After nine days in jail, rapper 21 Savage is finally free.
The chart-topping 26-year-old musician was released today on bond, according to a Facebook statement from the rapper’s law firm, Kuck Baxter Immigration LLC. The musician, born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was detained earlier this month by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A pending deportation hearing has not been scheduled.
“In the last 24 hours, in the wake of the Grammy Awards at which he was scheduled to attend and perform, we received notice that She’yaa was granted an expedited hearing,” the statement read. “Today, 21 Savage was granted a release on bond. He won his freedom.”
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The rapper, whose album I Am > I Was topped the Billboard album charts upon its release last year, was born in London, and immigrated to the United States when he was a child. According to a statement, he visited the U.K. In 2005, and then returned to the U.S. His legal status lapsed, the statement read, “through no fault of his own,” and claimed the rapper had taken action to resolve his citizenship prior to this month’s arrest.
21 Savage’s detainment by ICE came shortly after he performed a version of his song “A Lot” on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. That rendition included such lyrics as “I can’t imagine my kids stuck at the border/Flint still need water/People was innocent, couldn’t get lawyers.” In a statement, his representatives noted the close timing, which led to online speculation that the rapper’s arrest by ICE was connected to his performance. ICE has claimed the rapper was detained due to a 2014 felony drug case.
A fixture of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene for several years, 21 Savage became an international star thanks to solo hits like “Bank Account,” as well as his turn on Post Malone’s Grammy-nominated hit 2017 “Rockstar.” In the last week and a half, he received public support from such performers as Jay-Z (who reportedly helped with his legal aid) and noted producer Metro Boomin, who wore a “Free 21 Savage” jacket during a performance Monday night on The Tonight Show.