Fetty Wap, the New Jersey rapper who in 2023 was sentenced to six years in federal prison for trafficking narcotics, has been released nearly three years earlier than expected.
The rapper, whose legal name is Willie Junior Maxwell II, was transferred on Thursday to what is known as a Residential Re-entry Management Office in Philadelphia, according to the website of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
It was unclear why the rapper had been released early.
Representatives for Fetty Wap and the Federal Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.
In a social-media post on Friday, Fetty Wap, 34, thanked his family, friends and fans for “the love, prayers, and continued support” and said that he was “committed to moving forward with purpose and making a meaningful impact where it matters most.”
Speaking with “The Breakfast Club” radio show also on Friday, the rapper said that the confines of prison had “made me understand the value of freedom,” adding, “I don’t think a lot of people understand how blessed they are to just wake up and do whatever they want to do.”
Fetty Wap, who lost sight in his left eye because of congenital glaucoma, rose to fame in 2015 with his song “Trap Queen,” an ode to a romance entangled in the drug trade. The track reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and earned him nominations for the Grammy Award for best rap song and best rap performance.
The New York Times called the rapper “intuitively gifted,” and “Trap Queen” a “tender, hardscrabble hip-hop love song” that was performed “with almost Disney-like glee.”
Fetty Wap pleaded guilty in August 2022 to conspiracy to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. A lawyer for the rapper said at the time that he needed money to support many relatives and children after the coronavirus pandemic had suspended live entertainment.
At his sentencing in May 2023, Fetty Wap apologized to the communities and the families of drug users whom he had hurt.
“I only ever wanted to help my family,” he told the judge. “I never asked myself if it was all-the-way right.”
Derrick Bryson Taylor is a Times reporter covering breaking news in culture and the arts.
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