21 Savage (Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph), born October 22, 1992, in London and raised in Atlanta, is a Grammy-winning rapper known for pioneering modern Atlanta trap with hits like "Bank Account" and "Savage Mode".
After a troubled youth and surviving a 2013 shooting, he rose to fame in 2015, signing with Epic Records and becoming a major voice in hip-hop.
Early life
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph was born on October 22, 1992 at Newham University Hospital in Plaistow, London, to British parents Heather Carmillia Joseph and Kevin Cornelius Emmons.
His family is of Caribbean descent; his mother's family is from Dominica, and his father's is from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while his paternal grandfather was Haitian.
Abraham-Joseph considers himself African-American.[30] 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 age 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.
He had a brother, Quantivayus ("Tay-Man"), who died in a shooting after an attempted drug deal
In seventh grade at Stone Mountain Middle School, Abraham-Joseph was placed on probation for gun possession.
Following a probation violation in eighth grade, he was expelled from the DeKalb County School District.
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.
Career in the start
Following the death of his friend in a shootout on his 21st birthday, 21 Savage began rapping.
His music career was originally subsidized by his deceased friend's uncle, who gave him money for studio time in 2013.
On March 1, 2013, 21 Savage's debut single, "I Can't Get Enough" was released.
His debut mixtape, The Slaughter Tape, which was released on May 25, 2015.
The release made him what Interview Magazine called an "underground hero in Atlanta".
On July 2, 2015, 21 Savage released a collaborative EP, Free Guwop, with Sonny Digital.
It is a tribute EP to fellow rapper and influence Gucci Mane. On December 1, 2015, 21 Savage released his second mixtape, Slaughter King.
Philanthropy
In early August 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, 21 Savage hosted the "Issa Back to School Drive" (named after his album Issa Album) in his home neighborhood in Atlanta.
The drive gave free haircuts, hairstyles, supplies, and school uniforms.
In March 2018, 21 Savage announced the creation of the 21 Savage Bank Account Campaign (named after his hit song "Bank Account") on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he also announced that he was donating $21,000 to the cause. He stated, "I started the 21 Savage Bank Account Campaign and it's to help kids learn how to save money and make money, and open bank accounts for kids."
Four months later, he donated $10,000 to Atlanta's Continental Colony Elementary School to fund an anti-bullying campaign.
On July 1, 2020, 21 Savage announced he was launching a free online financial literacy education program for kids and teenagers stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "I feel like it's important more than ever to give our next generation the tools to succeed in life."
The program includes a partnership with Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to provide free tablets and WiFi to underserved students in Atlanta.
Personal life
21 Savage and his mother are both adherents of the traditional West African religion Ifá.
In June 2017, he started dating model Amber Rose, but had separated in May 2018.
In October 2017, he began taking flying lessons in a Cirrus SR20 single-engine aircraft.
In 2018, 21 Savage reportedly started a movement called "Guns Down, Paintballs Up" which was intended to reduce gun violence by suggesting the use of paintball guns instead of lethal firearms.
The head of the Detroit Police Department, James Craig, described the movement as "well-intentioned, however, misguided", after several incidents involving paintball guns later resulted in injuries, disorderly conduct involving large groups of people with paintball guns, property vandalism (e.g., of police vehicles), violent reprisals, and the mistaking of paintball guns for firearms.
The movement has been linked to several cases of property crime and homicide.
21 Savage has not commented on the matter, although he paid for the funeral of a 3-year-old who was killed in a related incident.
"ASMR", a song from 21 Savage's second studio album I Am > I Was, caused some controversy with its lyrics.
The lyrics included the line, "We been gettin' that Jewish money, everything is kosher."
The lyrics came under fire for perpetuating negative Jewish stereotypes when LeBron James shared an Instagram story quoting the track.
21 Savage later apologized, saying on Twitter, "The Jewish people I know are very wise with there money so that's why I said we been gettin' Jewish money.
I never thought anyone would take offense, I'm sorry if I offended everybody, never my intention – I love all people with all my heart."
In November 2020, 21 Savage's half brother, Terrell Davis ("TM1Way"), was stabbed to death in Lambeth, London.
In September 2025, Latto confirmed her relationship with 21 Savage, after rumors of them being romantically linked.
