Grammy-nominated rapper Wale is stepping into the producer’s chair with a new project that dives into one of Washington, D.C.’s most notorious crime stories.
Alongside his management company EQT, Wale is executive producing Silk, a series centered on Wayne “Silk” Perry — the feared D.C.-based hitman who served as an enforcer for New York City drug kingpin Alpo Martinez in the early 1990s.
The Story Behind Silk
Set between 1989 and 1993, the series unfolds during the years when D.C. was labeled the “murder capital” of the U.S. Perry’s story has been alluded to in projects like Paid in Full (2002), but Silk promises to give a deeper look at the crime underworld that operated just steps from the White House.
The show aims to capture the cultural backdrop of the era: the Redskins winning Super Bowls, Mayor Marion Barry’s FBI indictment, the passing of Joe Biden’s crime bill, a record 482 homicides in the city, and the rise of D.C.’s homegrown go-go music scene.
“This story is one of the last authentic stories in Black crime lore. People have seen slivers in movies like Paid in Full and read conjecture online, but beneath the surface is an entire world that hasn’t been seen before,” producer Kazz Laidlaw told The Hollywood Reporter.
Wale on Why This Story Matters
For Wale, who grew up in D.C., Silk is about more than crime — it’s about the history and culture of his city.
“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,” Wale told THR.
He continued:
“That era in D.C. was internationally famous. The Redskins 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.”
Perry Industries and Life Rights
Wale has also acquired a stake in Perry Industries, a D.C.-based production company that owns the life rights to Wayne Perry (who now goes by Nkosi Shaka Zulu El). This gives the project exclusive access to Perry’s story.
Silk is still in early development and does not yet have a release date or streaming home.