Fetty Wap Is Home: Rapper Released From Prison 11 Months Earlier Than Expected

Fetty Wap is home. The “Trap Queen” rapper (real name Willie Junior Maxwell II) secured an early release from prison on Thursday (Jan. 8) after serving over three years behind bars on federal drug charges.

Billboard confirmed with reps for Fetty that he was released from prison on Thursday, 11 months ahead of his scheduled release date in December 2026.

“I want to thank my family, friends, and fans for the love, prayers, and continued support — it truly means everything to me,” Fetty shared in a statement with Billboard. “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.”

The New Jersey native was arrested in October 2021 in Queens ahead of his performance at Rolling Loud NYC after a federal indictment was unsealed, claiming he transported 100 kilograms of drugs from California and distributed them in Long Island.

Fetty Wap ended up pleading guilty in August 2022 to one charge of conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. He was sentenced to six years in prison in May 2023.

Fetty had been serving his sentence in a low-security prison in Sandstone, Minnesota, and had originally been slated to be released in December 2026.

On the music side, Fetty Wap teamed up with Doe Boe for “Lil Sexy” in June. Fetty’s 2015 track “Again” received a second life in 2025, when the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in February at No. 41 and topped the TikTok Billboard Top 50. The rapper’s last album arrived with King Zoo in 2023.

Fetty’s melodic flows penetrated rap in the mid-2010s as he stormed out of the gate with three top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including the diamond-certified “Trap Queen,” “679” and “My Way.”

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.