Shock arrest for 21 Savage
Atlanta-based rapper accused of being a convicted felon and overstaying visa in US
GRAMMY-NOMINATED Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage was arrested on Sunday by US immigration officials, who said he was illegally in the country and a convicted felon.
The rapper, real name Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, came to the US from the UK as a teenager in 2005, overstaying his visa to settle in Atlanta, said Bryan Cox, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Cox said Abraham-Joseph, whose 21 Savage Facebook page shows several upcoming concerts, was in custody in Georgia and faced deportation proceedings in federal immigration courts.
He said the rapper was convicted on felony drug charges in Georgia in 2014, and was arrested on Sunday as part of a targeted operation with the co-operation of local law enforcement.
The rapper’s lawyer, Dina LaPolt, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday, but told the entertainment publication Variety that Abraham-Joseph was a “role model” who was working on financial literacy programmes aimed at helping underprivileged youth.
“We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding,” she said, according to Variety.
Cox said he did not know whether Abraham-Joseph, who media reports said is 26, would have been eligible for protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), which protects “Dreamers”, young immigrants brought illegally to the US as children. Daca does not cover people convicted of felonies.
Variety said the rapper performed as recently as Thursday in Atlanta as part of the run-up to Sunday’s Super Bowl game in the city. His most recent album, I Am > I Was, made its debut at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, the publication said.
An ICE official told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that when Abraham-Joseph was arrested in 2014, ICE was not aware of his immigration status. It only learnt later that he is allegedly from the UK, the official said. | Reuters