Fetty Wap has a lot to say on 'Zavier.’ It’s his first album since being released from prison

NEW YORK (AP) — Fetty Wap is beaming so big, it is almost as if his smile enters the room before he does. And these days, the Paterson, New Jersey-born melodic rapper and singer has a lot to be happy about.

In January, he was released from federal prison to home confinement after serving just over half a six-year sentence for his role in a New York-based drug trafficking scheme. During that time, he thought about everything he missed: his family, his kids, the sound of a car engine as he drives, food — “I love to eat,” he told The Associated Press — and, of course, music. He wasted no time jumping right back into it: His next album, “Zavier,” arrives Friday.

He started working on it “as soon as I got released,” he said. “Jan. 7, 2026.”

And when did he finish? “Jan. 10, 2026,” he laughed. “I had a lot to say. It’s been a few years of holding things in there.”

He estimates that he and his collaborators made 123 songs in total; 17 make the final list.

Less than a week after the artist born Willie Maxwell II dropped “The Butterfly Effect,” in 2021, he was indicted and arrested. He released his last album — 2023's “King Zoo” — while incarcerated. Because of that, “Zavier” feels like both a reintroduction and new chapter for him — a real opportunity to make an album truly his own for the first time in half a decade.

“Before, being incarcerated, I had to call when I could call, 15-minute calls,” he recalls of working on “King Zoo.” “After a certain time, the phone was off. So, it was just, like, ‘I just hope it sounds good.’”

This time, he could be in the studio. He could be hands on. “That's my safe haven,” he said. “The studio is my safe haven.”

Those expecting a concept record about Fetty Wap's time behind bars would be wise to look elsewhere. “I didn’t want it to be an emotional album,” he says. “I didn’t want it be, like, ‘OK, we get it. You were away. You’re home now.’ Where’s the fun Fetty?”

Fun Fetty Wap abounds on “Zavier,” as does a serious Fetty Wap, a lustful Fetty Wap, a tender Fetty Wap. It's “a lot of different sounds up in there,” he says. “A lot of different areas to go to.”

The eclecticism works, largely because of Fetty Wap's unmistakable style.

“The whole ‘Zavier’ thing is just, like, bring back the same energy as the ‘Fetty Wap’ album,” he continued, referencing his 2015 breakthrough record — the one that brought the diamond-selling “Trap Queen” to the masses. “Just a more matured sound. … ‘Zavier' is just an upgraded Fetty Wap.”

As for that name? “I'm Zavier,” he said. “This is who I am. It's just a different side of me when I came home from prison.”

If there is a song that encapsulates that time in Fetty Wap's life, it's “I Remember” featuring Chicago rapper G Herbo. It's as diaristic as a songwriter can be: a list of recollections from each stage of his life atop a minimal beat and spare guitar. He describes it as “an ode to the past and the present.”

“I gave them a glimpse of what was going on with me. … Pre-Fetty, then being Fetty Wap, and after Fetty Wap,” he said. “Then prison, then coming home, you know what I mean? I put everything in that song.”

But there is no shortage of what he calls “feel-good music.” That's found in the NSFW-and-then-some R&B banger with Tink, “Nasty” — “Gotta get a little freaky,” he says, smiling — and in all-star collaborations, including tracks with Wiz Khalifa, Honey Bxby and Max B, the last of whom was also released from prison recently.

“I got the beat, and I’m like, ‘I’m about to sound like Max B. I’m going to sound Max B and then I’m gonna make Max B sound like the old Max B,’” he said about the song “BossDon.” But it worked.

He also looked toward his family for inspiration: Fetty Wap's sisters are featured on the throwback “White Roses.”

“‘White Roses’ is actually my favorite track,” says Fetty Wap. “I recorded everything exactly how I wanted it to sound. … And then after it was done, I’m like, ‘Something’s missing.’ I called my sisters. I was like, ‘Yo, come to the studio.’ They was like, ‘What’s up?’ (I said) ‘I need you to go in there.’”

They add doo-wop-style harmonies to the song, a romantic moment on “Zavier” and Fetty Wap's strongest vocal performance — melodic, with a controlled vibrato.

In whole, Fetty Wap hopes “Zavier” gives his audience a sense of “good energy, positivity,” he said.

“I’m not looking for any type of, like, sympathy,” he adds. “Just love the music, you know? And if you don't — let me know so I can make better music.”

This story has been updated to remove Doe Boy as a collaborator on this album.

Fetty Wap Poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Fetty Wap Poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Fetty Wap Poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

Fetty Wap Poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — With pressure mounting, senators moved quickly Thursday to debate a “last and final” offer to end the funding impasse that has jammed airports and put the livelihoods of Transportation Security Administration workers in jeopardy as Republicans try to address Democratic demands for changes to President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement changes.

A test vote was failing to advance an earlier proposal as the new approach appeared to be taking shape behind closed doors.

“Enough is enough,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as he announced he had given the final offer to the Democrats.

Thune did not disclose details of the new framework, but he said that it picked up on what had been the Republican offer over the weekend, before talks with the White House and Democrats had broken off.

“Hopefully ... there will be some finality in this real soon,” Thune said.

The shutdown of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, now in its 41st day, has resulted in travel disruptions, missed paychecks and even warnings of airport closures, but lawmakers have yet to resolve the underlying issue of reining in immigration and mass deportation operations.

Democrats argue the GOP proposals have not gone far enough at putting guardrails on officers from ICE, Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies who are engaged in the immigration sweeps, particularly after the deaths of two Americans protesting the actions in Minneapolis.

Trump, who has largely left the issue to Congress to resolve, threatened to send the National Guard to airports, in addition his deployment of ICE agents who are now checking travelers IDs — a development drawing concerns.

“They need to end this shutdown immediately or we'll have to take drastic measures,” Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

With Congress set to leave town by week’s end for its spring break, calls are intensifying for an end to the stalemate that has left TSA officers unpaid and many not showing up for work.

Multiple airports are experiencing greater than 40% callout rates of TSA workers and nearly 500 of its nearly 50,000 transportation security officers have now quit during the shutdown. Nationwide on Wednesday, more than 11% of the TSA employees on the schedule missed work, according to DHS. That is more than 3,120 callouts.

At George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston some travelers reported missing flights after spending hours in security lines.

Melissa Gates said she would not make her flight to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after waiting than 2½ hours and still not reaching the security checkpoint. She said no other flights were available until Friday.

“I should have just driven, right?” Gates said of her 260-mile (418-kilometer) trip. “Five hours would have been hilarious next to this.”

Senators retreated to privately discuss the latest offer as a core group of more than 10 senators, Democrats and Republicans, worked to hammer out the details. More voting was possible.

"I think we all realize we’re not going anywhere until this is done,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

Earlier this week, the GOP offer added a new restraint on immigration officers, funding the use of body cameras that had previously been agreed to. It excluded other policies that Democrats have demanded, such as that federal agents wear identification, remove their face masks and refrain from conducting raids around schools, churches or other sensitive places.

Thune indicated the new proposal picked up where earlier negotiations broke off. Over the weekend, talks with the White House, including with border czar Tom Homan, appeared to be making progress toward a deal. The White House had presented its own offer with several items Democrats had been demanding, including officer IDs and training.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said they needed to see real changes. “We’ve been talking about ICE reforms from day one,” he said.

Any deal will almost certainly need to involved a compromise as lawmakers on the left and right flanks revolt. Conservative Republicans have panned their own GOP proposals, demanding full funding for immigration operations and skeptical of the promise from leaders that they would address Trump’s proof-of-citizenship voting bill in a subsequent legislative package.

The Republican president initially signed off on one plan the GOP senators brought to him late Monday. By Tuesday, he said he would not be happy with any deal.

Trump did not directly address the status of negotiations late Wednesday evening during an annual fundraising dinner for the House Republicans’ campaign committee as Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., works to keep majority control in the November elections.

On Thursday, the president revived his campaign for senators to end the filibuster as a way to overpower opposition to GOP policies, something most Republican senators do not want to do.

The GOP’s big tax cuts bill that Trump signed into law last year funneled billions to DHS, including $75 billion for ICE operations, ensuring the money is flowing for his immigration and deportation agenda even with the funding shutdown. ICE and other immigration officers are still being paid.

Republicans say the Trump administration has already made strides to meet Democrats’ demands, particularly after swearing in Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin as the new homeland security secretary to replace Kristi Noem.

Lines and wait times are expected to grow Thursday and Friday at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston because of “significantly higher passenger traffic,” according to an update on the airport’s website.

“This is a dire situation,” the acting TSA administrator, Ha Nguyen McNeill, testified at a House hearing Wednesday.

She described the multiple hardships facing unpaid TSA workers — piling up bills and eviction notices, even plasma donations to make ends meet — and warned of potential airport closures if more employees refuse to come to work.

“At this point, we have to look at all options on the table,” she said.

McNeil also said TSA officers working at the nation’s airports have experienced a more than 500% increase in the frequency of assaults since the shutdown began.

“This is unacceptable,” McNeill said.

Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti, Mary Clare Jalonick Rebecca Santana and Ben Finley in Washington, Lekan Oyekanmi in Houston, Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Passengers wait in a security checkpoint line at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Passengers wait in a security checkpoint line at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, left, testifies as Nicholas Andersen, acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, right, listens during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Passengers wait in a security checkpoint line at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Passengers wait in a security checkpoint line at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Travelers wait in a TSA line, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at LaGuardia Airport in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)