Fetty Wap has become a powerhouse in the hip hop and rap scene. Better known to his family as Willie Maxwell Jr., he took the stage name Fetty Wap and burst onto the scene with his breakthrough single “Trap Queen” in 2015. Fetty has since collaborated extensively with different artists and has made quite a name for himself in the industry. What sets Fetty apart from so many others is his very unique voice and singing style. But there is quite a lot that the world does not know about this hip hop superstar. He has come a long way from his childhood home in Paterson, New Jersey. These days, he’s living it up in style a little more and enjoying the high life!

But the story of how Fetty Wap came into stardom is both fascinating and inspiring. As he admits openly, his life lacked direction for a very long time, but with the birth of his son, that all changed! Through sheer determination and an unrelenting work ethic, Fetty Wap made the kind of life for himself and his family that he dreamed about. He’s taking some time to party and enjoy his success for sure, but there are some pretty amazing details about his life that you may or may not know. So here are 15 things about Fetty Wap and his fabulous life that you may find surprising.

Congenital Glaucoma

One of the distinguishing characteristics that sets Fetty Wap apart from everyone else is his eye. There has been a lot of speculation since he burst onto the scene about what in fact happened to his eye. The biggest rumor that caught on was that he was shot in the eye. In fact, Fetty suffered from congenital glaucoma as a result of an accident when he was very young. He got the condition in both eyes, but his doctor was only able to save one eye. While Fetty himself would probably agree that the rumors are much more exciting, he laughs it off and has learned over time to not worry about his eye or what people think and say. Even though it used to bother him much more, it really isn’t anything to him at this point.

Bought His Mother a House

What does an international hip hop sensation do when he starts to roll in some serious money? He buys his mother a house, that’s what! Fetty Wap purchased his first home not long after he became such a big deal, except he purchased the home for his mother. After he made the purchase of a beautiful new house, he posted about how much his mother is going to love having a home that is hers. Real estate is a wise investment and it seems that since purchasing the home, he has bought another. As a young man that grew up very poor and living in the projects of Paterson, New Jersey, he still has a deep love for his mother and wants her to be comfortable. What a good son!

Robbery and Shootout

When Fetty Wap was back in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey on Sunday, March 26th 2017, Fetty was robbed of jewelry and cash totaling approximately $450 thousand! The incident didn’t end with just stealing jewelry and cash. There was apparently a shootout, involving three injuries! Fetty was not charged with anything and was apparently not involved in any of the shooting. But not long after, a local rapper named Raheem Thomas (known locally as Fuzz) was arrested for assault and weapons charges. He apparently felt like Fetty should have done more to help promote him and his group once he became famous. It is unfortunate that he felt like it was acceptable to take it to this extreme. Fetty was never implicated in any of the shootings and was not a victim either.

Partied Hard at Surgeon’s House

Fetty Wap is all about playing hard when it is time to party. This is so much the case, that he is allegedly being sued by plastic surgeon to the stars Dr. Michael Jones, for trashing his Puerto Rico mansion. Fetty Wap rented the $2.1 million mansion and allegedly caused about $50,000 worth of damage to the place! Fetty’s party guests did quite the number on the place, putting holes in walls, damaging golf carts and leaving “stripper underwear” throughout the house, among other things. Even though Fetty’s insurance (not quite sure what kind of policy covers this) paid most of it, there was still a matter of $5,000 outstanding in costs. Hopefully Fetty cut the good doctor a check and made it right. Next time, maybe just some wine and cheese if he’s renting out a mansion.

Origins of Remy Boyz and 1738

Going all the way back to his first hit “Trap Queen,” Fetty Wap has included 1738 as a prominent number in his lyrics. Fetty is the leader of the group Remy Boyz who he collaborates with on almost everything. The name has a very clear origin though, from “Remy Martin 1738” which is a brand of cognac. Fetty has claimed that it is the finest liquor in the urban district. It would seem that there may be some grander meaning behind the name and number, but that is not the case. Fetty wants to make an entire label out of Remy Boyz and 1738. You have to give him credit for being such a great marketer and something of a branding genius. Although, Remy Martin should be paying him big time for the advertising!

Workhorse in the Studio

Fetty Wap does not play around when it comes to his work in the studio. He is all business and ready to get down to work. When he goes into the studio, he records between 20 and 30 tracks! He has not been rapping his entire life as many artists have. For Fetty Wap, he only began exploring this creative outlet a few years before he got big. He sees his music as an outlet for a better life for his kids and his family. When he goes into the studio, he puts a lot of effort into making it the best quality he can, but it is all about productivity! Fetty is interested in continuing to stay relevant and produce his own unique brand of hip hop. So far, he keeps churning out the hits that people love!

Didn’t Own Jordans Until He Was Famous

It may surprise you to learn that Fetty Wap did not actually own a pair of Jordans until he made it big! Often, a pair of Jordans will be the first purchase a kid makes after saving and saving for months. This was not the case with Fetty Wap. He never owned a pair until adulthood, but now he’s making up for lost time! There was a time that he said he purchased a pair of Jordans every day! This has surely slacked off, as there are only so many varieties and years of Jordans that were made. But Fetty made sure to treat himself to this particular status symbol when he was able. Surely he’s also making sure his young son is also decked out in Jordans as well.

Owns More Than 150 Pairs of Robin's Jeans

Much like his love of Jordans, Fetty Wap is also a huge fan of Robin’s Jeans. What’s not to like at a cost of $250 or more? Fetty loves this particular brand and boasts a collection of over 150 pairs in his closet! Most clothing stores wouldn’t carry stock of 150 pairs of Robin’s Jeans, but if you go over to Fetty Wap’s house, you’ll find plenty. Fetty even mentions Robin’s multiple times in his songs! It isn’t really clear if he is a compensated endorser for the jeans or not (surely he didn’t pay for all those jeans himself), but he loves the brand and loves to give them a shoutout in his music. I guess the publicity works...after all, we are mentioning the brand in this article, aren’t we?

Doesn’t Like the Water

Fetty Wap is not much of a water guy. Sure, he’ll go to the beach, but do not expect him to go anywhere near the water. The reason for this is that Fetty doesn’t swim. He doesn’t say a whole lot about it and it doesn’t seem like something he really feels like he is missing out on in life. But for this reason, we won’t be seeing him doing any music videos in the pool. Fetty likes to stay dry and on solid ground. If he grew up not learning because of a lack of opportunities, surely now he can get some quality instruction and learn properly. Either way, whether it’s something he would like to learn or not, don’t expect to see him submerged in water anytime soon. If you do, call for help!

Started Out Selling Mix Tapes

When Fetty Wap decided it was time to get serious about something in his life, he started working fast and smart! He was determined to be successful in the music industry and set a goal of getting signed by a record label in 90 days. That’s a lofty goal and seemingly impossible to accomplish when you consider that many people try for years and still don’t get signed. Fetty took to the streets to sell his mix tapes. He took 100 out, worked until he sold 50 and gave the other 50 away! Getting his music out there was the top priority...and it worked! Unfortunately, he didn’t get signed in 90 days. It took him 132 days to get signed...and the rest is history! Hustling and focusing on his goal definitely paid off for Fetty.

Mentored by Taylor Swift

Fetty Wap and Taylor Swift do not exactly seem like they would go in the same sentence. Truthfully though, Taylor loves Fetty Wap’s music and she even had him as one of the guest stars on her tour. But according to Fetty, Taylor did not just treat him like another guest on the tour. He said he learned a lot about the business of conducting a tour from Taylor. He has been very appreciative of Taylor Swift and has spoken highly of her on multiple occasions. He said that Taylor took time to show him a lot about the way a successful tour works and mentor him on the process. You can surely do a lot worse than having Taylor Swift teach you the ropes on tour. Not too shabby!

Loves ATVs

ATV stands for “all terrain vehicle,” and while there’s not a whole lot of off road opportunities in the urban area where he lives, there are a lot of opportunities and locations setup for riding these vehicles. Fetty Wap has developed a great love of ATVs (despite having had a pretty serious motorcycle accident). He has a fully loaded Yamaha Banshee quad bike, among others that he is quite passionate about riding. Lots of people would assume that given his missing eye, he would not be able or willing to drive these vehicles. But as usual, he isn’t interested in people’s assumptions of him. He does what he does and loves what he loves and has become something of an inspiration to many as a result. We can respect that!

Gave His Friend a BMW

Elvis Presley was known for giving his friends new vehicles to show his appreciation and admiration. Lots of other celebrities have shown great generosity as well toward close friends and family. Fetty Wap is no exception to this and has also proven that he values friendship and family. He has always sought to build up others and help those around him in their careers and personal goals. Now, Fetty has given his long time close friend and fellow Zoo Gang member, Monty a new BMW i8 for Christmas! Not only is it a grand gesture, but it shows that Fetty likes to share what he has with those close to him. Friendship is a great thing Fetty, just don’t get to thinking you have to buy their mutual respect and admiration.

Will Guest Star on Empire

The hit Fox series Empire is in its third season and is still going strong. The show features a lot of guest artists stopping by on a variety of different episodes. Sometimes, they play themselves, but in one episode, Fetty Wap will be guest starring as another artist. He’ll be playing the character “Trig” and this will be the first time Fetty has done any acting. It doesn’t seem that this will be a recurring character, but you never know. Moving from music to television (or vice versa) is not uncommon for celebrities and Fetty is smart to dip his toe into this particular pool. Getting on a hit television series must mean that he is doing something right. He star power only continues to get bigger as he takes on more projects like this.

Afraid of Planes

There are all kinds of people in the world that will avoid flying in an airplane at all cost. People will go from coast to coast in typical Clark W. Griswold style just to keep themselves on the ground. Fetty is a little like that as well, claiming that he has a fear of airplanes. He prefers to drive to gigs (although we are sure he is traveling in style) whenever he possibly can. This will prove to be somewhat difficult as he becomes even more of an international hip hop sensation. Fetty hasn’t claimed that he flatly refuses to fly, but he has made it clear that it is a problem for him. Like many, getting him on an airplane may require a little effort and a couple of drinks to loosen him up before the flight.

Sources: Mic, Vibe, Page Six