A new album isn’t the only thing Wale is working on these days. On Thursday, September 25, 2025, the American Gods actor revealed his plans to develop a series inspired by the life and times of the infamous Wayne “Silk” Perry, who is now known as Nkosi Shaka Zulu El. Per Ryan Gajewski of The Hollywood Reporter, the series is “set between 1989-1993” and follows “Perry, who was the enforcer for New York City-based drug dealer Alpo Martinez.”
In addition to teaming up with management company EQT for the series, the DMV representative has also acquired a stake in Perry Industries, a production company based in that nation’s capital that owns the rights to Perry’s story. On behalf of Perry Industries, C. Edwards will serve as a producer on the project.
“D.C. is more than just politics. We have a rich, Black history that’s inspired audiences around the world, and it’s time to tell more stories that are based here. That era in D.C. was internationally famous,” Wale said. “[The Commanders] were winning Super Bowls, the mayor was indicted by the FBI, Joe Biden passed the crime bill, and D.C. had 482 homicides — the highest in the country. At the same time, our regional genre of go-go was thriving, and Def Jam, the label I’m signed to now, was the first major label to sign a go-go band with a song on the Hot 100 produced by Rick Rubin. There was a lot going on, and we want to weave all of these stories together.”
Throughout his career, Wale has never shied away from talking about the region in which he grew. From songs like “Miracle on U Street” and “CC White” to the Go-Go fueled “Clappers” and “Bait,” the GRAMMY Award-nominated poet has infused his upbringing and the rich culture of the DMV into much of his work. Now, he brings it to the screen with a developing series and soon-to-be-released eighth studio album.
