On February 3, 21 Savage (birth name: She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE claimed that Abraham-Joseph was a “United Kingdom national” who “is unlawfully present in the U.S.” Now, he has been released on bond, as TMZ and The Daily Beast report.
21 Savage’s lawyers Charles H. Kuck, Dina LaPolt, and Alex Spiro released the following statement on their client’s behalf:
For the past 9 long days, we, on behalf of She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known to the world as 21 Savage, have been speaking with ICE to both clarify his actual legal standing, his eligibility for bond, and provide evidence of his extraordinary contributions to his community and society.
In the last 24 hours, in the wake of the Grammy Awards at which he was scheduled to attend and perform, we received notice that She’yaa was granted an expedited hearing.
Today, 21 Savage was granted a release on bond. He won his freedom.
21 Savage asked us to send a special message to his fans and supporters—he says that while he wasn’t present at the Grammy Awards, he was there in spirit and is grateful for the support from around the world and is more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together.
He will not forget this ordeal or any of the other fathers, sons, family members, and faceless people, he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated across the country. And he asks for your hearts and minds to be with them.
Charles Kuck, Dina Laporte, and Alex Spiro.
Days following the arrest, 21 Savage confirmed via representatives that he was born in the United Kingdom. He clarified that he immigrated to the United States when he was 7 years old under an H-4 visa, departed in 2005 to visit the United Kingdom, and returned that same year. 21 claimed he lost legal status in 2006 “through no fault of his own,” and was in the process of obtaining another visa when he was arrested. In the wake of the arrest, JAY-Z issued a statement condemning the detention and hired attorney Alex Spiro to assist.
During the Grammy Awards, Childish Gambino producer Ludwig Göransson shouted out 21 Savage while accepting the award for Record of the Year. (Ad-libs by 21 Savage are featured on the winning song “This Is America.”) Metro Boomin paid tribute to the rapper during an appearance on “Fallon,” where he wore a jacket with the words, “Free 21 Savage.”
