I had just watched 21 Savage’s video ‘a lot’ featuring J. Cole a couple hours earlier and knew I wanted to do a quick post about it.

The video has the dope ass ‘phantom’ J Cole verse. It’s directed by Aisultan Seitov and the backdrop in the video is a nice ass mansion that I believe is the same mansion in Atlanta’s Juneteenth episode from season 1. The sample by The Fuzz’s 1971 ballad “I Love You For All Seasons”, which is a lovely song but the way the sample is used in ‘a lot’ gives it a somber tone. To my ear, the sample is positioned to sound like male falsetto even though the singers of the sample are female.

As I got ready to create the post, I went to get the url for the video and then saw 21 Savage had be arrested and detained by ICE…because 21 Savage is technically from the U.K.

21 Savage was picked up by ICE Sunday. He apparently entered the U.S. legally in 2005 at the age of 12 but his visa expired the following year and he is now here illegally. He reportedly is being held for removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts. The issue is compounded because 21 Savage is also a convicted felon due to a drug conviction in 2014.  

His attorney, Dina LaPolt, tells TMZ;

 “We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding. Mr. Abraham-Joseph is a role model to the young people in the country — especially in Atlanta, Georgia and is actively working in the community leading programs to help underprivileged youths in financial literacy.”

ICE states 21 Savage’s (whose real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) is a U.K. national who is unlawfully in the country and has been since 2006 when his visa expired. Some reports he came to the States a year earlier at the age of 12 from the Caribbean island of Dominica.

The timing is just a bit fucked up coming on the heels of his fantastic video release and during Super Bowl week end.  The young man has endured a lot in his short life span so this is just another obstacle I’m sure he will overcome.

Check out the beautiful video below.

UPDATED as of 2/6/2019…

According to 21 Savage’s legal team; ICE misled the press with “conjecture and misinformation” in connection with their client’s arrest. The official statement reads:

There has been a great deal of misreporting in the case of She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known professionally as 21 Savage. Conjecture and misinformation help no one make good decisions and leads to false conclusions.

Here are the facts:

Mr. Abraham-Joseph was born in the United Kingdom. Mr. Abraham-Joseph arrived legally in the United states at the age of 7. He remained in the United States until 2005, when he departed for approximately one month to visit the United Kingdom. He returned to the United States under a valid H-4 visa on July 22, 2005. Mr. Abraham-Joseph has been continuously physically present in the United States for almost 20 years, except for a brief visit abroad. Unfortunately, in 2006 Mr. Abraham-Joseph’s legal status expired through no fault of his own.

Mr. Abraham-Joseph, like almost two million of his immigrant child peers, was left without immigration status as a young child with no way to fix his immigration status. These “Dreamers” come from all walks of life and every ethnicity.

Mr. Abraham-Joseph has no criminal convictions or charges under state or federal law and is free to seek relief from removal in immigration court. ICE provided incorrect information to the press when it claimed he had a criminal conviction.

Mr. Abraham-Joseph has three US Citizen children, a lawful permanent resident mother and four siblings that are either US Citizens or lawful permanent residents. He has exceptionally strong ties in the United States, having lived here since he was in the first grade. Because of his length of residence in the United States and his immediate relatives, Mr. Abraham-Joseph is eligible to seek Cancellation of Removal from an Immigration Judge.

Mr. Abraham-Joseph was placed into deportation proceedings AFTER his arrest, he was not in deportation proceedings prior to this detention by ICE. DHS has known his address since the filing of a U visa application in 2017. He has never hidden from DHS or any of its agencies.

Mr. Abraham-Joseph is not subject to mandatory detention under federal law and is eligible for bond. By statute, bond should be granted by ICE when there is no flight risk or a danger to the community. ICE has the ability to set a bond and conditions of release on cases exactly like this. ICE routinely grants bond to individuals in Mr. Abraham-Joseph’s circumstances, specifically individuals who have overstayed a prior valid visa and have relief from deportation under federal law. There is no chance that Mr. Abraham-Joseph is a flight risk. Mr. Abraham-Joseph is not a “danger” to the community as his acts of philanthropy and good will, as well as his music, continue to improve the communities from which he comes.

Mr. Abraham-Joseph has a pending U visa application with the USCIS. This U visa was filed as a result of being the victim of a deadly shooting in 2013. That visa was filed in 2017 and remains pending. When granted, the U visa will afford him lawful status in the United States. Generally, ICE has recognized a pending facially valid U visa as a basis to delay removal proceedings and release individuals from custody.

There continues to be no legal reason to detain Mr. Abraham-Joseph for a civil law violation that occurred when he was a minor, especially when people in his exact situation are routinely released by ICE. Many have speculated as to possible ulterior motives for his arrest and detention, including that he released music five days prior to his arrest by ICE, which included new lyrics condemning the behavior of immigration officials for their detention of children at the border. We are unaware of why ICE apparently targeted Mr. Abraham-Joseph, but we will do everything possible to legally seek his release and pursue his available relief in immigration court.