Rapper 21 Savage Arrested by ICE Agents in Atlanta, May Be Deported
Itay Hod
Rapper 21 Savage was arrested in Atlanta on Sunday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sunday.
His attorney, Dina LaPolt, told TheWrap she’s working “diligently” to get the rapper, whose real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, out of detention while she cleared up any “misunderstanding.” She would not comment any further.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. A spokesperson for the agency, Bryan Cox, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the rapper was arrested in a “targeted operation” in metro Atlanta.
“Mr. Abraham-Joseph is presently in ICE custody in Georgia and has been placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts,” ICE said in a statement. “ICE will now await the outcome of his case before a federal immigration judge to determine future actions.”
ICE said the rapper is a citizen of the United Kingdom and entered the country legally in July 2005, when he was a minor, and did not return to England when his visa expired.
The agency also said the rapper had been convicted of felony drug charges in 2014 in Fulton County.
21 Savage features on the song “Rockstar” by Post Malone, which was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rap Performance at the Grammys.
ICE’s statement that Abraham-Joseph is British came as a surprise to many of his fans, as he’d long been associated with the Atlanta music scenec. He’s said in interviews that his name “21” is a reference to a street gang in Decatur, a city northeast of Atlanta.
The rapper is nominated for two Grammy Awards this year for his work as a featured artist on Post Malone’s song “Rockstar.”
He released his debut, “The Slaughter Tape” mixtape, in 2015 and signed with Epic Records. His most recent album, “I Am > I Was,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde react to the huge performance this weekend by Texas QB Arch Manning, Michigan and Notre Dame's spring games, Jaden Rashada entering the transfer portal, and more
Trump is entitled to an additional 36 million shares if the company's share price trades above $17.50 "for twenty out of any thirty trading days" over the next three years.
Our final 2024 mock draft projects four quarterbacks in the first five picks, but the Cardinals at No. 4 might represent the key pivot point of the entire board.
Oakland University outfielders John Lauinger and Reggie Bussey combined on what could be college baseball's best catch of the 2024 season against Northern Kentucky.
The reading of first quarter economic growth comes at a crucial time as investors digest the potential impacts of the Fed holding interest rates higher for longer.
Vincent Goodwill and Amin Elhassan react to (just about) every Round 1 game of the NBA Playoffs after the first games have been played over the weekend.