Hofstra’s 2016-2017 school year has gotten off to an event-filled start. After the excitement of hosting the first presidential debate for the third consecutive election year, we can now look forward to the 2016 Fall Festival taking place on Oct. 8.
In years past, Hofstra has hosted artist such as Rick Ross, Ke$ha and Janelle Monáe. This year, New Jersey native Fetty Wap is the headlining act for the annual event.
Hofstra made the announcement on Sept. 29 via the Fall Fest website and their social media platforms. The news has gotten some mixed reactions from students. Some are excited and are posting the updated Fall Festival flyer to their social media accounts, while others shrug their shoulders at the idea of the rapper performing.
Fetty Wap, born Willie Maxwell II, is a 25-year-old rapper who grew up in Patterson, New Jersey. He rose to fame in May 2015 with his single “Trap Queen,” an ode to the women that participate in the cooking and dealing of crack cocaine. The song immediately rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the charts for 28 weeks.
After the overnight success of “Trap Queen,” Fetty went on to win awards for “Most Watched Video of the Year” by MC 100 and “Artist to Watch” during the MTV Video Music Awards. The artist also received a Grammy nomination and was even featured as apart of XXL’s Freshman Class cover that same year, a list that has consisted of artists such as J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Joey Bada$$, Kid Cudi and many more.
Unlike most artists, Fetty Wap did not become a one hit wonder. He went on to release “My Way” and “679” which both climbed their way up the Top 100 Billboard chart, spending four and five weeks on the charts, respectively. He even made history as the first rapper in four years to have two No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Since becoming a rap sensation, he has worked with many other artists, including Fifth Harmony on their song “All in My Head,” Z on “Nobody’s Better” and even David Guetta in “Bang My Head.”
Fetty Wap has not been alone in this journey to fame; his best friend Monty, also from New Jersey, has been there with him every step of the way. A video of the two went viral in December 2015 when Fetty Wap bought Monty a BMW i8 for Christmas as a thank you gift for allowing him to sleep in his car when he had nothing.
The two best friends make up the group “Remy Boyz” which was named after the alcohol 1738 Remy Martin. The group started as three members until Fetty Wap kicked out P-Dice in 2015 for “only wanting to be a part of the movement after they were playing big-money shows,” he said to “Hot New Hip-Hop.”
Representing New Jersey everywhere he goes, Fetty Wap will make his way to Hofstra.