Wale Inks Deal With Def Jam, Shares New Single ‘Max Julien’
The track features a sample of Baltimore favorite Lil Mo in the intro.
Wale is back with his highly-anticipated new track, “Max Julien.” The track marks the first new music from Wale with his brand new label home, Def Jam Recordings.
“Max Julien”—produced by D Woo and featuring a sample of Baltimore favorite Lil Mo in the intro—is an homage to the legendary actor (and D.C. native), who not only starred as “Goldie” in the 1973 Blaxploitation classic The Mack, but also wrote the big screen cult hit Cleopatra Jones.
Soulful harmonies and jazz-y piano give way to a head-nodding beat as Wale leans into the production with a fresh and fiery flow. In between samples from The Mack, he reaffirms his place in the game, rapping, “And everybody ain’t him; I’m the one and only.”
The single’s cover art features a striking photo of Julien’s iconic coat from The Mack, currently on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C.
Wale recently delivered a showstopping guest spot on “BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR” with Def Jam labelmates ODUMODUBLVCK and Bloody Civilian, which hit No.1 on Apple Music and Spotify in Nigeria, marking Wale’s first Top 10 song entry on Nigeria’s charts. In other news, Wale will be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his classic album The Gifted with a special performance at the Kennedy Center on November 10.
Wale endures as an elite wordsmith, powerhouse performer, and visionary presence across the culture. Emerging out of Washington, D.C. with an unprecedented and undeniable style, he made waves with now-classic mixtapes such as the Mark Ronson-produced 100 Miles & Running and The Mixtape About Nothing. After bowing at No.2 on the Billboard 200 with the gold-selling Ambition [2011], he logged back to-back No.1 debuts on the respective chart with the gold-selling The Gifted [2013] and The Album About Nothing [2015].
