Fetty Wap was once one of the most viral artists but for those that were there during his explosion to the stage, we barely hear about him now. Where is the rapper and singer who came in guns blazing with his debut singles “Trap Queen”, “679” and “My Way”?
Since he released his album in 2015, we haven’t heard of another mega-hit by him. Fetty Wap continues to release music to this date but from a star who once spent weeks on the chart and clocked in millions, his views now barely make it to 200k.
It’s hard not to file him under the “one-hit-wonder” category but there’s more to it than just that. Let’s find out what happened to Fetty Wap, shall we?
Who is Fetty Wap?
He was born June 7th, 1991, in Paterson, New Jersey and his real name is Willie Jr. Maxwell. The small town is surprisingly a hub for many come-up poets, entertainers, and musicians.
It would be fair to say that Fetty Wap was the one to put it on the map. He has even mentioned occasionally that Paterson helped him see his talents and shape him into the artist he ultimately became.
Far from being born into privilege as his success might make people think, Fetty Wap has actually lived a tough life.
He was born with glaucoma (a condition that leads to loss of vision) in both eyes. The doctors couldn’t save both his eyes but they were able to give him an artificial left eye to replace the one on the side he lost.
When he reached high school, he dropped out when he figured out that music was his calling. He began his career in 2013 and used the stage name “Fetty” (coming from having fat pockets of cash) and “Wap” from one of his core musical inspirations, Gucci Mane.
Making It Big
Fetty Wap released his single “Trap Queen” in early 2014 which ultimately went platinum too. The song didn’t immediately catch the eye of the public until mid-2015 where it then stayed for 25 weeks in a row in the top 10 on the Billboard. It peaked on #2 in the Hot 100.
Awards
Fetty Wap performed the song for the first time at the MTV Movie Awards. He then went on to appear in talk shows and even performed at the esteemed BET awards that same year.
The song was loved by both critics and fans because of how catchy it was and its ability to flood the summer and the year alike. It put Fetty Wap’s name in concrete.
For good reasons, he won both Best Rap Song at the 58th Grammy Awards and Best Rap Performance.
The Downfall
What goes up, must come down. Fetty Wap’s astronomical rise attracted all kinds of problems and controversies. The lawsuits bulldozed him in 2016 and thereon.
The first began with a Danish songwriter Lazar Lakic, who sued for copyright infringement because apparently he had bought the rights to “Trap Queen’s” beat in 2014.
The second lawsuit rolled in after a couple of months and this time it was none other than one of his own crew, P-Dice from the Remy Boyz.
He claimed that Fetty Wap violated their contract in “679” by cutting his stake and cutting his part out of the radio edit. Fetty Wap ultimately paid $7 million in damages.
Fast forward to 2017, Fetty Wap was found guilty for defamation. Shawna Morgan was his employee whom he had promised to pay a percentage of tour money. He also falsely accused her of stealing money from him. Fetty ultimately paid her $1 million.
That same year he was arrested for multiple counts of racketeering. Then in 2019 he was arrested for assaulting 3 employees in a Vegas hotel, and that same year he paid $170,000 in property damages.
In February 2020, his wife Leandra Gonzalez officially divorced him and claimed he was physically abusive, a booze-hound, and a cheater.
Conclusion
Maybe if Fetty Wap stops his run-ins with the law, there could be a bright future ahead of him. Until then, he continues to drop new tracks and has even released a new album. Check it out!
