PATERSON, NEW JERSEY: Willie Junior Maxwell II aka Fetty Wap, revealed in a recent interview with XXL why he turned to selling drugs rather than focusing on his music.
The ‘Trap Queen’ artist opened up about what landed him in prison and reflected on the reason he went back to selling drugs, revealing that he felt like his music wasn’t doing well, so he had to go back to "what I know how to do."
Notably, it was Fetty Wap's first interview since he was sentenced to six years in prison for federal drug charges in May.
Fetty Wap calls himself a 'coward' for turning to selling drugs
During the interview, Fetty Wap claimed his primary motivation was to provide for his family, and when fans stopped purchasing his music, he went to peddling narcotics.
He said, "Nobody made me do it. Nobody forced me to do it, you know what I’m sayin’? When I put myself in that situation, I ain’t really think for the long run. I’m thinking I could just run up a few million dollars, and I’m gon’ be good forever."
Fetty Wap added, "I ain’t never had no financial guidance, and like a person to really guide me the right way. It was just like everybody just didn’t care. As long as they got they money, they just didn’t give a f**k, you know what I’m sayin’?"
The New Jersey rapper continued, "When I wanted to start doing s**t, this is what I know how to do. It was like, I’m being honest with myself, you know what I’m sayin’? Like, aight, the music wasn’t really doin’ that good. I’m putting out music, but nobody’s payin’ attention. So, I’m like, man, f**k it. I’ma go back to what I know how to do."
"Instead of pursuing my career harder or going harder to make people listen, man, I kinda was a coward, you know what I’m sayin’? Like if I’m fallin’ off, f**k it, I ain’t about to look like it, you know what I’m sayin’? I was a coward for that," stated Fetty Wap.
He sighed, "And I was just like, I can’t let my family down. It wasn’t for the, to be like, 'I’m outside. I’m outside, [N-word], I’m really doin’ this s**t for real.' It wasn’t for none of that."
During the interview, Fetty Wap also spoke on how it’s nobody’s fault but his that he’s serving a six-year prison sentence for getting involved in a drug trafficking ring.
He explained, "Some of the things I think about really is being home. I take accountability for everything I did. I don’t really be blaming nobody for nothing. It ain’t nobody else fault that I’m here, you know what I’m sayin’?"
"However, it may have went down, whatever, like with the people and all that, basically, just not standing tall. But at the end of the day, that’s my fault for involving myself around people like that, you know what I’m sayin’? And putting your trust in the people that’s not really real, that’s not really who they say they is," added the '679' artist.
He noted, "That’s how I feel. I just reflect on some of the s**t I did in the last few years, how I feel like I coulda took music a lot more serious than I did. And like just keep it that route, instead of this route, you know what I’m sayin’?"
"I’m just grateful that I’m still here; I’m still breathing. I’m able to see some light at the end of the tunnel," said Fetty Wap.
"I met a lot of genuine people in here. So, you know, they all like, ‘Yo, bro, when you get out, man, take that serious, man. Stop f**kin’ around with your blessings before you end up losing it for good.’ So, you know that’s one of the things that I reflect on—really taking music seriously and going places," recounted the musician about his time in prison.
Fetty Wap also shared that fellow rapper 50 Cent reached out to him after his music career fell off, saying, "He started showing me different ways, like s**t to invest in."
Internet reacts to Fetty Wap's interview
Soon after Fetty Wap's XXL interview surfaced online, netizens started to point out the fallacies in his argument and noted how the rapper's reasonings shouldn't be an excuse to sell drugs for a living.
One wrote, "He did everything but get a normal job, or hell I'm sure he could've started streaming like other rappers. Especially with kids, I can't imagine what it's like to be away from your kids, Smh."
Another stated, "That isn't an excuse ngl," while a person reasoned, "He should’ve started a podcast."
Someone else asked, "Why didn't bro just go find a job like the rest of us?"
"But he was doing well, that's how he was known. He could've used the money he made while he was trending to invest. Lavish lifestyle is what usually bring these guys down," noted one more.
Another person expressed, "Did dealing drugs make him better. He should have just gotten a better team and management for his business."
"He was the hottest artist out. Sad he lost that momentum," empathized a netizen.
