21 Savage Detained By ICE For Allegedly Overstaying Visa

21 Savage was arrested yesterday morning (February 3) by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for allegedly being In the
U.S. Illegally. Though he's long been regarding Atlanta, the hip-hop hub that spurred his career and growth, ICE claims that the rapper, whose real name is Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, is actually a U.K. Citizen and has overstayed his visa for more than decade.


In a "targeted operation," a term used by ICE spokesman Bryan Cox in a statement, 21 Savage was arrested and also fellow Atlanta rapper, his cousin Young Nudy, and two other boys early Sunday morning. Right after police officers ran Savage's name by way of the system (Young Nudy and the two other individuals were apparently the intent of the operation), he was handed over to ICE soon following the returned data revealed that his visa expired in 2006.


It's interesting to note that 21 Savage has toured extensively and has although to hit any public red flags like this before. His recent performance of "A Lot" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon featured changed lyrics that touched on the absurdity of immigration protocols in the country: "Been through some things nevertheless I can't imagine my kids stuck at the border / Flint still need water / People was innocent, couldn't get lawyers." The show aired just last week.


21 Savage amassed a fanbase with his chilling street raps about Atlanta's harshest neighborhoods, however that wasn't the only story that he was telling. For the last three years, the rapper has hosted a children's event called "Issa Back to School Drive" each August. Last March, he reported an educational effort for children's financial literacy called 21 Savage Bank Account Campaign, named right after his debut studio album Issa Album single, "Bank Account." Last July, he donated $10,000 to fund an anti-bullying campaign to Atlanta's Continental Colony Elementary School. His new album, I Am > I Was, which dropped in December, preached growth and becoming a higher end person.