21 Savage

Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age twelve. He became known after releasing two mixtapes in 2015, before attaining international attention with the release of the collaborative EP *Savage Mode* (2016) with Metro Boomin; its singles "X" (featuring Future) and "No Heart" peaked within the top 40 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and 21 Savage's profile also later increased with a guest feature on Drake's 2016 single "Sneakin'". He then signed a recording contract with Epic Records in January 2017.

21 Savage's debut studio album, *Issa Album* (2017), peaked at number two on the U.S. *Billboard* 200 and its lead single "Bank Account" reached number 12 on the Hot 100. He then released the collaborative album *Without Warning* (2017) with Offset. 21 Savage featured on Post Malone's 2017 single "Rockstar", which reached number one on the Hot 100 and nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 2019 Grammy Awards. His second album, *I Am > I Was* (2018), became his first U.S. number one album and spawned the hit song "A Lot" (featuring J. Cole), which won Best Rap Song at the 2020 Grammy Awards. 21 Savage's highly anticipated *Savage Mode II* (2020), a sequel collaboration with Metro Boomin to their 2016 EP, debuted atop the *Billboard* 200, and spawned the U.S. top 10 singles "Runnin" and "Mr. Right Now" (featuring Drake). In 2022, 21 Savage was featured on Drake's song "Jimmy Cooks" from his album *Honestly, Nevermind*, where it debuted at number one on the Hot 100, making it 21 Savage's second number one on the chart and his first number-one debut. Later that year, he and Drake released their colloraborative album *Her Loss* (2022), which also debuted atop the *Billboard* 200.

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 a H-4 visa that expired in 2006. He was granted bond on February 12 and released the next day, pending the outcome of an expedited deportation hearing, which was initially scheduled for April 9, but was later postponed indefinitely, with 21 Savage's lawyers stating he was legally residing in the U.S. for several years prior to the 2005 H-4 visa.

### Early Life

Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph was born on October 22, 1992, at Newham University Hospital in the Plaistow area of London, the son of Heather Carmillia Joseph and Kevin Cornelius Emmons. His parents are both British nationals with Caribbean origins; his mother's family is from Dominica, and his father's is from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while his paternal grandfather was Haitian. His father and twin sisters, dance choreographers Kyra and Jayda Davis, continue to live in London, where his father works for Westminster City Council.

Abraham-Joseph's parents separated early in his life, and he moved at age seven with his mother to Atlanta, Georgia. In June 2005, at the age of 12, he returned to the United Kingdom for his uncle's funeral, stayed for a month, and then went back to Atlanta on an H-4 visa on July 22, 2005, which allegedly expired a year later. Abraham-Joseph's mother then began a relationship with Dr. Amsu Anpu, an endocrinologist and British expatriate, with whom she had more children. He had a brother Quantivayus ("Tay-Man") who died in a shooting after an attempted drug deal.

In seventh grade, Abraham-Joseph was banned permanently from every school in DeKalb County School District for gun possession. This led him to begin attending schools around the Atlanta metropolitan area before being sent to a juvenile detention center. After being released from the juvenile detention center, he completed eighth grade through an alternative program before finishing a semester of high school, but dropped out in his freshman year following multiple exclusions that he said "exhausted" him. After dropping out, he joined a local street gang affiliated with the wider Bloods gang and became a full-time drug dealer, mainly selling cannabis. He also regularly took part in other criminal activities including robbery and car theft, although he was only arrested once after contraband was found in a car he was driving. In 2011, when he was 19, his "right-hand man" Larry was killed in a shootout. In 2013, during an attempted robbery on his 21st birthday, Abraham-Joseph was shot six times by rival gang members and his best friend Johnny was killed.