Rags to Riches
Born Willie Junior Maxwell II on June 7, 1991, Fetty Wap had a tough childhood. He was raised on food stamps in Paterson, N.J., a city with a high crime rate. At 6 months old, he lost his left eye to congenital glaucoma. Classmates called him “One Eye Willie.” He dropped out of Eastside High in 10th grade.
At one point, Maxwell slept in cars, which he raps about on his song “June 7th.” He used drugs and sold crack cocaine.
In 2014, he released “Trap Queen,” a song about a former girlfriend who assisted him in distributing cocaine. It was a hit that reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Fetty Wap received two Grammy nominations in 2016 for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
Other hits followed. Fetty Wap became a bonafide rap star. He secured a record deal, toured around the world and collaborated with David Guetta and Nicki Minaj.
Fallen on Hard Times
The 2020 pandemic hit Fetty Wap’s pocketbook hard. His attorney Elizabeth Macdedonio wrote to the sentencing judge about the rapper’s financial woes: “There were no opportunities to perform, thus his income was severely limited. He was sued personally, was going through a divorce and was involved with a tour manager who was stealing from him. While the bills kept coming in, the money to pay them was running out.”
The rapper married actress Leandra Gonzalez in August 2019 and they divorced a year later. Tour manager Shawna Morgan countered that Fetty Wap is the one who owes her money. She sued and won a judgment for $1.1 million in 2020, but the next year, a New Jersey appeals court overturned the ruling.
To raise money, Maxwell got involved with a group that transported more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine from the West Coast and distributed to dealers who sold it in New Jersey and Long Island, N.Y. The indictment charged Maxwell and others with conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances. He was arrested on October 28, 2021, and pleaded not guilty. He posted $500,000 bond one week later.
On December 11, 2021, Maxwell violated the terms of his release when he was recorded on a FaceTime call threatening the person on the other line. He said, "I'm gonna kill you and everybody you with,” and showed the unidentified victim a gun, according to court documents. Maxwell’s bail was revoked on August 2, 2022.
Maxwell eventually pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances. He was sentenced to six years in prison on May 24, 2023.
“I only ever wanted to help my family,” the rapper told the judge. “I never asked myself if it was all-the-way right.”
Why Fetty Wap Got Out Early
Maxwell was released 11 months early on January 8, 2026, which a representative for Maxwell attributed to the passage of The First Step Act, legislation that enables early-release programs and modified sentencing rules for good time credit earned. While incarcerated, the Grammy nominee participated in rehab and an education program.
Liz Komer, senior policy counsel at the Sentencing Project, calls The First Step Act “the most significant sentencing reform in the federal system over the last 20 years.”
“It allows people to earn time credits by participating in rehabilitating programming,” Komer tells A&E Crime + Investigation. “That incentivizes good conduct in prison and it’s a win-win. It allows them to come home sooner and it makes people safer in the community longterm.”
An inmate can receive up to 15 days of credit toward early placement for every 30 days of programming they successfully complete, SentencingStats President Mark Allenbaugh, explains to A&E Crime + Investigation.
“We have long been the world leader in incarceration: One-quarter of the world's prison population is located here in the United States, but we only make up 4% of the world population,” he says. “We've long overused incarceration as a crime control tool. The FSA is a very helpful step in reversing that trend.”
Fetty Wap’s Life Now
Maxwell was placed under home supervision upon his release and is projected to remain there until November 3, 2026, per prison records. He’s required to undergo regular drug testing and cannot consume alcohol or any other intoxicating substances unless prescribed.
He issued a statement shortly after his release: "I want to thank my family, friends, and fans for the love, prayers, and continued support – it truly means everything to me. Right now, my focus is on giving back through my community initiatives and foundation, supporting at-risk young children by expanding access to education, early tech skills, and vision care for young kids and students so they can show up as their best selves. I'm committed to moving forward with purpose and making a meaningful impact where it matters most."
True to his word, Fetty Wap began a tour of schools in New Jersey, meeting with students and performing on campus, including Eastside High. His motivation was to “talk to y’all about not dropping out of school.”
He also hit the studio and quickly turned around a new album, Zavier, in March 2026. Prison deeply impacted the final product; on “Never Tell,” he sings about dealing drugs and facing the consequences. Fetty Wap told The Fader that he now prioritizes “my mental space. My energy. Protecting myself. My family.”
