In a shocking case last year, ‘Trap Queen’ rapper Fetty Wap pleaded guilty following charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine. However, the New Jersey emcee’s lawyer has recently emerged, calling for a reduction in the musician’s sentence, and has revealed that the lyricist only sold narcotics to survive the financial burden of the pandemic.
The artist’s attorney Elizabeth Macedonio has appealed the prosecution’s recommended sentence of 87 years in the hope of securing a five-year stint with the chance of parole. According to hip-hop publications TMZ and XXL, Macedonio’s letter to the Long Island federal courts highlights that “depression” and an exacerbation of urgent “financial obligations” forced the rapper’s hand. The letter also pointed out, “In or about 2020, with the coming of the worldwide pandemic, things began to change for Mr Maxwell. There were no opportunities to perform. Thus his income was severely limited.”
The filed documents also point to many other financial strains on the New Jersey musician during this period, detailing how “he was sued personally, was going through a divorce, and was involved with a tour manager who was stealing from him.” Macedonio delves even further and discloses that shortly before the pandemic, Fetty Wap had “lost his grandparents and several other people who were close to him.”
According to his attorney, following the series of events previously mentioned, “Depression and panic began to set in,” and “Desperate to keep up with his financial obligations, Mr Maxwell became involved in the instant offence for a few months in the spring of 2020.” However, it is unclear as to whether or not Macedonio’s appeal will be successful as in a recent court hearing, the prosecution presented the lyrics of Fetty’s 2014 hit ‘Trap Queen’ as evidence that he has frequently engaged in the distribution of drugs furthermore the prosecution have highlighted the rapper’s 2022 track ‘Seet Yamz’.
The court has since concluded that “Yams is code for grams of narcotics, and making significant money (i.e., ‘bands’) from that illegal trade.” You can learn more about the case in the video below.
