Honestly, if you were anywhere near a radio or a house party in 2015, you couldn't escape the melodic, slightly strained, and incredibly infectious warble of Willie Maxwell II. Better known as Fetty Wap. While "Trap Queen" was the undisputed breakout anthem that introduced the world to the Remy Boyz, it was the follow-up energy of My Way Fetty Wap that proved the Paterson, New Jersey native wasn't just a flash in the pan. It was a cultural reset for melodic trap.
The song didn't just climb the charts. It lived there.
Looking back, the track represents a very specific era of "Sing-Song" rap that paved the way for the current melodic titans we see today. It was raw. It was unpolished. Yet, it had a gravitational pull that even Drake couldn't resist jumping on for the remix. But what is it about this specific song that keeps it in rotation when so many other 2015 hits have faded into the "throwback" abyss?
It’s the vibe. Pure and simple.
The Drake Effect and the "My Way" Momentum
You can't talk about My Way Fetty Wap without mentioning the OVO co-sign. Back then, a Drake remix was the industry equivalent of a knighthood. When the 6 God hopped on the track, it sent the hype into the stratosphere. Interestingly, Fetty and his team actually released the original version featuring Monty first, which is the version most purists still gravitate toward. Monty’s chemistry with Fetty was organic. They were the Remy Boyz 1738 crew.
Drake’s version leaked, then it blew up, and suddenly Fetty Wap was the first artist since Eminem to have three songs in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 20 simultaneously as a lead artist. That’s insane. Think about that for a second. A guy with a unique aesthetic and a shaky, emotional delivery was outperforming the biggest pop stars on the planet.
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The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It wasn't just a club song; it was a graduation song, a wedding song, and a "driving with the windows down" song.
Breaking Down the 1738 Sound
What made the production work? NickEBeats handled the boards, creating a beat that felt spacious. It wasn't overly complicated. It gave Fetty room to stretch those vocals.
The "1738" ad-lib, which refers to the Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal cognac, became a lifestyle brand overnight. People were shouting "1738!" in grocery stores. It was a moment of peak "Zoo Gang" influence. The melody in the hook is almost nursery-rhyme simple, which is exactly why it’s a topographical map for a brain worm. You hear it once, and you’re singing "Baby, won't you come my way" for the next forty-eight hours.
The Anatomy of a Mid-2010s Smash
Usually, songs like this follow a strict formula. Not this one. Fetty’s voice breaks. He hits flat notes. He’s soulful but unrefined. That lack of "industry polish" is exactly what humanized him. In a world of Auto-Tune that sounds like robots, Fetty Wap sounded like a guy singing his heart out at 3 AM.
- The tempo: Fast enough for the club, slow enough for a sing-along.
- The lyrics: They aren't complex. They're about wanting someone’s attention and showing off success.
- The ad-libs: "Yeaaah baby" became a signature that defined a whole year of music.
People often forget how dominant the Remy Boyz were. Monty wasn't just a sidekick; his verse on the original version of My Way Fetty Wap provided a grounded, traditional rap contrast to Fetty’s soaring melodies. It was a balance.
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Why the Longevity?
Music critics like to talk about "timelessness," but usually, they’re talking about The Beatles or Marvin Gaye. I’d argue there’s a different kind of timelessness in "My Way." It captures the optimism of the mid-2010s. It was before the vibe of hip-hop got significantly darker and more "moody" in the late 2010s. It was celebratory.
Even now, when that beat drops, the nostalgia hit is immediate. It reminds people of a time when SoundCloud was the Wild West and a kid from Jersey could take over the world with a few catchy melodies and a dream.
Addressing the Misconceptions
Some people think Fetty Wap disappeared because the music got worse. That’s not really the case. The industry shifted, and legal/personal issues slowed down the momentum. But the quality of those early singles—"Trap Queen," "679," and "My Way"—is statistically undeniable.
- "My Way" went Platinum several times over.
- It helped the self-titled debut album Fetty Wap debut at number 1 on the Billboard 200.
- It solidified the "Jersey Sound" as a legitimate commercial force.
There’s a common narrative that he was a "one-hit wonder." How? He had three massive top 10 hits in a single year. That’s a "year-wonder," if anything, and a legendary one at that. Most artists would trade their whole career for the 12-month run Fetty had in 2015.
Technical Details You Might've Missed
If you listen closely to the mix of the song, it’s surprisingly lo-fi. The vocals sit very high in the mix. The bass isn't as distorted as modern "Type Beats." It’s clean. This allowed it to translate perfectly to crappy phone speakers and massive festival systems alike.
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The song also benefited from the early days of viral dance culture. Before TikTok was the behemoth it is now, Vine and Instagram were the places where "My Way" flourished. Short loops of the chorus were everywhere. It was organic marketing before every label had a "digital strategy department" dedicated to making things go viral.
The Influence on the New Generation
You can hear Fetty’s DNA in artists like Roddy Ricch, Lil Durk, and even Post Malone. That "pain rap" mixed with pop sensibilities? Fetty was the blueprint. He showed that you could be from the streets, talk about the struggle, but still make music that girls wanted to dance to and radio stations wanted to play on repeat.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans
If you're looking to dive back into this era or understand why this song matters, here is how to appreciate the "My Way" phenomenon properly:
- Listen to the Monty version first. While the Drake remix is iconic, the chemistry between Fetty and Monty is what the song was intended to be. It’s more authentic to the Paterson sound.
- Watch the music video. It’s a time capsule of 2015 fashion—longline tees, biker denim, and lots of gold chains. It captures the sudden wealth and joy of the Remy Boyz.
- Check out the live performances. Fetty was known for having incredible energy. Even with his vision impairment (congenital glaucoma), he navigated the stage with a charisma that was infectious.
- Analyze the melody. If you're a creator, study how Fetty uses repetition. He doesn't use complex metaphors. He uses "earworms"—short, punchy phrases that are easy to memorize.
The story of My Way Fetty Wap is a reminder that sometimes, the most "imperfect" voices are the ones that resonate the loudest. It wasn't about being the best technical rapper; it was about having the best soul on the track. Ten years later, the "Yeaaah baby" still brings a smile to people's faces, and that’s the ultimate metric of a classic.
To really get the full experience, go back and listen to the full self-titled album. It’s a masterclass in cohesive vibe-building. Don't just stick to the singles; tracks like "RGF Island" and "Again" flesh out the world that "My Way" helped build. Turn the volume up, find a long stretch of road, and let the 1738 era take over for a few minutes. It's worth the trip.