10 Things You Didn’t Know About 21 Savage

21 Savage has had a rough life since he was a child. He was raised alongside his nine siblings but has lost some along the way. His life was constantly filled with drama, and his mother always took his side, going to the extent of fighting with other women from the neighborhood. Despite it all, he has risen beyond the street life to carve a rapping career that has seen his net worth rise to over $10 million. He is an inspiration to many people so let’s look at some of the facts about his life.

1. He Believes Immigrant Children Should Become US Citizens

Savage has been in the United States since childhood, but his visa expired in 2006. In an operation that he believes was targeted due to his expired visa, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the rapper. However, Savage opines that since it is not his fault seeing that he was only a child, the immigration department should be lenient. He added that children in predicaments such as his should be exempted and become citizens immediately.

2. He Was Recognized for Being an Advocate for Immigrants

The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) honored the rapper for advocating for immigrant justice. According to VOA News, NILC gave him the courageous Luminaries Award after he spoke in an interview sharing how he is among the lucky few who become successful immigrants. Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter co-founder who organized the rapper’s release from the ICE custody, presented the award.

3. The First Time He Saw a Gun

Savage used to get cap guns for his birthdays. As a result, he fell in love with guns, and since cap guns simulate gunshots with pooping sounds and smoke when fired, the hip hop star loved running around the house shooting his brothers. However, when he turned eight, he saw a real gun for the first time; it was a .38 caliber his uncle Dae Dae showed him. The uncle was responsible enough to also tell him about the dangers of using the firearm and educated him about the uses.

4. He Was Expelled from Two School

According to The Fader, after his uncle showed him a real gun, Savage took one with him to school as protection from bullies. Someone saw and ratted him out, so he kept bouncing between alternative school and DeKalb Regional Youth Development Center the following year. Even at the development center, he could not stay out of trouble and was caught fooling around with a girl on the school bus. The two strikes were enough to get him expelled from DeKalb county schools; therefore, his mother moved him to Gwinnett County.

5. He Dropped out of school to be in the Streets

No matter how much his mother tried to keep him in school, Savage was not interested. Even after moving him to Gwinnett County and enrolling him in school, the 9th grader could not be bothered. He attempted to fit in by joining the football team playing cornerback and receiver, but the interest lasted for a semester. Eventually, he dropped out of school, preferring to be in the streets doing drugs and robbing people of their flat screens and jewelry. It would be the first step in his career toward becoming a hip hop artist.

6. He Has Tattoos to Commemorate Those He Has Lost

Savage had a younger brother, Quantivayus, shot and killed during a drug deal that went sideways. In respect of the dead brother, he got a dagger tattoo between his eyes, where Quantivayus also had his. In remembrance of his mother, Savage tattooed her name on his stomach while on his chest lies an outlay of clouds named Larry and Johnny, who were his best friends; they were also shot and killed. There is also another cloud named Tamika, Larry’s mother, killed at the same as Larry.

7. His Younger Brother Was Stabbed to Death

According to USA Today, Savage’s brother, Terrell Davis, was stabbed to death following an argument. The incident happened in Brixton, London and Savage went on social media to share a heartfelt message. The caption of the two pictures he shared seemed like a regretful message of how he treated his younger brother when they were kids; Savage said he wished he could take back all that he did to Davis.

8. He Almost Died After Being Shot

Of course, going by the lifestyle that Savage chose to live, it was only a matter of time before his actions caught up with him. He told Revolt that it was his birthday and he was riding with his best friend, Johnny, searching for a place to have a good time. The rapper said that out of nowhere, someone opened the back door and started shooting the two friends without uttering a word. Savage disclosed that he was shot multiple times, but he managed to call an ambulance amid the chaos. He overheard the lady nurse saying if they delayed waiting for the sergeant, he would die.

9. He Has Regularly Been on the Wrong Side of the Law

When Savage’s co-manager, Meezy, went to pick the rapper from the Doraville Municipal Court House, Savage said he would rather pay a fine than do community service. He had been caught driving without a license for the third time, thus was sentenced to do community service that entailed washing police cars and cutting grass. Regardless of how bad he felt about the community service, he was happy he could carry his gun. However, driving without a license was another of many offenses; he had been caught making an illegal turn, and the arresting officers confiscated drugs, guns, cash, and scale.

10. He is Afraid of Flying

Savage is scared of flying and says the fear stems from hijacking and crashing possibilities. Still, he chews gum and takes a few Xanax tablets when he has to fly. However, some people believe he is afraid because of the scrutiny and tight security at airports.