Hip-Hop fans are celebrating after rapper Fetty Wap was just released from prison following a three-year bid. The rapper– known for hits like “Trap Queen,” “My Way” and “679” had a historic mainstream run around 2015. Now that he’s home, fans hope he can return to stardom.
Suggested Reading
Fetty Wap is only the latest rapper to return home after a lengthy stay behind bars. While in many cases, convicted rappers return home only to go back to the same activity that got them locked up in the first place, there’s plenty of artists who learned their lesson and are now using their experiences to change their communities.
The jury is still out on exactly what the “Trap Queen” rapper plans to do with his new-found freedom, but he has more than enough success stories of rap icons changing for the better. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at rappers who transformed tremendously after serving time.
Meek Mill
Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill is one of the most notable cases of a rapper completely transforming. He went from beefing with Canadian pop star Drake and dating Nicki Minaj to a 2008 conviction coming back to haunt him.
Mill had been convicted then on drug and gun charges. But a series of bad choices– including probation violations and controversially popping wheelies on dirt bikes– landed him in prison once again in late 2017, according to Pitchfork.
Jay-Z and the #FreeMeekMill Movement
Even though Mill was convicted in 2008, he remained on probation until 2018. This sparked the #FreeMeekMill movement which highlighted systemic issues when it comes down to probation.
Rap legend Jay-Z also played an integral role in getting Mill free– which happened in April 2018. After his release, the pair co-founded the REFORM Alliance organization to change laws around probation and parole.
Gucci Mane
Before one of the founders of Trap music, Gucci Mane, reached legendary status, he was largely plagued by gang activity and undiagnosed mental health issues. Things came to a head around 2011, when Gucci’s mental episodes became more shocking and more noticeable, we told you.
In 2011, the rapper famously got a tattoo of an ice cream cone on his face. At the time, many in the Black community didn’t take Gucci serious, but he said that moment was a clear “cry for help.” He eventually landed in prison in 2014.
How Keyshia Ka’Oir Saved Gucci Mane’s Life
By the time of Gucci’s 2017 release, he had become a changed man. Physically, the rapper was in the best shape of his life and behind closed doors, he admitted in his memoir that he started to take his mental health seriously.
He diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. “I was trying to do something to help people that was going through, to help challenges,” he told Forbes of his memoir’s release. “I was trying to use my story and my story with addiction and mental health, to help somebody else. That was really the concept, honestly.”
Gunna
Atlanta rapper Gunna stepped onto the rap scene as one of Young Thug’s mentees. The two men were practically inseparable as Gunna continued to build his own fanbase while still repping Thug’s “YSL label.
Then, Thug’s high profile RICO case– which Gunna was wrapped into– suddenly stopped their shine. Now instead of fighting to land on the Billboard charts, both rappers were fighting for their lives and facing decades in prison. Gunna soon took an Alfred plea, which brought him home at the end of 2022.
Starting a National Run Club
Since returning home, the “Rodeo” rapper has been faced with plenty of challenges. Not only has he been blackballed by Young Thug and his supporters, but Gunna was still mourning the deaths of close associates like Lil Keed and Takeoff.
Still, Gunna persisted, dropping multiple charting albums and singles. Now, he’s focused on his physical and mental health, which prompted the beginning of his run club.
Lil Baby
Before the world knew him as Lil Baby, the Georgia native lived a life of crime, we told you. He was sentenced to prison in 2015 after violating his probation connected to multiple drug charges. After serving two years in prison, Lil Baby came out with a vengeance.
Becoming Famous
Before going to prison, Baby already had an interest in music, spending a lot of time at the studio for Quality Control records. Once he got out of prison, he started to focus strictly on music and eventually released his first mixtape, “Perfect Time,” in 2017.
In 2017, the same year Baby was released, he solidified his life as a rising rapper in Atlanta with projects like “Perfect Timing” and “Harder Than Ever.” Even Drake featured on Lil Baby’s “Yes Indeed,” which became he breakout hit.
Now, Lil Baby is still focused on the music and giving back to his community. Records like “The Bigger Picture” spoke to systemic issues in the Black community when we needed it the most. The rapper also graduated from the “Launching New Ventures” program at Harvard University’s business school
Prodigy
Rapper Prodigy of Mobb Deep sentenced to prison back in 2007 after a gun charge. He spent three and a half years behind bars. The rapper always said being in prison changed him for good. “It made me realize the gravity, the reality of having everything taken from you. My career, my family, my freedom,” he said in a 2016 interview.
Sickle Cell and Releasing a Cookbook
Prod was always open about his battle with sickle cell, but after being released from prison, he took things to a new level. He dropped a memoir titled “My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy” in 2011 before releasing a 2016 cookbook, “Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook.” The rapper was hospitalized the following year due to sickle cell complications. He died just days later.
21 Savage
21 Savage never pretended to be anything he wasn’t. Born in the U.K., the rapper came to the States and attributed his upbringing for him eventually turning to gang life. Over the years, he’s racked up plenty of charges and corresponding jail sentences. Still, since a run-in with immigration enforcement in 2019, 21 Savage hasn’t looked back.
He was arrested by ICE for visa violations, which sparked public support and outrage. With the help of folks like Jay-Z, the Atlanta star was released nine days later.
The ‘F the Streets’ Movement
Of most of the modern rappers championing a life outside of gang activity and crime, 21 Savage is certainly at the top of the list. Over the years, the “redrum” rapper has shifted from his gun-toting, ultra-violent persona to being known in his city as a peacemaker, according to reports.
From hosting annual back to school and Christmas events for kids in Atlanta, to sparking a recent “f the streets” movement encouraging the youth to turn away from street life, 21 Savage remains a key voice in Atlanta and the greater hip-hop world.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
