21 Savage

"Young Savage, why you trappin' so hard? Why these niggas cappin' so hard? Why you got a 12 car garage? Why you pullin' all these rappers' cards? ' Cause these niggas pussy and I'm hard I turn that fuckin' soft into some hard I grew up in the streets without no heart I'm prayin' to my Glock and my carbon"

- 21 Savage, "No Heart"

Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a British-American rapper known for his harsh lyrics and delivery. He gained popularity with his 2016 EP Savage Mode with producer Metro Boomin and was part of the "Freshman Class" of 2016 by XXL.

Before making music, 21 Savage used to in a gang of Bloods and committed many crimes. In 2013, on his 21st birthday, he was shot six times and his best friend was killed during an attempted robbery. His rapper name alludes in part to that event.

Albums
 * Issa Album (2017)
 * Without Warning (2017, with Offset and Metro Boomin)
 * I Am > I Was (2018)

Mixtapes
 * The Slaughter Tape (2015)
 * Slaughter King (2015)

EPs
 * Free Guwop (2015, with Sonny Digital)
 * Savage Mode (2016, with Metro Boomin)

"They like, "Savage, why you got a twelve car garage And you only got six cars?""
 * Continuity Nod:
 * In "rockstar" by Post Malone, 21 Savage makes a reference to a line from "No Heart":


 * In his verse on "Cocky" (a track with A$AP Rocky and Gucci Mane), he makes a reference to "Bank Account":

""I got so many M's in my bank account, I can't even count 'em""

""Way out in the hills, I just sign the deal I ain't take no advance, so you know that split was real""
 * Double Meaning: In "No Heart", the word "read" in "I sit back and read like Cat in the Hat" also means analyzing his enemies.
 * Memetic Mutation: In 2016, during an interview with VladTV, his response to a question about his face tattoo ("Issa knife") went viral on the Internet. 21 Savage was confused at first, but went along with the meme, even naming his first album after it.
 * Reality Subtext:
 * "No Advance", from the self-released EP Savage Mode, has the line "Independent, I don't need no advance".
 * In his verse on "Cocky", 21 Savage raps:


 * On January 18th, 2017, 21 Savage signed a deal with Epic Records.

""I sit back and read like Cat in the Hat 21 Savage, the cat with the MAC 21 Savage not Boyz N the Hood But I pull up on you, shoot your ass in the back Stuart Little, heard these niggas some rats Pockets full of cheese, bitch I got racks" [...] "You was with your friends playin' Nintendo I was playin' 'round with that fire" [...] "Ninth grade I was knocking niggas out Nigga like Holyfield" [...] I'ma "at" your favorite rapper, shoot him like I'm John Dill'"
 * Shout-Out:
 * In "No Heart":


 * In "Bank Account", he makes a reference to a dance from "Right Thurr" by Chingy:

"Draco make you do the chicken head like Chingy (Chingy)"


 * Also in "Bank Account":

"Dunk right in your bitch like O'Neal, dog (wet) I shoot like, shoot like Reggie Mill', dog (21)"


 * Also in "Bank Account", he makes a reference to the film Shottas:

"Bitch, I'm Mad Max, you know I got Ziggy with me"

""I'm just speaking on my life. What I see, What I go through. My past issues, my current issues. So now it's like, "Dang he got a Bentley truck." You gon' hear me say I got a Bentley truck. "He got a Ferrari." You gon' hear me say that I bought a Ferrari. "His partner just died," you gon' hear it. It's just me. It's what I'm going through. What I've been through.""
 * Write What You Know: In a IRL web episode where he was shown how to make a knife, 21 Savage, when asked about his messages in his lyrics, said: