Avianne and Co.'s Joe Avianne talks about all of the custom pieces that the jewelry family created for the Wave God.
After serving 17 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter Max B is free and now the 47-year-old rapper is on a mission to make America wavy again. First, he needed some new ice.
The Wave God was released from prison on Nov. 5 and wasted no time enjoying his freedom. In his first 24 hours, he hit the Louis Vuitton store for a new fit, pulled up to MetLife Stadium to watch the Jets play the Browns, and paid a visit to the Avianne family in New York City's historic Diamond District.
A keen eye may have noticed the diamond-encrusted Avianne logo around Max B's neck as he stood on the sidelines at the Jets game. After the game, he paid a visit to the brand's showroom on 47th Street to get even more new pieces. Ultimately, he walked away with a freezer's worth, including a custom Rolex flooded with diamonds, multiple rings, tennis bracelets, and various chains. The piece de resistance was a custom "MAWA" (Make America Wavy Again) pendant that depicted the Silver Surfer riding a wave of precious gems. Avianne hand-delivered the piece at a special friends and family party at Manhattan's Sei Less on Monday evening. According to Avianne, Max B's total haul is valued around $500,000.
Avianne has a legacy in hip-hop jewelry that dates back to the 2000s; they were responsible for iconic pieces like Cam'ron's spinning globe and the original Dipset logo chains. They even made some pieces for Max B back when he was a member of Byrdgang.
Avianne and Co. creative director Joe Avianne spoke with Complex aboutMax B's latest custom pieces, how it feels to be part of such a monumental moment, and what's to come from the partnership.
How did Avianne connect with Max B?
Months ago, my brother Izzy was in communication with his business partner Ty Black. He went around to a few guys here in the Diamond District and nobody seemed to want to move forward on the project for him. We welcomed it with open arms.
Were you making pieces for Max before he went to prison?
Of course. Him and French Montana. We did the Byrdgang pieces.
I saw you were even having phone conversations with him while he was still in prison. What was his involvement in terms of the creation of these pieces that you're doing for him now?
He basically let us know that we are one of the pioneers on 47th Street and a part of hip-hop culture. He said, "I'm coming home. The Wave is back. Make sure you guys get me right." Every month or so, Ty Black popped in on us, checked in on the updates, and the project came out to be a hit. People are loving it. So, I hope that Max B is in love with this as much as we are. We poured our all into this. We're still actually working on it to fine tune everything, but I've been working on it for about six weeks.
Max B spent a good chunk of his first day out with Avianne. Walk me through that experience.
It was a wonderful Sunday for us. We shut the store down. It was a great thing to see everybody together supporting Max. It was just good to see his upbeat energy. His spirit was great. I haven't seen him in almost two decades. Having my own experience in the prison system, I got to commend him. Eighteen years is not a short period of time. It can weigh on you emotionally. It can weigh on you mentally. It can weigh on you spiritually. He came out without a scratch. He came home level-headed. He came home in great spirits. I'm happy for him and now he can begin his life again.
I saw him on the sideline at the Jets game wearing the Avianne logo around his neck. What else did he grab from you guys?
We got him right. He grabbed a nice customized baguette and emerald Rolex, a white gold piece, an emerald cut bracelet on the same wrist as the watch, a nice chunky baguette emerald and round diamond ring on one hand, one white gold tennis bracelet, one rose gold one, a nice cross ring as well, and a nice pair of Cartier frames. He got the circular "MAWA" pendant and a nice 70-pointer tennis chain. He got two other tennis chains besides that. Then, he got the Avianne pendant on top of that. He got the Avianne x Smoke Clears sweatsuit and a collab with Puma that we did a few years back with the Cuban link on across as the laces. He deserves it. We're happy and honored that we could be a part of this.
Why was it important to be a piece of this historical moment?
Avianne opened our doors in 1999. We've been around for almost three decades. It was very important for us to be a part of this because he is New York, we are New York. When you think about jewelry and the hip-hop industry, you definitely think about Avianne. We're a staple in this business. The timing is perfect.
I was incarcerated for two and a half years and a lot has changed. The field has changed. Social media has changed. We are adapting to what's going on now. For this particular project, the stars aligned for us. I believe in God. I'm a faithful man and things don't happen for no reason. I'm happy that this happened now.
Tell me about the custom pendant you made for Max B.
He's got white gold. It's a mosaic setting. Mosaic means multiple size stones. It's not just one size, it's like seven and eight different sizes within the necklace. It has 6,431 actual stones that are set into it. It is 87 carats in diamonds,and the medallion weighs 321 grams.
I love the Silver Surfer ornament.
I put that as the final touch. There were a few different Silver Surfers that I was thinking about. There was another Surfer where he's got icicles on him. There was one where he had a New York fitted hat. There was one where the surfboard was going one way and his body was facing the other way. It was a lot of intricate stuff that I had to go through to make sure that it was right. I'm a very particular individual. I got OCD when it comes to perfection. So, this was a mission. It was no easy feat.
You said it took about six weeks from start to finish for this one?
Yeah. Once I had the design laid out, it took about six weeks. But in all reality, this whole thing took me about four months. I was going through each concept one by one.
Are you able to say a rough estimate of the value of all that stuff that Max B got from you?
He's got for sure over a half a million dollars in jewelry at this point. His watch alone is about $90,000. That watch is no joke. That watch was specifically made for him. He requested that.