French Montana & Max B – Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos (Album Review)

French Montana sounds locked in, Max B sounds… Max B, and the production does most of the heavy lifting.

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TOP 5 SONGS

5. N***a Like Me (Ft. Chinx)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Chinx had an incredible amount of untapped potential. He had a sharp ear for music and could absolutely hold his own lyrically. On “N***a Like Me,” you can almost hear a ghostly presence from him, as his smooth delivery quietly holds the chorus together with effortless grace.

Max B is solid here too, offering a playa-style vocal performance that actually works, along with a verse that stays focused and effective. French Montana serves as the glue, opening his verse with a robotic flow before reflecting on the grip the three of them were supposed to have on the game when they were coming up. Altogether, this feels like one of the most polished and thoughtfully constructed tracks on the entire project.

4. Bulletproof Maybach (Ft. Harry Fraud)

Do bulletproof cars have windows?

I can really feel this track growing on me with each passing day, sort of like the fungus on my right big toe (Hey, some fungi are good, like mushrooms). “Bulletproof Maybach” rides a hypnotic, almost mystical instrumental that pulls you in immediately. Max B delivers a sly verse where he pats himself on the back for his catalog while touching on battling demons behind bars, then follows it up with a choppy hook that I actually f**k with more than I expected.

French Montana comes through with a bold, confident verse, calling out copycats, dudes ready to press charges (Hmm, is this a Drake diss?), and scandalous women Zion probably likes, all while flexing his diamonds like a true G. To me, this song is simply solid all around.

3. Ever Since U Left Me

This clearly wasn’t a beat intended for Max B and French Montana…

This track nails the perfect mix of ignorance, catchiness, and pure nonchalance. It’s backed by bouncy production that gives me serious “Fade” by Kanye West vibes — an extremely underrated moment in Ye’s catalog, BTW. Over it, French Montana really goes rogue, flipping Nas’ “One Mic” chorus and borrowing Biggie’s flow, rapping about going “deaf on a chick” and generally wilding out with a carefree style that makes this one of those songs you’re absolutely not supposed to take seriously.

Max B slides in briefly, delivering a performance that somehow sounds mechanical one second and completely unhinged the next — which honestly just adds to the chaos. Overall, the track is fun as hell, unexpectedly catchy, and definitely not something I saw coming from these two, which makes it even better.

2. Whippin That Wave

French Montana is well above .500 when it comes to delivering cool-ass hooks.

I’m extremely biased when it comes to this track. One of my favorite albums of all time is Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor, and one of my favorite songs from that project is “Daydreamin’.” This record flips the chorus from that song, sung by the great Jill Scott, so I was already halfway sold before s**t really started cooking.

On top of that, I love the hard-hitting, gritty street production and the way Max B and French Montana trade raw bars about whipping drugs, making boss moves, and living in luxury — themes they’ve always sounded most comfortable in. To me, this is about as close to a flawless street banger as it gets.

1. Make America Wavy Again (MAWA)

I love it when rappers flip the MAGA acronym into some demonic s**t.

“Make America Wavy Again (MAWA)” is driven by production that blends cinematic tension with hard-hitting hip-hop energy, fully locking into that signature Coke Wave atmosphere. If this is what their Coke sounds like, give me Venezuelan amounts of it, please.

French Montana and Max B trade explosive performances, rapping about their gritty rise from the bottom to wealth and dominance while flexing money, street power, luxury, and their mission to make “wavy” culture mainstream again. Respectfully, there’s no way in hell wavy culture will be mainstream again, but I’m OK with letting them cook.

If I’m being real, the AI woman you hear throughout the track ended up being my favorite part. My second favorite? That slick-ass hook French Montana delivers.

SONG BY SONG RATING

1. Make America Wavy Again (MAWA) (4/5)

2. Whippin That Wave (4/5)

3. Bulletproof Maybach (Ft. Harry Fraud) (3.5/5)

4. Skit, Pt. 1 (N/A)

5. Ever Since You Left (4/5)

6. Pop That Half (3/5)

7. Heaven (3.5/5)

8. Metro Wave (Ft. Metro Boomin) (3/5)

9. The Race (3.5/5)

10. Effortless (3/5)

11. Me Too (3/5)

12. I Don’t Know (2.5/5)

13. Serenation (2/5)

14. Skit, Pt. 2 (N/A)

15. Narcos (Ft. Metro Boomin) (3.5/5)

16. Used To Baby (3.5/5)

17. Be All You Can Be (3.5/5)

18. N***a Like Me (Ft. Chinx) (4/5)

19. Sunday School (2.5/5)

20. Tease Me (2.5/5)

21. Like I Wasn’t (3/5)

22. Rich Off A Name (3.5/5)

RGM RATING

(67%)

The biggest standout on Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos, for me, is the production. French Montana and Max B are backed by beats that don’t just knock, but also carry authentic street energy, flashes of soul, and cinematic polish that instantly signal you’re listening to something well put together. The producer lineup alone sets the tone, with heavy hitters like J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Murda Beatz, Harry Fraud, and Metro Boomin all contributing, and it shows. Sonically, this project is rich, layered, and consistently high quality.

The chemistry between French Montana and Max B is another clear strength. Both get space to shine on hooks, with French leaning into a slick, controlled presence while Max brings his signature wavy, experimental, sometimes borderline goofy energy. On verses, French sounds especially locked in. He raps with extreme confidence, sharper punchlines, steady flows, and a hunger that makes him sound more bossed up than he has in a while. Max, on the other hand, jumps between styles freely, touching on everything from street life and power to love stories and reflection. French undeniably carries the project, but Max’s loose, almost careless approach adds a strange, unpredictable dynamic.

Now, being completely honest, Max B has never really clicked for me as an artist. I say that respectfully. It feels like he treats music more as something to have fun with than something to fully refine, and that comes through here. There are too many moments of intentionally comical or off-kilter singing that are entertaining in small doses but become overbearing when repeated across a full project. It’s unfortunate because French Montana is strong throughout, and the production is consistently excellent. Still, Max dominates much of the runtime, and while I understand the appeal of his chaos, it’s just not for me.

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