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Max B is officially on the road to freedom.
On Monday (Sept. 15), the Harlem native — born Charley Wingate — went on Instagram to share a letter from the New Jersey State Parole Board confirming that his parole plan had been approved. In it, officials confirmed that New York signed off on the conditions of his return, clearing the way for his release from Northern State Prison. “The Wave touches down November 9. The countdown begins,” he wrote in the caption.
For fans who’ve been following his saga, this moment feels almost surreal. Max B was originally hit with a 75-year sentence back in 2009 after being found guilty of nine charges, including felony murder. His trial ended with both him and co-defendant Kelvin Leerdam convicted of nearly every count tied to a 2006 robbery gone wrong. But years later, the case unraveled — a conflict of interest with his legal team forced the court to vacate the conviction in 2016, leading to a plea deal for aggravated manslaughter. That deal reduced his time drastically, making November 2025 the finish line.
Yet, Biggaveli’s upcoming freedom isn’t just about walking out of a prison gate. It’s about what he represents. In the mid-2000s, his gravelly sing-song delivery and hypnotic slang made him a cult hero in New York rap. He carved out the “Wave” sound long before melody and mood became standard in hip-hop. French Montana, Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Mob — all carry pieces of Max’s DNA in their work. That influence only grew while he was locked up, turning him into something of a folk legend.
Over the past year, Max B has been quietly previewing what life outside might look like. He’s teased new music, reconnected with longtime peers like French, and even fielded calls from the likes of Young Thug. In a summer call to Drink Champs, he admitted that prison had forced him to confront past grudges, even extending an olive branch to former rival Jim Jones. “I just want to start fresh,” he said. “I’m married now, I got four kids. I’m on a different time.”
The question now isn’t just what Max B will sound like when he returns, but how he’ll exist in a culture that evolved while he was away. The Wave God has a mythology that few rappers get to carry into their 40s. He’s stepping back into a rap landscape that, in many ways, has already caught up to him.
November 9 won’t just mark the end of a sentence. It’ll mark the beginning of a rare second chance — and possibly, the most important chapter of Max B’s career.
