Fetty Wap Explains How He Wrote Songs for His New Album “Zavier” While in Jail: 'I Can't Forget Them'
Fetty Wap Explains How He Wrote Songs for His New Album “Zavier” While in Jail: 'I Can't Forget Them'
Rachel DeSantisWed, April 1, 2026 at 6:17 PM UTC
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Fetty WapCredit: The Fader/YouTube -
Fetty Wap wrote seven songs for his new album Zavier while serving over three years in prison
The rapper says Zavier reflects his growth and maturity and features 17 tracks with diverse vibes and influences
He explained how he wrote seven songs in prison when he doesn't physically write music
Fetty Wap’s new album Zavier was a labor of love for the rapper — especially considering how he wrote a number of tracks from behind bars.
The “Trap Queen” rapper, 34, was released from prison in January after serving more than three years of a six-year sentence, and wasted no time diving back into music.
Fetty told The Fader that he doesn’t physically write down any of the music he creates, so songwriting from jail with no way to record his musings added another layer of difficulty.
“I literally come up with this in my head, and then write as I go so I don’t forget it,” he said. “I made seven of these songs that’s on the project while I was in jail. So I had to like, sing it over and over and over and over in my head. I literally had to keep doing it over and over ‘til I can’t forget ‘em now.”
Zavier contains 17 new songs, and Fetty shouted out “Right Back to You,” the jazzy “White Roses,” “I Remember” and “Fool for You,” which samples "Linger" by The Cranberries, as ones that he wrote while serving time for pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances.
“I’m really proud of the project. I’m proud of every record on the project. I feel like you get a different vibe on this project,” he told the outlet. “You get to have fun, you get to sit down, you get to think… I feel like it’s an all-around good body of work and I hope that everybody receives it that way.”
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Fetty (né Willie Junior Maxwell II) added that he didn’t have to do much to keep his voice sounding as good as it did on his breakthrough 2015 hit “Trap Queen,” as he did absolutely no singing or rapping while in jail.
“I think me not doing anything is what … preserved the sound,” he said. “The last time I sang a song was before I went to prison. Not one time [did I sing in prison].”
The star said he considers Zavier his alter ego, and someone more “grown up” and “mature” than Fetty Wap.
“[I’ve been prioritizing] my mental space, my energy. Just protecting myself, my family. I’ve just been more about me this time,” he said. “I’m more mentally aware of everything now, my surroundings. I’m on high alert, and it feels good… You can’t stay the same forever. At one point you gotta grow up. And if the people around you don’t want to grow into a better space with you, then we had our run, appreciate it, man, but we reached the height.”
The New Jersey native released Zavier on March 27 after announcing it several weeks prior. In a statement shared shortly after his early release, the star thanked his family, friends and fans for their “love, prayers and continued support.”
"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,” he said. “I’m committed to moving forward with purpose and making a meaningful impact where it matters most."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
