21 Savage

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.