Unflinching yet offhanded rapper
21 Savage left street life behind to establish a career that has rapidly progressed with a string of hit singles as a headliner and featured artist, the RIAA-certified gold full-lengths
Savage Mode (2016),
Issa Album (2017), and I Am > I Was (2018), and a clutch of Grammy Awards.
Savage Mode II, his 2020 collaborative LP with
Metro Boomin, topped the Billboard 200 and was a hit around the globe.
The Atlanta-based artist, born
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, turned to rap following a pivotal incident on his 21st birthday that resulted in several gunshot wounds and the death of his best friend. He made his debut the following year, in 2014, with the DJ Plugg-produced "Picky." A pair of mixtapes and Free Guwop, an EP executive-produced by
Sonny Digital, were released in 2015, priming
21 for mainstream infiltration. During the latter half of 2016,
21 was a constant presence on the upper reaches of the Billboard charts with a wave of collaborative and headlining singles, including "X" (featuring
Future), "No Heart," and
Drake's "Sneakin'." The first two of those tracks highlighted
Savage Mode, a set on which
21 and producer
Metro Boomin were co-billed. In 2017, shortly after
Savage Mode was certified gold by the RIAA,
21 released his proper debut full-length for major-label Epic,
Issa Album, the source of the number 12 Hot 100 hit "Bank Account." Only a few months later, he and
Offset issued
Without Warning, his second consecutive release to hit the Top Five of the Billboard 200.
Between headlining releases, additional success for
21 came as a featured artist on
Post Malone's "Rockstar" -- Grammy-nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance -- and
Cardi B's "Bartier Cardi." A handful of other guest verses, along with contributions to the soundtracks of
Uncle Drew and Superfly, followed in 2018. Near the end of the year, he released I Am > I Was, which entered the Billboard 200 at number one, supported by "A Lot," another single that peaked at number 12. Grammy nominations for Rap Album of the Year and Best Rap Song followed shortly thereafter, with "A Lot" winning Best Rap Song.
21 and
Metro Boomin's sequel to
Savage Mode arrived in 2020. Narrated in its entirety by actor
Morgan Freeman,
Savage Mode II retained the gothic mood of its predecessor and added new twists along the way. The set entered the Billboard 200 at number one. 2021 brought the EP
Spiral: From the Book of Saw, a short soundtrack accompaniment to the ninth film in the Saw horror series that featured appearances by
Young Nudy,
Young Thug, and
Gunna. ~ Andy Kellman