What Happened To Fetty Wap?
Fetty Wap burst into the scene in 2014 with his breakthrough single "Trap Queen" (which has already gone platinum), but with the release of his debut album in 2015, things seemed to settle down for Fetty.
After such a successful start in the music business, it would be easy to dismiss Fetty's failure to create another megahit like "Trap Queen" as a sign of a one-hit wonder, but Fetty has been quietly releasing new songs the entire time. In some cases, life has gotten in the way of Fetty's obvious road to the top, yet he still releases songs and appears to be here to stay.
Willie Junior Maxwell II was born on June 7, 1991, in Paterson, New Jersey, where he grew up. Many entertainers, musicians, and poets have emerged from Paterson, and Maxwell is one of them, having stated that growing up in Paterson shaped who he was and who he would become as an artist.
Maxwell had a difficult childhood. He was born with glaucoma in both eyes, a condition that can result in visual loss. Doctors were finally unable to save his left eye and had to replace it with an artificial eye.
Maxwell's enthusiasm for music overtook his interest in academics as he grew older, to the point where he dropped out of high school to pursue it. He began his music career in 2013 under the stage name "Fetty Wap:" "Fetty" is a homage to fellow rapper and one of his primary musical influences, Gucci Mane, while "Wap" is an ode to fellow rapper and one of his main musical influences, Drake.
His pursuit of "ignorant R&B" has served to direct his music career and ultimately to his first major success.
"Trap Queen," Fetty Wap's debut track, became his greatest and most well-known success to date, but it didn't go platinum overnight. Fetty initially released the song independently online in early 2014, before re-releasing it in December of the same year while signed to 300 Entertainment.
Even so, it took many months for Fetty's song to take on with the general public, but the wait was well worth it, as "Trap Queen" peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 25 weeks in a row in the top 10.
"Trap Queen" signaled the beginning of something significant for Fetty Wap, ushering him into the music business and public eye like never before. He debuted the song at the 2015 MTV Movie Awards before appearing on a slew of famous talk programs, singing at the BET Awards that year, and even getting nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 58th Grammy Awards.
"Trap Queen" received positive feedback from critics and fans alike, with many praising the song's catchiness, making it one of the most memorable summer 2015 songs and cementing Fetty Wap's place in rap for years to come.
Almost soon after "Trap Queen" became a widespread hit, Fetty had three further singles—"679," "My Way," and "Again"—all achieve peaks in the Billboard Hot 100 between August and November of 2015, and all four songs were in the top 10 at one point (even more of a feat, considering these were his first four professional singles ever). His debut album, Fetty Wap, was released in September 2015 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Unfortunately, Fetty couldn't keep riding the high of "Trap Queen" and its three succeeding triumphs indefinitely. While Fetty never completely disappeared or stopped making music, his future releases became fewer and farther between, and none of them soared as high as any of his first four hits.
In 2016, Fetty remained active, releasing songs "Jimmy Choo," "Wake Up," "Make You Feel Good," and "Like a Star" (with Nicki Minaj), as well as a mixtape, Zoovier, a Fifth Harmony song "All in My Head (Flex)" in which he was featured, and even his own racing game app.
Fetty had another busy year in 2017, releasing singles including "Way You Are" (with Monty), "Flip Phone," "Aye," and "There She Go" (starring Monty), as well as a new mixtape Lucky No. 7, and Cheat Codes' "Feels Great" (which he was featured in alongside CVBZ).
However, Fetty's productivity began to dwindle after this point. In 2018, he only had two releases: an EP, For My Fans III: The Final Chapter, and a mixtape, Bruce Wayne, and in 2019, he only had two singles, "Birthday" and "Brand New."
Fans are still waiting for more from Fetty, but it appears that his apparent decline in music creation is less due to a lack of creativity and more owing to an increase in legal difficulties and incidents in his personal life.
Fetty Wap's difficulties and issues, like those of many other celebrities and public personalities, began after his rapid rise following his first big hit. The cases began in 2016, with a Danish musician, Lazar Lakic, claiming copyright infringement after purchasing the rights to "Trap Queen's" rhythm in 2014. In 2016, just a few months after the first lawsuit, P-Dice of the Remy Boyz filed another, accusing Fetty of breaching their contract after working on "679."
In 2017, Fetty was found guilty of defaming Shawna Morgan, an ex-employee, after promising to pay her 10% of his tour earnings. He not only breached the agreement, but he also had her pay for tour expenses out of pocket and falsely claimed she stole money from him.
Fetty eventually owed her $1 million. Fetty was also accused in 2017 of drunk driving, reckless endangerment, drag racing, and other offenses after being pulled over in the early hours of the morning on a Brooklyn roadway in November of that year.
Fetty was arrested in 2019 after reportedly attacking three hotel staff in Las Vegas. In addition, he was sued in 2019 for mistreating a house he had been renting in Hollywood Hills for 11 months, resulting in $170,000 in damages.
Fetty has been sued this year for allegedly abusing a lady in his Los Angeles home last year after a few drinks, hitting, strangling, and threatening to murder her utterly unprovoked.
Fetty's problems with women and the police this year don't stop there. Unfortunately, after only a year of marriage, he filed for divorce from model Leandra Gonzalez. Gonzalez accused her ex of being physically abusive and cheating on her with other women.
So, with all of those lawsuits and having seven children (that we know of) with six different women, it's no surprise that Fetty Wap's music output fell off after "Trap Queen" became popular in 2015.
Fetty Wap has always made songs, even when he was waiting longer between releasing new material. He launched a new mixtape, Trap & B, and he recently released a new track, "Speed," along with a music video.
So, Fetty Wap is certainly still active and working. Who knows, perhaps another "Trap Queen" level smash is on the way. Hopefully, he will be able to put his legal troubles behind him once and for all so that he may concentrate on his music and enjoy a stress-free life.