Fetty Wap released from prison three years early after drug trafficking conviction

“Trap Queen” rapper Fetty Wap has been released from prison, having served three years of his six-year sentence for his involvement in a New York-based drug trafficking ring.

The 34-year-old musician, whose real name is Willie Junior Maxwell II, was seen smiling and wearing a sweater printed with the words “Legends Prevail” in footage shared Thursday by his sister and manager, Divinity Maxwell-Butts.

“Fetty Wap is in good spirits. He is in a focused, grounded place. His priorities are his family, fatherhood, and being an asset to his community,” his publicist, Abesi Manyando, said in a statement.

Maxwell said on social media that he was freed from incarceration, simply writing “Home” on his Instagram Stories.

In a statement, he thanked his loved ones and fans for their continued support, telling them that his focus is on “giving back through my community.”

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The rapper, who lost his left eye as an infant due to congenital glaucoma, said he wants to “support at-risk young children” and expand access to “vision care for young kids and students so they can show up as their best selves.”

He continued: “I’m committed to moving forward with purpose and making a meaningful impact where it matters most.”

The musician was arrested in October 2021 on charges of participating in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into New Jersey and Long Island. His lawyers had suggested that Maxwell turned to selling drugs due to financial hardship brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He pleaded guilty in August 2022 to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and received a six-year sentence in May 2023.

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Prosecutors said the scheme involved using the US Postal Service and cars with hidden compartments to move drugs from the West Coast to Long Island, where they were stored for distribution to dealers on Long Island and in New Jersey.

He was serving his sentence at a low-security prison in Sandstone, Minnesota, but will reportedly serve the remainder of his shortened sentence, due to end on 8 November 2026, on home confinement, sources told Rolling Stone. The Independent has contacted his representatives for comment.

Maxwell rose to fame with his 2015 song “Trap Queen”, which peaked at No 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in May of that year. Additional hits including “My Way”, “Again” and “679”, from his self-titled debut album, cemented his music as club anthems across the globe. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2016.

His latest release, King Zoo, came in November 2023, just months into his sentence. The album opened with a call from a federal prison, with Maxwell thanking his fans for their support.