21 Savage

21 Savage
21 Savage in 2023
21 Savage in 2023
Background information
Birth nameShéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph
Born (1992-10-22) 22 October 1992 (age 32)
Plaistow, London, England
OriginAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Discography21 Savage discography
Years active2013–present
Labels
Children3
Website21savage.com

Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born 22 October 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a British-born rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia.[1][2][3] Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regional acclaim. His breakout project—the collaborative extended play (EP) with record producer Metro Boomin titled Savage Mode (2016)—peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200. Its lead singles, "X" (featuring Future) and "No Heart" both peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, he saw further recognition for his guest appearance on Drake's single "Sneakin'".[4][5][6] He then signed a recording contract with Epic Records in January 2017.[7]

21 Savage's debut studio album, Issa Album (2017), peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, while its lead single, "Bank Account" peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.[8] That same year, he released the collaborative album Without Warning (2017) with Metro Boomin and fellow Georgia-based rapper Offset, and guest appeared on Post Malone's 2017 single "Rockstar", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and received two nominations—Record of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance—at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.[9][10] His second album, I Am > I Was (2018), became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "A Lot" (featuring J. Cole),[11] which won the Best Rap Song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.[12][13] The following year, he and Metro Boomin released a sequel to their breakout EP with Savage Mode II (2020), which also debuted atop the Billboard 200[14] and spawned the top ten-singles "Runnin" and "Mr. Right Now" (featuring Drake).[15] He guest appeared on Drake's 2022 single "Jimmy Cooks," which marked his first song to debut atop the Hot 100 and second to do so overall.[16] Later that year, he and Drake released the collaborative album Her Loss (2022), which saw continued success as his third project to peak the Billboard 200.[17] His third album, American Dream (2024), became his fourth consecutive chart-topping project, and did so for multiple weeks.[18]

21 Savage was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on February 3, 2019. Officials revealed his status as a British citizen who entered the U.S. in July 2005 and unlawfully overstayed an H-4 visa that expired in 2006.[19] He was granted bond on February 12 and released the next day, pending the outcome of an expedited deportation hearing,[20] which was initially scheduled for April 9, but was later postponed indefinitely,[21] with 21 Savage's lawyers stating he was legally residing in the U.S. for several years prior to the 2005 H-4 visa.[22] In 2023, 21 Savage became a lawful permanent resident of the United States and received his green card; he is eligible for citizenship in 2028.[23][24]

  1. ^ Lamarre, Carl (October 4, 2023). "21 Savage Planning International Tour After Years of Immigration Issues". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Price, Joe (October 5, 2023). "Drake Says 21 Savage Finally Got His Green Card on '8AM in Charlotte'". Complex. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  3. ^ "Rapper 21 Savage did not talk about being British for fear of US deportation". The Guardian. Associated Press. February 16, 2019. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  4. ^ Rogen, Seth (April 26, 2018). "21 Savage chops it up with Seth Rogen". Interview Magazine. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  5. ^ Daniels, Karu F. (April 23, 2019). "Sylvia Rhone named chairman and CEO of Epic Records". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Gail. "How Sylvia Rhone Became Sony Music's Most Powerful African-American Woman: 'Many Questioned My Ability'". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  7. ^ "Sylvia Rhone". Berklee College of Music. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  8. ^ C.M., Emmanuel (October 9, 2015). "The Break Presents: 21 Savage". XXL Magazine. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  9. ^ "21 Savage". Grammy Awards (official website). December 5, 2018. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  10. ^ India, Lindsey (October 16, 2017). "Post Malone's Rockstar Hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart". XXL Magazine. Archived from the original on December 10, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  11. ^ Caulfield, Keith (January 6, 2019). "21 Savage Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart With I Am > I Was". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  12. ^ "21 Savage Grammy History". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  13. ^ "J. Cole Grammy History". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  14. ^ Reed, Ryan (September 28, 2020). "21 Savage, Metro Boomin Announce Savage Mode 2 LP". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  15. ^ "21 Savage". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  16. ^ "21 Savage". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  17. ^ Caulfield, Keith (November 13, 2022). "Drake & 21 Savage's 'Her Loss' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  18. ^ Caulfield, Keith (January 21, 2024). "21 Savage Scores Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'American Dream'". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  19. ^ Levenson, Eric; Valencia, Nick (February 3, 2019). "ICE arrests rapper 21 Savage, says he's illegally present in US". CNN. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  20. ^ Valencia, Nick; Levenson, Eric (February 13, 2019). "Rapper 21 Savage will be released from ICE detention on Wednesday". CNN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  21. ^ Mitchell, Gail; Wicker, Jewel (April 11, 2019). "How 21 Savage Is Balancing Art and Activism After ICE Scare". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  22. ^ Gajanan, Mahita (February 9, 2019). "21 Savage's Immigration Case Has Mobilized the Music Community. Here's Everything to Know". Time. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  23. ^ Landrum Jr., Jonathan (October 7, 2023). "21 Savage cleared to legally travel abroad with plans of international performance in London". Associated Press News. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  24. ^ "I am a Lawful Permanent Resident of 5 Years". USCIS.gov. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.