From The Source Magazine Issue #271 | 2017
2016 was a pretty interesting year for Fetty Wap. He welcomed the world to his 3rd new born,
Khari with Love and Hip Hop reality star, Masika. He was able to continue to showcase his love for fast cars with his creation of his mobile video game app, Fetty Wap Nitro Nation Stories,
which became of the top selling gaming apps on the Apple and Android mobile application store.
In addition, you can credit him with a crafty assist on Fifth’s Harmony “All In My Head (Flex)” track, which charted in the top 25 and went platinum . After all of those accomplishments, what is left for the “Trap Queen” hit maker to do? It seems like all of last year’s moves being made was to set up for the perfect stage of 2017 in the year of witnessing sacrificial time, drive and hard work being rewarded so your brothers can get their shine on. With his best friend, an Remy Boyz co-owner Monte standing at the on-deck circle ready to get his chance to hit a grand slam at the plate, you can tell that this grind was no overnight success. The journey was a long, rough rugged one for the Paterson, New Jersey phenom. But what helped it is staying true to himself and to the ones being loyal towards him. After all, loyalty means nothing unless it has its heart, the absolute principle of self-sacrifice. It seemed like yesterday fans were going bananas to the trap melodic harmony that brought New Jersey back on the map. “Trap Queen” which peaked as high as number two on Billboard’s
Hot 100 chart had America two stepping and turning up any and everywhere you go. Fans couldn’t go anywhere without hearing the hit being blasted from their iPhones, car speakers or streaming apps as it became one of 5 songs to surpass 400 million on-demand streams.It created a aurora of stardom Fetty couldn’t fathom as just a regular humble kid from Paterson, New Jersey. But what America didn’t know that this tall, lanky young man just wanted the chance to show the world how talented he and his camp are in the music game. All he wanted to do is to see his family and close friends get a seat at the table and eat. Prime example of this is when Fetty decided to follow up with the success of “Trap Queen” by releasing banger-afterclub banger such as “679” and “My Way” off of his platinum, self-titled debut album which both featured his best friend, Monte. The smooth, laid-back wordplay emcee was able to knock it down from trifecta in his features on these chart topping tunes which created attention from fans to be looked at as another promising Jersey lyricist that has potential to do damage in the game.
What began as just a typical friendly transaction of Fetty buying weed from Monte turned into a brotherhood like no other. It was Monte, who introduced Fetty to the rap game, by letting him
being around him during recording sessions in the studio while he laid down verses. After being around one another for so long and picking up each others habits, Wap decided to tell Monte that he wanted to do music and ever since then, these two young men have created a friendship which elevated to a brotherhood in which they shared two common loves and that is their love for music and for their hometown of Patterson, New Jersey. For those who is not familiar with
Patterson, take a seat, get your notebook and pens out. Class is in session. Patterson also known as Silk City are famous for having an dominant role in silk reproduction. They have the 2nd largest Muslim population in the country and it is home to other cultural greats like NY Giants All Pro wide receiver Victor Cruz. But just like any inner city in the United States, the city of Paterson has developed an reputation of a city you definitely have to be careful passing by as
acts of violence continues to affect the community day in and day out.
“My section of Patterson is a rough city just how any other type of city. They got the hood, they got a little nice area but overall, Patterson is rough a city where everybody wanna be that n****. Everybody wanna make it to the top. I’m just blessed to make it out of that. I guess we was chosen to make it and it was destined that this s*** happened to us.- Monte
With this generation of heroes who wear “hood capes” the inner-city youth can look up to like Cruz and gridiron greatness, Fetty Wap and Monte are creating lanes and becoming the leaders of a new generation of trap stars that’s ready to switch lanes and to ignite positive change by making a difference in the community they grew up in. The work already began with the start of their crew, Remy Boyz. Remy Boyz was formed by Monte and Fetty after noticing their pattern of drinking the neighborhood’s favorite label choice
of liquor, Remy Martin. Since then, they were able to reach a short stint of success out of the music game by creating a clothing line they would sell to their fans who grew up in their neighborhood and all over the Jersey. “I often had a thing for fashion and all that s***,” said
Monte. “We did our own apparel drop and the hood went crazy over it. It sold out crazy and we never went back to that because we was mainly sold on music. Once it got much better, I wanted to get back to it. I didn’t want it to be just for the hood, I wanted to make it for everybody and take it nationwide.
Digging into the entrepreneurship spirit like other millennials who willing to take the risk to see their grind pay off extremely well, Monte and Fetty have already began pushing their clothing line to make it available for fans worldwide. With the assistance of their neighborhood friend Jamie Adams, who has strong tides to the urban fashion world, the Remy Boyz clothing brand is already in motion and are expected to release the brand to fans worldwide by the summer of
2017. Combining music and the fashion world makes perfect sense for someone like Fetty has he’s been continuing to enhance and blossom to the man his children can look up to and idolize as a dad. With the birth of Khari, three’s a company for Fetty. But as hectic and chaotic the grind can be for a young star such as himself, it seems like Wap is handling it extremely well and like a true student to this game call life, he is piecing the puzzles together one day at a time. Have you figured out a fair balance of managing your family and business life?
“I think I’m still learning everyday” said Fetty. “There’s never really a fair balance though since my managers are always calling me (lol). But on a serious note when I’m on daddy time, I just focus on my kids. I’ll put my phone away and just rock out with them.
Explain the best part of being a parent. “The best part of being a parent is being able to watch them grow up and the unconditional love that they give me. When I walk into the room and my son or daughter see me, the big smile and the way their eyes light up give me this
feeling that you can’t explain. They’ve made me a better man.” said Fetty.
Do you feel being financially comfortable makes life less stressful?
“Yes and No. I say yes for the simple fact that everything is taken care of when it needs to be so and no because there are more expenses that you’re now responsible for so that’s just stressful in itself.” said Fetty.
How has your business and creative mindset grown since your first album/mixtape?
Fetty Wap: Mentally I’ve grown as a man. I’ve developed musically as well. this album is going to be a lot more mature than my first album.
Monte: Pretty much through experience. The first go round I was just really trying to get comfortable with this s****. I was really holding myself back and I was letting my brother do a lot. I already had hits on deck but I wasn’t really going that hard because I was just busy supporting my brother and all he was doing for his career. This year I’ve grew and I knew what was going on and I realized what I wanna do and what I was going for. The fans are gonna get a lot of
Monte this year. A lot of more Monte and a lot of more music from me this year.
These two emcees is ready to bring back the old school tradition of rewarding your brother by letting them get their rightful opportunity at personal success just like the greats such as 50 Cent
did with Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo or how Cam’ron did it for his Dipset counterparts like Juelz Santana and Jim Jones. What makes them unique is their strong belief of “loyalty is royalty”
“You know how people usually say blood is thicker than water. For us Loyalty is everything. Blood just makes you related, but loyalty makes you actual family. The bond Monty and I share most people won’t understand. We’ve been down and we’ve been up and throughout it all we’ve shown each other the same loyalty.”
“I feel loyalty plays a huge part in anything like if you got a team or a bro. Loyalty plays a huge part especially if you trying to make it in this industry cause they know it s a lot of funny stuff going on.
The word loyalty is being redefined, remodeled in many shapes and forms. The bond Fetty and Monte has with one another is just the perfect case of why it is major to be loyal to your day 1’s especially if they was around on the rise to stardom and when you trying to become a household name in the game. The perfect case of this is when Fetty gaining a new respect for all critics and hip hop fans in the game of his humility by rewarding his bro Monte with a new BMW i8, which was worth over $140,000.00. It might be a small gesture to Fetty but it’s a big symbolism of displaying gratitude to those who played a role into the position he is now, a rising superstar
mogul who is ready to unleash heat to the world which they aren’t ready for.
As we are just months away from the debut mixtape project from Monte, Fetty is quietly cooking up another all star run he pulled off during his 2014 and 2015 campaign. Already starting strong with his new single with Nicki Minaj called “Like A Star”, Wap is in the process of cooking up some heat for the streets for his sophomore LP entitled “King Zoo”. With the handwork, dedication and drive these two Jersey hit makers display take us on a New Jersey drive of hit after hit. Pharrell Williams said it best on his classic LP “In My Mind”, you can do it too. But Fetty and Monte is here to remind you
that with a strong team on deck, the dream can be turn into reality.
Pull Quote
“If I can make it , anybody can. Just keep working towards your goals
and dreams. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Your in control of your own destiny.”-Fetty Wap
