmic Radio, making it Max B's first career number one.
Wave Gods 2: Cosmos Brothers dropped April 24, 2026. His solo album, Public Domain 7: The First Purge, is also announced for 2026.
Current Projects
Wave Gods 2: Cosmos Brothers is available now on all streaming platforms. The Wave Gods Narcos Tour ran May 24 through July 3, 2026, across 27+ US dates. Public Domain 7: The First Purge is in progress.
Stream Max B's music on Spotify and Apple Music. Follow @maxb140 on Instagram for updates.