Fetty Wap, real name Willie Maxwell, has been one of, if not the breakout artist of 2015 so far. Even though his track "Trap Queen" was released in 2014 and started to gather momentum towards the end of the year, his rise to prominence has cemented itself in the first half of 2015. Since being thrust into the spotlight, Wap has been doing all sorts of media appearances and recently he went on the Angie Martinez show on Power 105.1 in New York City to discuss a range of topics including the upcoming Chris Brown Tour, his left eye, meeting Rihanna, his sound and much more.
One of the defining features about Maxwell, for better or for worse, is his eye, which he lost to glaucoma, a condition he was born with and had to get reconstructive surgery when he was 12. He no longer wears a prosthetic because he "doesn't want to look like everybody else."
Wap opens up about how he overcome his lack of confidence
"When I was little, I used to be scared to look into the camera ... I feel more natural now."
He goes on talk a little about his childhood with the one eye.
"When I was little, they always tried to make me get disability checks. I went to regular school, nobody knew. Everybody thought I was cross-eyed or just had a lazy eye," Wap explained. "I took it out one day in school and everyone went, 'Woah!' Now everyone in the town call me one-eyed Woodie."
Wap's music, notably his voice is unique from other rappers today and he notes that in the interview making a distinction from others in the genre.
"I just make music that I think people would like to hear," he said to Martinez. "I don't necessarily call my music hip-hop, I just call it Fetty Wap music. I'm a melody person. I make melodies and add flavor to it."
Wap is prepping for go on tour with a trio of major R&B pop stars, Chris Brown, Omarion and Teyana Taylor this fall. See the full details and list of tour dates here. Watch the interview below.
