Max B sounds like the intersection of a gospel choir rehearsal and a late-night street corner. His music is defined by a signature 'wavy' texture: a liquid, melodic approach to rap that prioritizes atmosphere and feeling over rigid technicality. It is often characterized by dusty soul samples, submerged basslines, and a distinct lo-fi hiss that lends his massive mixtape catalog an intimate, almost ghostly quality.
What truly sets him apart is his vocal delivery. Eschewing the traditional hard-edged flow of his East Coast peers, Max B utilizes a slurred, melodic croon that bridges the gap between R&B and hip-hop. He layers his own vocals to create haunting harmonies that feel both triumphant and deeply melancholic, a technique that allows him to turn gritty tales of street life into something strangely ethereal and beautiful.
To understand the wave, start with the Public Domain or Million Dollar Baby series. These mixtapes capture the raw, unpolished energy of his peak creative period. His work with producer Dame Grease and French Montana on the Coke Wave series represents the definitive blueprint for the melodic, atmospheric street rap that would later dominate the 2010s.
Charley Wingate (born May 21, 1978), better known by his stage name Max B (short for Max Biggaveli), is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his solo Public Domain and Million Dollar Baby series of mixtapes, and introducing the term "wavy" as a slang in popular lexicon. He made his mixtape debut in 2006, and signed a recording deal with fellow Harlem-based rapper Jim Jones' label/group ByrdGang. Following a streak of financial and ethical grievances, Max B parted ways with Jones in 2008. The two became embroiled in a bitter feud which pitted Jones and his associates on one side, and Max B and his affiliates on the other. Max B is closely associated with producer Dame Grease, and fellow rapper French Montana where the two collaborated on the Coke Wave mixtape series. In mid 2009, he was sentenced to 75 years in prison on conspiracy charges pertaining to armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault and felony murder. He secured a 3 album deal with Amalgam Digital who published his debut album Vigilante Season in 2011. On September 16, 2016, it was announced that Max B took a 20-year plea bargain for aggravated manslaughter. He was released from prison on November 9, 2025.
Shares lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style); sampler, keys/synth, drum machine (instrumentation)
Shares urban night, dusk, late night (atmosphere); wistful, confident, melancholic (moods)
Shares lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style); confident, melancholic, defiant (moods)
Shares lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style); sampler, keys/synth, drum machine (instrumentation)
Shares gangsta rap, cloud rap (subgenres); lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style)
Shares lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style); sampler, keys/synth, drum machine (instrumentation)
Shares contemporary r&b, gangsta rap, cloud rap (subgenres); wistful, confident, melancholic (moods)
Shares lo fi, sample based, analog warmth (production style); sampler, keys/synth, drum machine (instrumentation)
Shares crooning, gangsta rap, cloud rap, rap (signature)
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