A while ago, it came out that American (we thought) rapper 21 Savage wasn’t American after all, but … British? It’s true! Sheyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (21 Savage) was born in London, England though he came to America before he was ten years old. More on that later.

When Savage got sent back to England, hundreds of memes popped up on the internet – but his fans didn’t lose faith. After figuring out his visa situation, Savage is making the music we love again, not a minute too soon.

Early Life

We’ve already touched on the fact that 21 Savage was born in London – so why was he considered an American rapper for so long? He and his family moved to Atlanta, GA, when he was just seven. That means he’s spent more than twenty years of his life on US soil.

Most of his formative years and memories were formed in the US, so if he wants to call himself an American, that’s cool with us. Savage’s time in the US wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. He lost his little brother, Tay Man, to gun violence in his teenage years. Further still, Savage was shot six times on his 21st birthday in 2013, which turned his path from running the streets to music. We’re glad he turned to the safer option.

Savagely Successful

While it was his accident in 2013 that turned him to music, it took some time for him to get successful. His first big track came out in 2015 and was called “Keep It 21,000”. He followed that with three different EP, then a mixtape, Savage Mode, with Metro Boomin in 2016. He didn’t really blow up, though, until his song “Sneakin” that featured Drake came out. The very next year, Savage signed with Epic Records and debuted his first official album soon after.