21 Savage

21 Savage has four children. He has two sons with Keyanna Joseph, a daughter from another relationship, and a child with rapper Latto, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2025.

He and his mother are adherents of Ifá, a traditional West African religion. He previously dated model Amber Rose from 2017 to 2018.

Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph was born at Newham University Hospital in Plaistow, London, to Heather Carmillia Joseph and Kevin Cornelius Emmons. His mother’s family is from Dominica, while his father’s family is from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. His paternal grandfather was Haitian, and Abraham-Joseph has described himself as African-American. His cousin is rapper Young Nudy.

His parents separated early in his life, and he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He returned to the United Kingdom for an uncle’s funeral in 2005 before going back to Atlanta. After repeated school exclusions and a period in juvenile detention, he dropped out of high school. In 2013, he was shot six times during an attempted robbery on his 21st birthday, while his best friend Johnny was killed. He began rapping after the shooting.

21 Savage released his debut single, "I Can't Get Enough," in 2013. His first mixtape, The Slaughter Tape, arrived in 2015, followed by the tribute EP Free Guwop with Sonny Digital and the mixtape Slaughter King later that year. Free Guwop paid homage to Gucci Mane, an important influence on his early work.

His breakthrough came with Savage Mode, a 2016 collaborative EP with producer Metro Boomin. The project reached number 23 on the Billboard 200, while "X," featuring Future, and "No Heart" entered the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. In 2016, 21 Savage was also selected for the XXL Freshman Class and appeared on Drake’s single "Sneakin'." He signed with Epic Records in January 2017.

21 Savage released his debut studio album, Issa Album, in 2017. It reached number two on the Billboard 200, and its lead single, "Bank Account," peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. That year he also released Without Warning with Metro Boomin and Offset.

His second studio album, I Am > I Was, arrived in 2018 and became his first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Its single "A Lot," featuring J. Cole, won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song. 21 Savage also appeared on Post Malone’s "Rockstar," which topped the Billboard Hot 100, became his first number-one song, and later received Diamond certification from the RIAA.

21 Savage reunited with Metro Boomin for Savage Mode II in 2020. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced the top-ten singles "Runnin" and "Mr. Right Now," featuring Drake. In 2021, he released Spiral: From the Book of Saw Soundtrack, an EP connected to the film Spiral: From the Book of Saw.

His collaboration with Drake continued on "Jimmy Cooks," which became 21 Savage’s first song to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The pair followed it with the collaborative album Her Loss in 2022, which also debuted at number one. 21 Savage released American Dream in 2024, making it his fourth consecutive project to top the Billboard 200. He has also appeared in music videos and in the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II as a playable character using his voice and likeness.

21 Savage’s music draws on autobiographical accounts of violence, loss, crime, and survival. His delivery is marked by a monotone drawl, and his style has been associated with Atlanta trap and Chicago drill. Three 6 Mafia has been cited as an influence on his music.

He has hosted the Issa Back to School Drive in Atlanta, providing students with school supplies, uniforms, haircuts, and hairstyles. He also created the 21 Savage Bank Account Campaign to teach children about saving and personal finance, donated to an anti-bullying program at an Atlanta elementary school, and launched a free online financial-literacy program for young people. The online program included a partnership with Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to provide tablets and Wi-Fi to underserved students.

In February 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained 21 Savage in Atlanta. Officials identified him as a British citizen who had entered the United States on an H-4 visa in 2005 and overstayed after the visa expired. He was released from custody later that month while his immigration case continued.

The case drew wide attention because many listeners had understood him to be Atlanta-born. His British birthplace and immigration history became public during the proceedings. In 2023, he became a lawful permanent resident of the United States and received a green card, allowing him to travel internationally.