Wale is diving into the gritty past of his hometown with Silk, a television series spotlighting infamous D.C. hitman Wayne “Silk” Perry during the city’s deadliest years.
The Grammy-nominated rapper and Washington D.C. native is stepping behind the camera to executive produce the crime drama, which centers on Perry’s violent reign from 1989 to 1993—a time when the nation’s capital earned the grim title of “murder capital” of the United States.
“D.C. is more than just politics,” Wale said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
The series will trace Perry’s rise as a feared enforcer for Harlem drug trafficker Alpo Martinez, who moved his cocaine operation into D.C. following the downfall of local kingpin Rayful Edmond. Perry’s reputation for carrying out executions with precision and ruthlessness made him one of the most feared men in the city’s underworld.
“This story is one of the last authentic stories in Black crime lore,” Wale’s manager Kazz Laidlaw said. “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.”
Perry, now known as Nkosi Shaka Zulu El, is serving five life sentences at ADX Florence, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. He was convicted in 1994 for a string of murders tied to Martinez’s drug empire. His conviction followed Martinez’s arrest and cooperation with federal prosecutors, which included testimony that helped seal Perry’s fate.
Among the victims were drug dealer Garrett Terrell and Evelyn Carter, a witness who had been prepared to testify.
Wale has secured a stake in Perry Industries, the D.C.-based company that holds Perry’s life rights. He will produce the series alongside Laidlaw and C. Edwards of Perry Industries.
Set against the backdrop of early 1990s Washington, the show will weave in the city’s chaotic political climate, high crime rates, and the pulse of its go-go music scene. The same years saw the Washington Redskins winning Super Bowls, Mayor Marion Barry under FBI investigation, and Congress passing the 1994 crime bill.
“That era in D.C. was internationally famous,” Wale said. “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.”
Wale, who has previously acted in Ambulance and American Gods, has consistently infused his music with references to his D.C. roots. With Silk, he’s aiming to bring an unfiltered look at a city that’s often reduced to political headlines.
The project is still in early development, and no network or streaming platform has been attached.
The series joins a growing wave of crime dramas like Power, Snowfall and Narcos that explore the drug-fueled chaos of the 1980s and 1990s.
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