Artist: Fetty Wap

Album: The Butterfly Effect

Release Date: October 22

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Artist Background

Fetty Wap finally dropped his long-awaited second studio album in 2021, over 6 years since his double platinum self-titled debut album opened at #1 on the Billboard 200. The Butterfly Effect is a fitting title for his latest chapter, given the events and moments that led the artist to where he is today.

From a once budding star who took the music world by storm to a tale as old as time, ineffective promotion, inconsistent follow-up work, and bad business deals led to Fetty’s star burning out relatively quickly. Once upon a time, “Trap Queen” was seemingly played everywhere, as his first and biggest, Grammy-nominated hit. For many reasons, by the time October 2021 came around, not many fans were checking for The Butterfly Effect. Many were not even aware Fetty still makes new music.

With a new album out, Fetty’s name started to come back in the news but, unfortunately, it was not for his music. Less than a week after the album’s release, he was arrested at Rolling Loud for alleged involvement in a massive drug ring. What may have been a chance to promote his new album and bring his name back into the spotlight, reminding fans he still had it and gaining new younger fans along the way, turned into a moment of infamy. While there was a small faction of Twitter, Reddit, and others praising the album, the discussion was drowned by comments, jokes, and memes relating to his arrest. As the arrest report involved fentanyl, a detrimental substance to our communities and especially sensitive in hip hop due to the lives it has taken, many were outraged by this. Once rappers make it and reach success on the charts and in pop culture, the most successful appear to leave the life of drugs and crime behind. Unfortunately, and for many reasons, Fetty allegedly did not.

Fetty Wap has been primed for a comeback. He has endured so many obstacles that would make any person, much less any musician, want to fold. Just 3 months before the album dropped, his daughter Lauren passed away leaving him heartbroken as any father would be. This came after his brother was shot and killed in October 2020. He had endured bad business deals and his once trusted manager, Nitt Da Gritt, allegedly stole from him and was fired back in 2018. Furthermore, he was signed to 300 Entertainment, which has a poor reputation for effectively promoting their artists (e.g., Young Thug). One has to wonder how big he could have become with the right management team and record label.

Nevertheless, he was one of the first rappers to become successful off of SoundCloud that ushered in a new wave. This was a wave of singing and rapping with melodic trap taking over as the popular sound in hip hop. He became somewhat of a household name with “Trap Queen” at the time and toured with Chris Brown across the country. He was not a one hit wonder either, with successful follow up singles, including “679”, “My Way” (including the Drake remix), and “Again”. As the leader of the Remy Boyz, Fetty’s brand was palatable enough for the general public yet digestible by average hip hop fans who could not deny the infectious nature of his brand of music.

He subsequently had singles with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Snoop Dogg, while many awaited the follow up to his debut, King Zoo, which would never come. Tracks such as “First Thing” with PND, “WaWa” with Monty, “Find A Way” with Jhené Aiko, “You Say” and “White Linen” show us what that album may have sounded like. For whatever reason, it never dropped, and Fetty was not able to follow up his smash debut onto the scene until 6 years later. While waiting for his own second album to finally be released, he showed even more crossover potential through collaborations with Kid Ink, Fifth Harmony, David Guetta and Sia, Mark Morrison and Nevada, and Cheat Codes. He was featured on controversial rapper 6ix9ine’s track “KEKE” and had chances to show a new generation of fans what and who Fetty Wap was all about. None of these materialized into him being able to go on an album run.

In the years that followed, he dropped several mixtapes and EPs of varying quality, but you could tell that the hitmaker still had it in glimpses, whether it was a random mixtape cut, single or leak. Unfortunately, he fell out of the public’s conscious and was heavily regarded as to falling off when the music was right there the whole time. His brand of melodic trap was found in such releases as Zoovier, Lucky No. 7, Bruce Wayne, Big Zoovie, Trap & B, You Know The Vibes, and his For My Fans series (Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4). Each project had songs that demonstrated that he was still able to make hit tracks, but the overall inconsistency of the projects themselves and promotion around them did him no favors. Additionally, he continued to drop freestyles and other loose singles on SoundCloud to little public fanfare. He has a decently sized leaked music discography as well, including cuts from scrapped projects ThuggaWap with Young Thug and an Internet Money project (e.g., “Friends” with Monty and “Getchu”), that show his potential for a comeback.

Review

This brings us to the album itself, The Butterfly Effect. Despite all the talk of Fetty Wap falling off over the years, this album exists to prove otherwise, at least in terms of the music itself. The sound fits perfectly well within the modern age of melodic rap, while staying true to Fetty’s roots. It takes a personal look into the various aspects of Fetty’s life while maintaining the hit making formula that he is known for. Covering familiar subject matter that is anything but groundbreaking, Fetty sings and raps for just over 40 minutes. The production itself is fresh and easy on the ears, where Fetty laces beats from long-time collaborators, Shy Boogs and Peoples, and more recent collaborators, like CezBeats. Some of the best beats come from Chopsquad DJ, known for his work with Chief Keef and Trippie Redd. Let’s dive into each track on the album.

1) Intro – Kicks off the album in a simple way, like taking a step into the house that Fetty built. He reflects on the last seven years since he blew up with a stripped down sound and simple repetition.

2) Out The Hood – Reminding fans where he came from and that he never left. No matter how hard he tries, he loves the hood life and wouldn’t have it any other way, despite those around him encouraging him to move away from it. He reflects on the chances this may lead to his early demise but will leave his family and future generations financially set. He continues to grind to make money because he never wants to go back to being broke – no matter what it costs.

3) The Truth – A leftover from the scrapped Fetty Cash tape, Fetty really gets into his signature crooning here. He reiterates that he only tells the truth in his raps, in what is a good mix of his old style with his new sound. He flexes his guns, street cred, and takes a stance against snitching. Ironically, he advises others to hang up the block life once you reach a million and focus on growing your net worth and supporting your family.

4) Remember Me – This is that classic Fetty sound, and is appropriately titled as a call to fans to remember who he is. The sole Internet Money produced track, compared to his contemporaries over similar production, this is much more interesting and less monotone, where Fetty takes over the track and his voice is the centerpiece. As he says in the hook, they don’t really make em like this.

5) That’s Facts – Fetty continues the theme of the first few tracks as he describes his life and comeback and notes that the life he rhymes about is the life he lives. He’s been through ups and downs but it’s made him who he is today, acknowledging that some may think he is stupid but he did it all for the love of his family.

6) Talk My Shit – This track addresses the aforementioned falling out with former manager Nitt Da Gritt. Fetty said he gave him money before his own family when he first came up and that he would have died for him. Fetty is in attack mode here but he shows his vulnerable side and conveys how he was betrayed by someone he considered a father figure. He uses the analogy of being stuck on an island to his signing to RGF Island, thinking he was being loyal by going into business with his boy but that this was the wrong move in hindsight for his star and earning potential. Despite all this, he has no regrets about the decisions he has made.

7) Jack Boy – This is the point in the album where it really hits his stride. Led by its infectious hook, the light and airy delivery of Fetty is almost magical. This serves as a love song of sorts about his come up and kicking it with his homies back in the day, displaying how much Fetty endeared those days. Listen to this track and you’ll be singing along about how you grew up a jack boy too.

8) Mona Lisa – This R&B dominant jam is dedicated to Fetty’s love interest and his trap queen. He sings about his love for her and the times that she stood by him. The production comes from long time collaborators Peoples and Shy Boogs and represents one of the best trap & B cuts Fetty has made to date.

9) They Know My Name – Fetty questions whether people still know his name but explains that he chose money over fame so expects it in some ways. While it picks up the pace some from the previous track, this is still a chill cut centered around the “yeah yeah yeah yeah” adlibs in the hook.

10) Got A Bag – The somber tone of this track laced by Chopsquad goes well with the longer chorus. He picks up the pace of his flow and effortlessly delivers a smooth anthem about three of the most common topics in hip hop – money, cars and women.

11) Milan – A lavish track that is directed towards a female, with Fetty telling her he will take her around the world and they smoke, fuck and take a jet to Milan, Paris and Japan.

12) Queen – This track continues discussion around females associated with Fetty, however this focuses again on his queen and not a hoe. He compliments her in every way and calls himself the king to her queen.

13) Yoshi – Fetty called this his favorite song on the album and you can tell why upon first listen. It has a great beat led by a woodwind, even if the lyrics are more of the same subject matter and the refrain/hook is simply Fetty humming along with the beat. Short but sweet.

14) My Moment – Fetty reflects on what led to his moment in the spotlight and what led him to the moment he is in now. He flexes that he is the king and how he got to where he is today.

15) Feel Me – Fetty acknowledges that after all these years, he has kept true to himself and, while things have changed, he continues to get money and have fun. He is saying that based on this, you should feel him as a person.

16) At Peace – A haunting track, Fetty is introspective and delivers an excellent saxophone supported track with emotion. Fetty is at peace with himself, which is even more eerie in hindsight given the events that have occurred since the track was recorded. A fitting final track for the album.

17) Outro – This closes out the album well, and is less of an actual song than the intro. He explains the butterfly effect theme and that when butterflies are around you, this means that the angels are approving your actions and that you’re on the right path. The Butterfly Effect is dedicated to his late daughter, Lauren Maxwell (in the picture above).

After countless listens front to back, I’ve concluded this is my favorite album of 2021. Is it the “best” and does it deserve any awards or critical recognition? No, it does not. It does however have infectious melodies, catchy hooks, smooth verses, fantastic production and classic Fetty Wap croons and ad libs. It’s exactly what any fan of Fetty could have hoped for as his follow up album and arguably his best project since. None of the songs have really taken off since the album, even though there is a bunch of hit potential here. My favorite songs are “Remember Me”, “Got A Bag”, “Jack Boy”, “At Peace”, and “Yoshi”. He has talent and tows the line between singing and rapping uniquely with a strong delivery. Let’s face it, he’s found his lane and is fine operating in it. It may not be as widely received anymore as it used to be and is certainly disregarded by a lot of hip hop heads, however, it is still an enjoyable and entertaining pop-leaning rap/melodic trap album, especially compared to a lot of his peers’ and successors’ efforts within the same subgenre this past year. The flows, moods, tones, and subject matter from song to song vary enough to be interesting while remaining cohesive, as opposed to many other similar albums that fall flat as “one long song” with too many similar flows and beats. Additionally, it seems to stand out from adjacent albums in the same subgenre, with less filler for streaming numbers, no bloating, and no unnecessary deluxe version.

Ironically, my only complaint with the project is that many of the songs are too short (e.g. “Yoshi”, which clocks in at 1:39). Perhaps that’s what makes this such an easy and enjoyable listen. The lack of any features comes as a positive as the album flows well from track to track, with Fetty proving he can still hold his own. This album was not on many top album articles this past year (if any), but it is really an excellent follow-up to his debut album and displays his growth while still maintaining the sound he has become known for.

For the one-eyed rapper who overcame his condition, made it out the hood, is coping with his daughter’s and brother’s deaths, and navigated being taken advantage of by business managers, there was seemingly nothing Fetty couldn’t get through. However, it will be tough for him to move past the latest obstacle to his career. The one thing that does stand is that The Butterfly Effect is a concise and melodic journey into the life of the man himself, a man who did not leave his hood or the criminal activities behind, and who will now face the music. The question now is whether this is a catalyst for a career comeback or the final nail on the coffin. As of today, Fetty Wap stands as one of the biggest “what-ifs” in rap. As a fan, I can only hope that he uses one of his biggest inspirations from his come up in Gucci Mane to focus on music, move on from his vices, and come out a new and better man. “Trap Queen” will undoubtedly continue to be played on and off over the years in stadiums and at parties, while many will have no idea what had happened to the artist, or who he was. One thing remains and it’s that The Butterfly Effect will still be in my rotation, just like his self-titled debut is today. Until then, only time will tell.

Favorite Lyrics:

They like, “How my Daddy spoil me? He ain’t even on this earth”

All my kids gon be rich as fuck before I hit the dirt

“Out The Hood”

Cause hard times

Can make a killer out an honest man

Tie up the children for a couple grand

Come round this way and you won’t come again

“Jack Boy”

When I die, they gon bury me under the city

Just make sure when I go that you’re fucking with me

My baby is a shooter, got her hand on the blicky

She know I’m a legend, ain’t no nigga fucking with me

“Mona Lisa”

Waiting on this moment til it finally came

Running up them Ms, people screaming my name

If you had the same chance, you would’ve did it the same

Grown ass man ain’t nobody to blame, yeah

I took all my losses and I turned them to wins

I took all my lessons and I turned them to gems

Cared about me more and I lost all my friends

I just kept it focused cause I’m destined to win

“My Moment”

Real Gs know how a nigga stand up, how a nigga steppin

When I throw these Ms up, they know what I’m reppin

I done ran them bands up, really done with flexin

I done drew a plan up, got me feeling special

“At Peace”

Yeah baby

Various

Questions:

Are you excited for what Fetty Wap plans to release in the future? Who would you want him to collaborate with?

Do you think Fetty has a chance to attain mainstream relevancy again?

What is your favorite throwaway track since his debut that didn’t make the album?

How would you label Fetty Wap in the context of influence in hip hop and in comparison to his peers?