16 Interesting Things You Need to Know About 21 Savage

We list some interesting things to know about 21 Savage. Most of his fans know him through his music which often features violent and criminal themes of his past, including murder and drug dealing. Be that as it may, 21 Savage has come a long way since he first broke out with his Slaughter Tape and Slaughter King mixtapes in 2015. Since then, he’s become an international star.

16 Things You Need to Know About 21 Savage

1. His real name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph

21 Savage’s real name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, a rapper whose based in Atlanta, Georgia. The artist has collaborated with lots of established artists including Drake, J. Cole, Gucci Mane, Post Malone, Cardi B, Future, and among many others. His style of music consistently features deadpan delivery that never betrays any hesitation or doubt, accompanied with lyrics of straight up violence and street life.

2. He was born in London, but moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven

21 Savage was born on October 22, 1992, at Newham University Hospital in the Plaistow area of London. 21 Savage’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. The Atlanta rapper talked about life in the UK and moving across the pond. “I come from the poor side of London,” he said. “My grandma house is real skinny. So when we first moved here, we was living in the hood still, but it was, like, way bigger. The toilet size, the bathroom size, it was just different. But I fell in love with it. It’s all I know.”

3. 21 Savage was arrested by ICE over his status as a British citizen

21 Savage was arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who claimed his visa expired in 2006, a year after he arrived in the States with his mother after she split from her ex-husband. The Atlanta rapper was arrested whilst driving in a car with his cousin and fellow hip-hop artist Young Nudy. ICE’s allegation that 21 Savage is British came as a shock to the artist’s fans, as his known for hyping ATL and its music scene. He has said the “21” in his name is a reference to a street gang in Decatur, and his songs often refer to his past in East Atlanta’s Zone 6. In “Bank Account”, for example, he raps that he is “straight up out the 6.”

4. His parents are both British nationals with Caribbean origins

21 Savage is 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. The Caribbean is well known as a melting pot of cultures with influences from European colonizers, the native community who lived there before colonization, and the waves of immigration. The Caribbean is also the birthplace of many popular types of music that have spread throughout the world. Although many people only associate Caribbean music with reggae (the unofficial soundtrack of many Caribbean vacations) there are many other genres of music that originated in the region.

5. He became famous with his collaborative EP Savage Mode with Metro Boomin

21 Savage became famous when he released his Savage Mode EP. It features the hit singles “No Heart” and “X” featuring Future. On Savage Mode, Metro and 21 make a perfect pair, showcasing a dark underworld of the city through Metro’s bleak sonics and 21’s deadpan delivery. The EP received acclaim from critics, with Rolling Stone including it in its list of the 40 Best Rap Albums of 2016. Pitchfork called the project 21 Savage’s “strongest and bleakest work” and praised the “brooding, eerie production” by Metro Boomin.

6. 21 Savage once dated model Amber Rose

21 Savage was romantically linked with Amber Rose. However, Amber Rose and 21 Savage split after nearly two years of dating. Amber Rose and 21 Savage were a fan-favorite couple back when they were together. At the time, she had been a popular hip hop model and he was a fast-rising rapper from Atlanta. The pair shared the kind of vibe that seemed like it could last forever. Amber Rose previously dated Kanye West, and has a son called Sebastian with ex-husband Wiz Khalifa.

7. He got a co-sign with Drake on the hit single “Sneakin'”

At a time when 21 savage was making a name for himself, OVO rapper Drake gave 21 a co-sign by including him on the viral single “Sneakin’“. The song helped 21 Savage gain more recognition among his peers. Directed by Uzi, the home-movie style music video shows us a few of Drake’s favorite things: fur coats, bling rings, gold chains, flashy cars, plastic foam cups filled to the brim with liquor, and beautiful women twerking.

8. He’s brother Quantivayus (“Tayman”) died in a shooting after an attempted drug deal

21’s younger brother Quantivayus “Tayman” Joseph was shot during a drug deal, he revealed in a past cover story with Fader. He honored his brother by getting a dagger tattoo between his eyes. He and his younger brother originally wanted to get matching “Scarface” tattoos between their thumb and index finger, but according to 21 Savage, Quantivayus did his own thing and got the dagger on his face. The rapper’s brother was eventually shot and killed.

9. He collaborated with Offset and Metro Boomin, on the hit song “Ric Flair Drip”

“Rick Flair Drip” is a song off the collaboration album between 21 Savage, Migos’ Offset and popular hip hop producer Metro Boomin. Over the years, there’s been countless songs that pay homage or reference Flair, but nothing came close to a whole song dedicated to the Nature Boy and then having him make an appearance in the video. Ric Flair is one of the biggest icons in the history of professional wrestling. Flair is also a 16-time world champion and has established his place in the WWE Hall of Fame.

10. He got his stage name when on his 21st birthday his best friend was killed

21 Savage told Rap Radar that “21” is in honor of the 2100 Street Gang in Atlanta that he was affiliated with. In another interview he explained that “Savage come from me. Just being a savage.” 21 was himself shot six times on his 21st birthday while in a car with one of his best friends, Johnny, who didn’t survive the shooting. He told FADER magazine that he thought he was going to die at the time. “A whole lot of blood loss,” he recalled. “But I guess they say your adrenaline be rushing. So you don’t really feel it, when it’s going on.”

11. 21 Savage got his first No. 1 Billboard record on Post Malone’s 2017 single “Rockstar”

“Rockstar” is a song by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage. It was released on September 15, 2017. The song debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow.” The song then climbed to the top spot, becoming the fifth No. 1 rap song of 2017 after “Bodak Yellow,” Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.,” DJ Khaled and gang’s “I’m the One,” Migos and Lil Uzi Vert’s “Bad and Boujee.”

Post Malone told Billboard the story of the song: “I was in New York, and we were at Quad Studios. Some kid came in, and I guess he was in the session next door and he was like, ‘Hey? Can I play you some beats?’ I’m like, ‘I guess so.’ You know, I’m a nice guy, I like music. I’ll listen to your beats. He played the beat and it was incredible. His name is Tank. He’s a really young guy, and a really talented producer. So we did that, and Joey Bada$$ was in there. We were just vibing on it and the melody was sick. We just cut like a little scratch vocal and we took it back to LA. I finished my part and sent it off to Savage – and there it is.”

12. 21 Savage’s half brother, Terrell Davis (“TM1Way”), was stabbed to death

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21 Savage’s half-brother Terrell Davis was stabbed to death in 2020 at the age of 27. According to The Daily Mail, Davis was stabbed in London, England. Davis — who is also known by his stage name, TM1way — had been taking some shopping to his grandmother when he got into an argument with his friend, who suddenly lunged forward and stabbed him, a family source said. The killer, Tyrece Fuller, knifed 27-year-old Davis with a Rambo-style blade. Paramedics and an air ambulance crew attended but Mr Davis, from Lambeth, died at the scene. Fuller has been jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of manslaughter during a trial.

13. His second album, I Am > I Was, became his first U.S. No. 1 album

I Am > I Was (read as “I am greater than I was”) is 21 Savage’s sophomore project that became his first No. 1 album atop the US Billboard 200. It did 131,000 album-equivalent units, of which 18,000 were pure sales. The album, which contains 14 tracks, features appearances from J. Cole, Childish Gambino, Lil Baby, Gunna, Project Pat, ScHoolboy Q, and more. On the production side, the album features Metro Boomin, Southside, DJ Dahi, Wheezy, Cardo, and more. Paul A. Thompson from Pitchfork stated, “I Am > I Was shatters the notion of 21 Savage as a specialist with a narrow purview and audience, and recasts him as a star in waiting, all without forcing him into unflattering contortions. It also cements him as a far more original stylist than other hopefuls from Atlanta”.

14. He was named part of the “Freshman Class” of 2016 by XXL

The 2016 XXL Freshman Class could be considered as one of the greatest in the XXL magazine’s history. It featured 21 Savage himself, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Kodak Black, Denzel Curry, Anderson .Paak, Lil Dicky, Desiigner, G Herbo, and Dave East. Furthermore, 21 Savage was also confident that none of his peers can compete with him. During a Clubhouse conversation, the ATL rapper declared he’s the man to beat in a Verzuz and expressed that nobody from his 2016 XXL Freshman class could come close. XXL is well known for its XXL Annual Freshman List, which has been released since 2007 (skipping 2008). The issue features the top ten picks of upcoming artists to watch out for, who are featured on the cover.

15. 21 Savage won his first Grammy award for the song “A Lot” featuring J. Cole

On January 26th, 2020, 21 Savage won the Grammy for Best Rap Song for his single “A Lot” featuring J.Cole. The song is about 21 Savage rapping about having “a lot” of blessings and curses in his life. Savage also reflects on his tumultuous upbringing, his dangerous lifestyle, and the pain and loss he has suffered. The banger was written and recorded during a session in Atlanta in 2018 that was put together by Spotify’s songwriter relations team, bringing together 21 and both established and up-and-coming producers. J. Cole also gave a shout out to 21 Savage while performing “a Lot” earlier in 2022 at the Dreamville festival, saying : “The only Grammy I ever won was ’cause of this N***a’.

He also released his song “Runnin” in October 2nd of 2020 in which the video shows 21 bringing the Grammy he won back to his hometown to share it with the people of the community. The video comes across more celebratory, as 21 shows off his golden gramophone to local residents of the streets he used to run before attaining his rap stardom.

16. His musically influenced by Gucci Mane

21 Savage isn’t afraid to give rap legends their flowers. He’s music career has been particularly influenced by Gucci Mane. The prolific East Atlanta rapper and 1017 label head is known for his distinctive delivery and post-incarceration career renaissance. 21 Savage even released a collaborative mixtape, Free Guwop, with Sonny Digital in 2015, which was a tribute mixtape to Gucci Mane who was still in prison at the time. The project hosts some of Savage’s earliest hits, such as “Red Opps” and “One Foot.”

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