21 Savage Artistfacts

October 22, 1992
21 Savage wasn't a student of rap and came late to it, teaming up with his friend Metro Boomin in 2014 to make some mixtapes. His unorthodox flows synched with Metro's beats, and their 2016 EP Savage Mode got the attention of heavy-hitters like Travis Scott and Drake, who brought him on for features. He had a big breakthrough guesting on Post Malone's "Rockstar," a #1 hit in 2017.
In 2019 he was arrested by immigration officials and detained for nine days. This is when we learned he was born in England and wasn't a US citizen. He moved with his mother to Atlanta when he was 7, and had been living as an undocumented immigrant since 2006, when his visa expired. In 2023, he was finally granted residency, which meant he could leave the country for the first time. His first performance outside the US was on October 7, 2023 when he joined Drake on stage at his show in Toronto.
Born Shéyaa Abraham-Joseph, his stage name comes from a street gang in Decatur, Georgia he was associated with called the 2100. The violence and crime of his teenage years often show up in his lyrics, but he insists he's just telling stories.
The dagger tattoo on his forehead commemorates his brother Quantivayus, who was killed in 2014 in what was reported to be a botched drug deal. Another brother, Terrell, was stabbed to death in 2020.
21 Savage is the oldest of 10 children.
On his 21st birthday (October 22, 2013), he was shot six times while driving with his good friend Johnny. Savage says two men started shooting at them, with one entering the back seat and the other outside the vehicle. Johnny was killed but Savage was able to call 911 and get to a hospital.
He has lots of allies in the rap game, but his most famous and insistent proponent is Drake, who in 2016 called Savage a "king with all the juice right now" on Instagram. In 2022 they released a collaborative album called Her Loss that went to #1 in America.
On April 17, 2024, Time announced its annual list of the world's most influential people. 21 Savage was the only rapper to make the cut.

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