Liputan6.com, Jakarta Harlem rapper Max B, whose real name is Charly Wingate, was officially released from prison on November 9, 2025.
This release marked the end of his 16-year sentence, and was warmly welcomed by his longtime friend and collaborator, French Montana, as well as his family and close friends.
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Upon his release, Max B will be on probation for the next five years, a condition he must comply with.
News of Max B's release has been long-awaited by fans and the hip-hop community.
Max B's Legal Journey
Max B's legal journey began in 2009 when he was found guilty on nine of eleven counts, including premeditated murder, armed robbery, conspiracy, and kidnapping.
These charges stemmed from a botched robbery in September 2006 at a hotel in Fort Lee, New Jersey, that resulted in the death of David Taylor.
Although Max B was not present at the scene, he was accused of being an accessory after planning the robbery from behind bars, where he was already incarcerated on other charges, and was initially sentenced to 75 years in prison.
In mid-2016, a significant change occurred in his case.
Max B's conviction was overturned after his new legal team successfully proved a conflict of interest with his previous attorney.
This overturned conviction paved the way for a plea deal, where on September 16, 2016, Max B pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder.
His new sentence was set at 20 years in prison.
However, in July 2019, Max B's sentence was again reduced.
From 20 years, his sentence was cut to 12 years.
Max B's Profile and Career Path
Max B, whose real name is Charly Wingate, was born on May 21, 1978, in Harlem, New York City.
He grew up in Harlem's Abraham Lincoln housing project, largely raised by his grandparents as his mother struggled with substance abuse.
In the music industry, Max B is known by his stage name, which is an abbreviation of Max Biggaveli.
The name 'Biggaveli' itself is a combination of references to hip-hop icons like The Notorious B.I.G. ('Biggie Smalls'), Jay Z ('Jigga'), and Tupac Shakur ('Makaveli').
He is also known by other nicknames such as 'The Silver Surfer' and 'Wavy Crockett', reflecting his unique style.
Max B's musical career began with his debut mixtape in 2006.
He became widely known for his mixtape series 'Public Domain' and 'Million Dollar Baby', and was a pioneer in popularizing the term 'wavy' as slang.
Although he was briefly signed to Jim Jones' ByrdGang label, he later parted ways due to financial and ethical disputes, sparking a bitter feud.
Max B also collaborated with French Montana on the 'Coke Wave' mixtape series, and his debut album, 'Vigilante Season', was released in 2011 while he was still in prison.
Max B's Post-Release Future Plans
Following his release, Max B wasted no time in planning the next steps in his musical career.
Furthermore, Max B has also expressed his desire to collaborate with the next generation of New York rappers.
He specifically mentioned names like Cash Cobain and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie as musicians he would like to collaborate with.
Max B's return to the music industry is being met with great anticipation.
Many are eager to see how he will incorporate his life experiences from the past 16 years into his new work and how he will once again make his mark on the global hip-hop scene.
"Fresh out the can," he proudly declared when asked how he was doing in a video, filmed by The People Gallery.
"They gave me 75, but I'm back."