Max B walked free from prison yesterday (November 9) after serving 16 years behind bars. The Harlem rapper received a 75-year sentence in 2009 for helping orchestrate an armed robbery that went awry, resulting in a man’s death. Max B, who was in another state at the time of the robbery, eventually had his sentence reduced to 20 years on account of a conflict of interest in the original case and a subsequent plea deal on an aggravated manslaughter charge.
On The Joe Budden Podcast, last December, he announced that a release date of November 9, 2025, had been set. Longtime Max B collaborator French Montana confirmed yesterday that the promise had borne out, writing on social media, “CANT MAKE THIS UP ! MY BROTHER REALLY CAME HOME ON MY B DAY ! HAMDULILLAH 🤲🏼 WALKED IT DOWN ! NO MORE FREE YOU 🌊 🌊 🌊.”
Max B continued to make music behind bars, including the 2011 album Vigilante Season, the Coke Wave 4 mixtape with French Montana, and an interlude on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo. Following his release, he will remain on parole for five years, according to a letter he posted on Instagram.
Asked in a recent Okayplayer interview about his time in prison, Max B said, “Producers send me tracks and I do what I do. When I really want to put something down, I sit and get it right. But for the most part, s**t just be coming to me. I can still make it sound good. Still got that buttery, milky voice for the ladies. That’s my inspiration right there—knowing I’m about to come back out here and get a chance to do it all over again.”
