Joe and Jada Podcast – Episode Summary:

French Montana & Max B on 'Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos,' Prison Stories, and "All The Way Up"
Release Date: January 13, 2026
Hosts: Fat Joe and Jadakiss
Guests: French Montana, Max B

Overview

This highly anticipated episode reunites New York legends French Montana and Max B with hosts Fat Joe and Jadakiss for a celebration of Max B’s return, a deep dive into the new collaborative project Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos, reflections on years lost and lessons learned, and candid discussions about loyalty, the realities of hip hop success, and iconic records such as "All The Way Up" and "Unforgettable." With equal parts laughter, street wisdom, and personal reflection, the episode stands out for its authenticity, chemistry, and generational hip hop knowledge.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introductions, Loss, and Legendary Pets

• Early banter sets the tone with Fat Joe and Jadakiss humorously acknowledging 2026.
• French Montana shares a heartfelt moment discussing the passing of his dog Champ, reflecting on attachment and the short lives of pets (02:34).

2. French’s International Lifestyle & Meeting the Princess of Dubai

• French Montana talks about his cosmopolitan lifestyle, notably spending time in Morocco, LA, and Dubai (04:36).
• Hilarious exchanges about the size of French’s pets and his “little man” in Morocco (03:44).
• Joe probes French about “bagging the princess of Dubai.” French shares that a friend plugged him with her after spotting her post about divorce, admiring her courage (06:03–06:28):
  • French Montana (06:08): “I just happened to be in Dubai, and I... had seen that she had put up that post where she divorced somebody. I'm like, I like her, 'cause it take a lot of guts to throw that up.”

3. Max B’s Return: Prison Years, Mindset, and Staying Solid

• Max B discusses facing 17+ years behind bars and maintaining his sanity and optimism (11:13–12:22).
• The difference between US politics and Middle Eastern royalty:
  • French Montana (10:21): "When you go to places like that, ... you talk about people that own the place ever. ... It's a whole different type of love out there."
• Max B on adjusting to incarceration, breaking down how he kept his spirit up and “bid” like a veteran (12:22–12:47).
• Fat Joe and Max B swap stories about jail dynamics, including race divisions and memorable characters like "Hong Kong Mongolian" (13:21).
• Max B describes how music, battle raps, and open-mindedness helped him survive the bid (15:09–15:56).
• On celebrating his first Christmas free (16:08):
  • Max B: "I put a Christmas tree up this year. Spent Christmas with the family. Wore sweaters, drunk eggnog. I did all that this year. It happened."

4. The “Dirty Section” and Dealing with Rumors

• Fat Joe raises the impact of the “dirty section” of the internet—YouTube channels and gossip blogs violating artists’ reputations (17:13–18:07).
• Max B brushes off the negativity, crediting faith and a sense of purpose (18:07):
  • Max B: “God got me right where he want me to. After all I’ve been through... does it look like it bothers me?”

5. French Montana & Max B: Brotherhood and Loyalty

• Heartfelt segment on the deep friendship and loyalty between French and Max (19:58–20:38):
  • Max B (20:27): “This know out of all the on the planet, I got genuine happiness, pure friendship for this. No money, no nothing...my [friendship] is based on straight, solid friendship music creation. That’s just my... Everything else happened.”
  • On watching French win from jail: “No, I’m in that motherfucker crying with happiness.”
• French explains their early chemistry, building movements together (“almost like bringing Kiss and Styles and Sheek together”) and the loyalty that never wavered during Max’s incarceration (21:10–22:20).

6. Blackballing, Labels, and Breaking Through

• Fat Joe shares the story of helping French get his break on radio, explaining the industry’s gatekeeping and how "Pop That" launched French's mainstream career (23:57–24:56).
  • French Montana (24:56): “It went from shot caller to pop that. And yeah, we never turned back.”
• Both discuss how both were blackballed and still pushed through to success—highlighting street grit, resilience, and independent hustle (24:05–24:41).

7. Surviving the Streets: Drama, Clubs, and Authenticity

• Max B’s legendary pilot hat story and club-life antics are remembered with humor (11:32, 69:13).
• Fat Joe reflects on Bronx authenticity, his own rise, and lessons on not "selling out" too early in his career—with deep dives into the economics of going independent and why labels aren’t as important anymore (38:13–40:14).

8. Hit Records: Organic vs. Manufactured

• Max B and Joe debate artistic authenticity versus commercial pressure to chase hits (36:48–37:32).
  • Joe Crack: “We mechanically sold out. I’m ready to sing the record. And we said, alright, we need a beat that sounds like... we need to get the homie on this hook... we cloned the [hit]. Like, we made a number one that wasn’t from the heart.”
• They reflect on "Lean Back," how it was an organic club banger, versus tracks they had to force for mainstream acceptance.

9. “All The Way Up”: Fairness and Brotherhood

• French recounts how he confronted Joe about missing publishing on “All The Way Up” and how Joe made it right on the spot:
  • French Montana (41:01): “I checked with my lawyer. He told me I ain't get no publishing on that song. ... Crack, I know you're not running business like that… He called his lawyer right on the spot...gave me 10%.”
  • Joe Crack: “I don’t feel good if my people don’t make money with me… Everybody got to eat.” (42:11)

10. Classic New York Rap Tales

• Joyful tributesto Big L, battles in Harlem, and breaking down the creative origin of monikers—the genesis of “Biggaveli” (Max B mixing Biggie, Jay-Z, and Makaveli) and French Montana’s Bronx/French roots (53:35–56:14).

11. International Success & Afcon

• French Montana talks about performing at AFCON in Morocco for 2 billion (!) viewers and rekindling his childhood connection to his homeland (48:19–50:25).
• The hosts discuss the global explosion of soccer, evolving fan bases, and globalization of both sports and music (51:16–52:32).
• Humorous exchanges about Morocco, French’s Moroccan airline privileges, and traditional ceremonies ("the man with the spinning string") (48:49–49:40).

12. Album Talk: Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos

• French and Max break down the Coke Wave 3.5 project. They explain the numbering (skipping Vol. 3 due to being “so high,” hence 3.5) with humor and pride (67:55–68:29).
  • French Montana: “Let me tell you how we got a 3.5. Because we were so high that we skipped three. So we went straight from two, two to four.”
• The album rollout is celebrated as unique and stylish. They preview new music live (79:19–85:12), including “Papa Have” and “Ever Since You Left Me,” with everyone vibing out.
  • Joe Crack (83:06): “All I need is one night. I went deaf on a…”

Notable Praise for Max

• Max B’s immediate productivity is noted—dropping a 24-song tape his first 30 days out (32:52), and more new projects lined up: Waveguard and Dawn Snow.

13. “Unforgettable” and the Business of Making a Hit

• French Montana details how “Unforgettable” came together, paying $300,000 when the label wouldn’t support it, and shooting the video with Ugandan kids (73:24–74:08):
  • “We paid $5,000 for beats. We paid $10 grand for beats. I never paid for a record for 300,000… It was like a million dollars in gambling.”

14. Hip Hop History & Legacy

• The crew discuss the roots of hip-hop, the tradition of battling, the pioneering influence of Jamaican culture (65:53–66:52), and the sampling culture that makes the music a true “gumbo” (67:07–67:48).
• Anecdotes about pioneers like Kool Herc, KRS-One, and classic battles (64:55–65:27).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Max B’s Loyalty:
  • Max B (20:27): “No money, no nothing. My [friendship] is based on straight, solid friendship, music creation...when I’m in jail, seeing this on TV, I ain’t in there going, 'that should have been me.' No, I’m in that motherfucker crying with happiness.”
• On Industry Blackballing:
  • French Montana (24:11): “Yeah, I was blackballed. I was blackballed.”
• On Brotherhood and Business:
  • Joe Crack (42:11): “I don’t feel good if my people don’t make money with me, you know?”
• On Making Hits and Staying True:
  • Max B (37:12): “If I can’t die with the track, I’m not gonna do the shit.”
• On Legacy:
  • Joe Crack (61:04): “Big L... had his future was really, really, really, really bright.”
• On Hip Hop’s Roots:
  • Joe Crack (67:42): “I realized hip hop come from everywhere...it actually is a gumbo.”
• Max B on Life After Prison:
  • Max B (16:08): “I put a Christmas tree up this year. Spent Christmas with the family. Wore sweaters, drunk eggnog. I did all that this year. It happened.”
• On “Coke Wave 3.5” Concept:
  • French Montana (68:25): “We skipped three. So...we went straight from two, two to four. So he come home, I’m like, ‘Yo, we got a problem. We skipped the whole volume.’ ... We’re gonna call it 3.5.”

Important Timestamps

• 02:34 – French mourns his dog, Champ
• 04:36–08:17 – Stories about Morocco, Dubai, and French’s international lifestyle
• 10:21–12:22 – Max B on Middle Eastern royalty, prison, adaptation
• 15:09–16:08 – Max on battling and keeping the spirit alive inside
• 19:58–20:38 – Max’s loyalty to French, real friendship
• 23:57–24:56 – Fat Joe helps French break through radio barriers
• 36:48–37:32 – Debating authenticity vs. hit-making
• 41:01–42:11 – French addresses publishing on “All The Way Up” and Joe’s fairness
• 48:19–52:32 – French talks AFCON, soccer, global success
• 53:35–54:32 – Max B explains “Biggaveli” moniker
• 67:55–68:29 – The concept behind Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos
• 79:19–85:12 – New music previews, live reactions

The Episode’s Tone

Laid-back yet candid, with humor and streetwise insight, the hosts and guests keep the conversation loose, passionate, and authentic. There’s deep respect and love among all, combined with a relentless focus on hustle, brotherhood, and the ever-changing game of hip hop.

This episode is a must-listen for fans of hip hop history, New York culture, and anyone interested in tales of redemption, loyalty, and staying true to oneself in music and life.