French Montana and Max B have reunited on another record, joining Fenix Flexin and Purps On The Beat for the new single “Run It Up.”
Released on September 18, the collaboration brings Fenix together with two artists whose relationship has played an important role in New York rap history. The track arrives with an official music video and is released through FLEXXD UP ENT / EMPIRE.
While Fenix Flexin comes from the West Coast, the presence of French Montana and Max B gives “Run It Up” a strong New York connection — and another chapter in a partnership that stretches back nearly two decades.
French Montana and Max B Reconnect
For East Coast hip-hop fans, French Montana and Max B appearing together is the biggest attraction.
Their musical history goes back to French’s early years in New York, when his Cocaine City DVD series and collaborations with Max helped establish both artists within the city’s underground scene.
Max B’s melodic approach and self-described “wave” became particularly influential, while French eventually carried elements of that movement into a mainstream career.
“Run It Up” brings the pair together again in 2026, but this time alongside a rapper from a completely different scene and generation.
Fenix Flexin, known through his work with Shoreline Mafia and his solo releases, takes the lead while French and Max add their distinct personalities to the record.
“Run It Up” Goes Retro
Rather than building the track around the darker production often associated with contemporary street rap, “Run It Up” heads in a noticeably different direction.
The production has a bright, synthetic 1980s-inspired character, giving the record a retro backdrop while the artists rap about money, success and moving beyond difficult circumstances. Contemporary coverage of the release has specifically highlighted its ’80s influence.
That production choice gives Max B plenty of room for the melodic style that made him such an unusual figure in New York rap.
French Montana approaches the record with his familiar relaxed delivery, while Fenix anchors the collaboration.
The combination means “Run It Up” doesn’t sound like an attempt to recreate an old Max B and French Montana record. Instead, their chemistry is placed inside Fenix Flexin and Purps On The Beat’s newer musical world.
Max B’s New Chapter Continues
Max B’s presence makes the collaboration particularly significant for New York hip-hop.
The Harlem rapper spent years away from the active rap scene, but his influence continued to grow during that absence. His melodic street records and “wave” terminology became part of the vocabulary of subsequent generations of rappers.
Since returning home, Max has been able to participate directly in the culture that continued discussing and celebrating his music while he was away.
“Run It Up” adds another record to that new chapter.
And having French Montana beside him makes the release feel particularly familiar.
Their relationship represents an important piece of mid-to-late-2000s New York mixtape history, when artists could build enormous street followings through DVDs, mixtapes and local collaborations before streaming became the industry’s dominant distribution system.
Fenix Flexin Bridges West and East
The collaboration also creates an interesting geographical crossover.
Fenix Flexin emerged from Los Angeles through Shoreline Mafia, while French Montana’s career was built in New York and Max B remains deeply connected with Harlem.
That makes “Run It Up” another example of how regional boundaries in hip-hop have become increasingly flexible.
Instead of trying to make a traditional New York record or a recognizable Los Angeles record, the artists meet over Purps On The Beat’s retro production.
Fenix brings the West Coast connection.
French brings the veteran crossover presence.
And Max brings the Wave.
The Official Video Arrives With the Record
“Run It Up” wasn’t released as an audio-only single.
Fenix Flexin, French Montana, Max B and Purps On The Beat also released an official music video alongside the record on September 18. The video’s official description credits the release to FLEXXD UP ENT / EMPIRE.
That visual component gives the collaboration more weight than a quick guest appearance buried on a project.
It puts Fenix, French and Max together as the central attraction of the release.
The Wave Keeps Moving
“Run It Up” ultimately brings together artists from different eras and opposite coasts.
Fenix Flexin represents a newer generation of West Coast rap. French Montana has spent more than a decade moving between New York street rap and mainstream success. Max B represents an earlier New York mixtape era whose influence has continued long after the music that first established him.
Their styles shouldn’t necessarily fit together.
But that’s also what makes the collaboration interesting.
For East Coast fans, the biggest story is seeing French Montana and Max B continuing to make music together in 2026.
Nearly two decades after the Wave first started building in New York, French and Max are still finding new places to take it.
