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Fetty Wap lost one of his eyes at a young age due to Glaucoma.

A 12-song collection with tracks that feature four different guest rappers, rapper Fetty Wap dropped his new mixtape “For My Fans” Jan. 20th.

Fetty Wap, whose real name is Willie Maxwell II, burst onto the scene in 2015 with his hit single “Trap Queen” and ended his stellar year by winning “Best New Artist of the Year” at the American Music Awards.

The 26-year-old rapper’s “Trap Queen” got recognition from artists like Kanye West and Beyonce, starting his career off with an absolute bang as the track won two Grammys: one for “Best Rap Song,” and the other for “Best Rap Performance.” As he skyrocketed to fame overnight, he told fans it was only the beginning, even telling Civil TV in 2015 that his life now is “a hood fairy tale.”

Indeed, the rapper’s life is much different now than it was during his childhood in Paterson, New Jersey. As a child, he was diagnosed with glaucoma in both of his eyes, resulting in him losing one of them and developing the nickname “One-eyed Willie” throughout his neighborhood streets.

With a lot on his plate, Fetty Wap had not even thought about rapping as a career until 2013 when he began mixing beats and writing. He was on the streets, selling drugs and trying to make ends meet before “Trap Queen” started to get attention from bigger artists and record executives.

Flashforward three years later, where Fetty Wap is now soaring high and has released “For My Fans” with quite a bit of hype surrounding it.

Upon listening to this album, I realized that despite much of his explicit language, a large majority of the songs were romantic. Fetty is the father of six children, with one on the way, so it could perhaps be said that he knows a thing or two about romance.

“For My Fans” starts off with the song “Start It Up.” A track with a hint of piano and a solid title, the song is a strong intro to the album and shows off some of Fetty Wap’s musical abilities.  

Two of his songs on the album, “Intro Her” and “Text Me,” feature the rapper Monty, who Fetty Wap has been friends with since before achieving fame. Monty, also a New Jersey native, collaborated with Fetty early on to form a group called “Remy Boyz 1738.” (The group’s name is often dropped in Fetty Wap’s songs, which explains why it might seem all too familiar to readers.)

Later on the album, the song “Yomi” has a slower beat to it that rivals his typical upbeat, more hardcore rap tracks, showing Fetty Wap’s versatility.

Further surprises are found in the track “Feels Right” as well, where the lyrics are contradictory. At one point he claims, “You the one I drop bills on, you was there when I was broke” before later wondering in the verse, “And if I wasn’t ballin’, would she still be all in?” Regardless, it’s still a fun vibe and it further shows his romantic side.  

The song “Love the Way” seems like an ode to the real love of his life as he sings to her, “Tatted on my arm to remind you … Sometimes I make these songs to remind you … I wanna put a rock on your finger.” However, it’s still a mystery to who this woman really is.

Two especially notable tracks on the album were “Could You Believe It” and “Nobody Else.”

I really enjoyed the message behind “Could You Believe It,” where Fetty Wap writes that his career was never for the money, nor does he ever plan to change who he is. The statement feels all the more genuine paired with the fact that Fetty used some of his first big bucks to buy his mother a new house, planning to use his money to keep his loved ones and those around him safe and secure.  

Returning to romance, on the other hand, “Nobody Else” has a futuristic-meets-dubstep beat and a sweet message in which he promises his love there is no one else and making her smile is his ultimate goal.

Overall, Fetty Wap’s “For My Fans” is definitely worth giving a listen. With perceived radio silence since the blowing up of “Trap Queen,” die-hard Fetty Wap fans out there can rejoice at this answering of prayers for new music. 2018 is looking up for Fetty Wap fans.