On February 3, 2019, Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Abraham-Joseph is better known by his stage name, ‘21 Savage.’ Normally, celebrities getting into legal trouble would not be headline news. However, the circumstances of 21 Savage’s arrest are more unique than any case in recent memory.
ICE accused 21 Savage of being a British national who had overstayed his visa. According to ICE, 21 Savage had entered the country in July 2005 and his visa expired in July 2006. Apparently, he had been residing in the US illegally since then.
Before this arrest, it was widely assumed that 21 Savage was a native of Atlanta, Georgia. His music frequently relies on themes of him growing up in Atlanta and the hardships he faced. While it is true that he spent most of his childhood in Atlanta, he did not live there until he was seven years old. Before that, he had lived in the London borough of Newham.
21 Savage was convicted of felony drug charges in 2014. He has been a public figure since his first mixtape was released in 2015. He has released two albums, including 2018’s I am > I was which topped the Billboard charts for two weeks. His song “Rockstar” with fellow rapper Post Malone was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance of the Year at the Grammys and he was set to perform at the award show.
21 Savage’s situation was grim, as he was currently being detained in the Irwin County Detention Center awaiting trial or release on bond. According to The Rolling Stone, this center is one of the most brutal in the US. Numerous human rights violations have been reported, including overuse of solitary confinement. Immigration courts move slowly and he has been denied bond, so 21 Savage could have been detained for months.
Prior to his arrest, 21 Savage had applied for a U Visa in 2017. A U Visa protects victims of crimes and their families. 21 Savage, a victim of a shooting in 2013, was willing to cooperate with the federal government in efforts to prosecute those involved in the shooting.
Some have alleged that 21 Savage’s predicament may stem from his political stances. Shortly before his arrest, he performed his single titled “a lot” on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. In the performance, he criticized the family separations that had been occurring at the US border. It may seem like he was being targeted for this, but the lyrics were vague and not directly critical of ICE. It is unlikely that this was what provoked his arrest, but fans of 21 Savage are suspicious of the timing of the arrest.
News of 21 Savage’s arrest made waves in the media. His British origins inspired a plethora of internet memes such as these. It has also prompted a war of words between rappers Chris Brown and Offset. When Brown posted a meme about 21 Savage’s arrest, Offset took offense, which caused the two to threaten each other over Instagram direct messaging.
Many other rappers have offered support to 21 Savage. Rapper Jay-Z, for example, lent his attorney to 21 Savage’s legal team in order to support the imprisoned singer. At the Grammys, where 21 Savage was supposed to perform, rapper Post Malone was seen wearing a shirt with 21 Savage’s name on it as a show of support. Rapper Meek Mill also took to social media to call for 21 Savage’s release. Meek Mill has experience in the judicial system and was released from prison earlier this year after intense public pressure.
21 Savage received some positive news recently. On February 13th, he was released on bail. He remains for now, and will likely remain free for a good amount of time due to the slow-moving nature of immigration courts. Fans of his music hope that 21 Savage will be able to resolve this case one way or another and continue to make music.
