Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, professionally known as 21 Savage, is an Atlanta-based rapper originating from London. At the age of seven, he relocated to Atlanta with his mother. In 2015, he gained recognition with the release of two mixtapes, followed by international acclaim when he collaborated with Metro Boomin on the EP Savage Mode in 2016. The EP’s singles, “X” featuring Future and “No Heart,” achieved significant success, charting in the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. 21 Savage’s popularity further soared after being featured on Drake’s 2016 single, “Sneakin’.” In January 2017, he signed a recording contract with Epic Records.
21 Savage’s debut studio album, Issa Album, reached the second position on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, while its lead single, “Bank Account,” peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100. He then collaborated with Offset and Metro Boomin on the album Without Warning in 2017, with the song “Ric Flair Drip” reaching number 13 on the Hot 100, although it didn’t feature 21 Savage. Additionally, he featured on Post Malone’s 2017 single “Rockstar,” which achieved number one on the Hot 100 and received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance in 2019.
In 2018, 21 Savage released his second album, I Am > I Was, which became his first album to top the U.S. charts. The album included the hit song “A Lot” featuring J. Cole, which won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song in 2020. The highly anticipated Savage Mode II, a sequel collaboration with Metro Boomin, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 2020. The album spawned the U.S. top 10 singles “Runnin” and “Mr. Right Now” featuring Drake.
In 2022, 21 Savage was featured on Drake’s track “Jimmy Cooks” from the album Honestly, Nevermind, which debuted at number one on the Hot 100. This marked 21 Savage’s second number-one hit and his first number-one debut on the chart.