Rapper Fetty Wap sentenced to 6 years on federal drug charges

CENTRAL ISLIP - Hip-hop artist Fetty Wap returned to court Wednesday where he was sentenced to six years on federal drug charges.

In a tan jumpsuit, the rapper – whose real name is Willie Junior Maxwell II – apologized for the pain he caused and said he hopes that, in due time, the Long Island and New Jersey communities will forgive him for his actions. 

Maxwell, whose hometown is Paterson, is perhaps best known for his hit "Trap Queen," which reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015.

Music industry icon Kevin Liles showed up to support Maxwell, along with his friends and family. 

Maxwell was arrested in October of 2021 at a CitiField hip-hop festival and later admitted his role as a large-scale narcotics trafficker who, over a six-month period, drove from New Jersey to Suffolk County, moving more than 100 kilograms of cocaine. 

Prosecutors argued Fetty Wap’s lyrics glamorized the drug trade and he earned millions but chose to supplement his income by pedaling poison he knew would ruin lives. They also reminded the judge Maxwell has been in jail since last summer when he violated his terms of release after Maxwell threatened to take another man’s life.

The judge said that incident cost him an extra year and he should’ve hung up the phone instead of engaging with someone and allegedly displaying a gun. 

In addition to six years, the judge sentenced Maxwell to five years of post-release supervision. His attorney asked for Maxwell to serve his sentence in the Northeast so family could visit. The judge wished him luck, saying, "You have a lot going for you; see if you can put it together."