21 Savage is speaking out about his infamous 2019 arrest after U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the rapper — a U.K. citizen — for overstaying his visa by 13 years. The Bank Account hitmaker recently sat down for a candid interview with Math Hoffa, revealing how fellow rap artists Meek Mill and Jay-Z contributed to his release after Hova hired a lawyer to assist the case.
“They detained me because they said I had a felony conviction, but the felony conviction got dismissed,” 21 Savage, whose real name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, said. “And I called Meek while I was in jail and told Meek, ‘Bro, I just got locked up.’ He called Jay-Z, and Jay-Z put a lawyer on my case. He played a role in getting me out. He ain’t just doing that s**t for anybody.”
Following the arrest of 21 Savage, Jay-Z released a statement saying the drastic measures ICE had taken to detain the 29-year-old were an absolute travesty. “His U-visa petition has been pending for four years,” he expressed through his entertainment company Roc Nation. “In addition to being a successful recording artist, 21 deserves to be reunited with his children immediately. #Free21Savage.”
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21 Savage’s representatives later confirmed that their client was indeed born in London, with his visa expiring in 2006 “through no fault of his own.” He had started the process of applying for a new visa in 2017 after realizing he required one with ICE aware of his whereabouts and his actual home address.
Fans were puzzled by the news of his arrest because 21 Savage claimed he was born in Atlanta and had long been considered a local U.S. act, having achieved worldwide success with his rap career, which he established while in America.
According to the Atlantic Journal Constitution, ICE said that the award-winning artist had arrived in the U.S. as a teenager on a one-year visa in July 2005. After the expiration date, he did not go ahead and renew his visa, which subsequently led to police arresting him in 2019.
“His whole public persona is false. He actually came to the U.S. from the U.K. as a teen and overstayed his visa,” ICE spokesperson Brian Cox said. “[He] failed to depart under the terms of his nonimmigrant visa, and he became unlawfully present in the U.S. when his visa expired.”
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“Mr Abraham-Joseph was taken into ICE custody as he is unlawfully present in the U.S. and also a convicted felon,’ referring to a felony drug charge from 2014 in Fulton County.”
The three-year immigration case is still ongoing.