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Celebrity / Music / Net worth

Rapper 21 Savage has been showing real maturity and growth as an artist. His early work pulled heavily from classic rap tropes but newer productions have veered solidly into the political, showing a complexity that was absent from earlier records. Through it all, 21 Savage has been racking up an impressive number of high-profile collaborations …

Published on July 8, 2020

Rapper 21 Savage has been showing real maturity and growth as an artist. His early work pulled heavily from classic rap tropes but newer productions have veered solidly into the political, showing a complexity that was absent from earlier records. Through it all, 21 Savage has been racking up an impressive number of high-profile collaborations that have further increased his reach, providing more fans for the young artist. 

How has all of this success translated into monetary worth? 

21 Savage’s rise to fame

Born in London as Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph in 1992, 21 Savage moved to Atlanta when he was seven years old. He first gained mainstream attention with the release of a mixtape titled The Slaughter Tape in 2015. The hit single was the song “Picky,” which was typified by common rap themes showcasing wealth and the ability to flaunt it. “I’m young, dumb and I’m reckless/Eighty thousand on a necklace” some lyrics boasted. The catchy but vulgar lyrics focused on money, sex, and the trappings of wealth with little focus on anything deeper or outside of the rapper’s own experience of his success. 

Much of this focus grew from 21 Savage’s own real-life experiences. He spent much of his childhood in serious trouble with authorities, even managing to get himself banned from all Atlanta-area public schools for possession of a weapon, according to Celebrity Net Worth. After completing eighth grade through an alternative program, he dropped out of school altogether as a high school freshman. When his brother was killed in a botched drug deal, 21 Savage turned to rap as a way to cope with his grief and decided to change the direction of his life. 

More complex lyrics followed

In 2016, 21 Savage collaborated on Drake’s song “Sneakin’,” and this exposure really increased his public profile. Meanwhile, 21 Savage kept working on his own music, and the depth and reach of his lyrics certainly went through an evolution. His third studio album, I Am > I Was, was released in late 2018 and hinted in its title that 21 Savage had seen growth and maturity over the years. The songs started to branch away from simple themes of the street life and instead looked at politics and societal ills more broadly. 

The rapper had his own run-in with ICE when he overstayed his visa in 2019. He also joined forces with several other musicians to petition the Supreme Court to overturn a case where another rapper was arrested for something that he said in his lyrics. The group, largely made up of rappers and hip hop artists, argued that the First Amendment extends to creative expression in songs and that the ruling seemed to be singling out artists associated with Black culture while ignoring references to violence and crime in predominantly white music. 

Success has continued for 21 Savage

The impressive collaborations have continued for 21 Savage, and he has found himself working alongside artists like Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, and Young Thug. In 2020, 21 Savage saw his career reach a whole new level when he received a Grammy for Best Rap Song. He and J. Cole shared the award for their song “a lot.” The song seems to capture some of 21 Savage’s own transformation by asking first about wealth and fame before turning to an exploration of the problems in the world. 

The rapper’s impressive rise to fame has set the stage for a long career of continued growth and influence. In the meantime, some are wondering where 21 Savage’s current net worth sits. While he hasn’t quite managed to reach the 21 in his name, he has gotten to the inverse: $12 million. With a Grammy under his belt and plenty of years ahead of him to continue his work, it’s likely that 21 Savage will see that number grow — a lot. 

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