21 Savage collaborated with British rapper Giggs on his new album Zero Tolerance, and on the track he makes reference to immigration issues and what he plans to do when he finally gets his green card.
21 was born in London but moved to Atlanta when he was just seven—as was revealed when he was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in February 2019. 'By Chance' sees him shouting out where he spent the early years of his childhood. "When I get my Grreen Card, I'm goin' straight to Brixton (On God)," he raps near the end of his verse, referring to the famous south London borough.
The rapper—real name Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph—was born in Newham, London, in October 1992. But before his ICE arrest, many of his fans assumed he was born and raised in Atlanta. Assumedly he kept it secret due to fear of getting deported, but the moment still caused huge ripples in the hip-hop community.
21's immigration case with ICE is still pending, but he's able to freely move around the United States until it's resolved. Last year, the case received an update when the now four-year-long case reached a bump in the road due to a separate criminal case causing a delay. When he was detained by ICE in 2019, he allegedly tried to throw away an empty bottle of codeine, and a handgun was found in the vehicle he was riding in. He wasn't charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in DeKalb County until January 2022. The case will need to be resolved until any further developments can be made on his immigration status.
The rapper is currently on tour with frequent collaborator Drake for the It's All A Blur tour, which has attracted a slew of high-profile guests. Most recently, SZA attended a Los Angeles stop of the tour in disguise. "Lost in the bit or is the bit lost in me," she joked alongside a photo of her sporting a fake mustache on social media.
