Key Takeaways:

• The mixtape marks a significant reunion between French Montana and Max B after years of anticipation.
• Production credit embrace Metro Boomin and Harry Fraud, with a posthumous contribution from Chinx.
• The rollout consists of visuals and vlogs that emphasize the duo’s legacy and artistic bond.

French Montana and Max B are formally again. The longtime collaborators launched their new mission, 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 unique Coke Wave mixtape in 2009 and helped cement a signature mix of fly discuss, avenue element and melody in New York rap.

The mixtape’s rollout got here with a robust visible push. Its lead single, “Make America Wavy Again (MAWA),” landed with a Kid Art-directed music video, and the follow-up monitor, “Whippin That Wave,” additionally acquired an equally spectacular clip to match. In the times main as much as launch, the duo additionally posted a few vlogs as a part of the promo.

Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos leans into crime-movie scenes, designer-laced flexes and the long-lasting hook-first bounce that made the sequence a staple. The set opened with the 2 aforementioned singles earlier than operating by way of standouts like “Bulletproof Maybach,” “Ever Since U Left Me,” “Heaven,” “The Race” and “Be All You Can Be.” The visitor record stays tight however significant: Metro Boomin is credited on the aptly titled “Metro Wave,” “Serenation” and “Narcos,” whereas Harry Fraud reveals up on “Bulletproof Maybach” and “Effortless.” The late Chinx additionally makes an look on “N**ga Like Me.”

In a latest sit-down with NBC New York, French framed the reunion as one thing larger than a nostalgia play: “I feel like our story just got a deeper meaning to it [than] just making music.” They additionally spoke on their unmistakable bond. “It’s camaraderie. Brotherhood is friendship.” Max defined. “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.”