21 Savage’s four-year immigration saga has come to a happy conclusion as the rapper revealed that he is now a “lawful permanent resident” of the United States and, with his status no longer in question, he will be allowed to visit his native England.
In an Instagram post soundtracked by Skylar Grey’s ‘Coming Home’, 21 Savage declared, “London, I’m comin home,” hinting at his first-ever concert in the UK. (In the comments, Drake – who tapped 21 Savage for the US leg of the It’s All a Blur tour – corrected him, saying “we are,” suggesting his Her Loss partner will also be involved.)
Back in February 2019, 21 Savage was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Atlanta, with the agency revealing that the rapper was actually from the UK and had overstayed his visa after coming to America as a teenager.
After a week in an ICE detention centre, the rapper, born She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was released and allowed to remain in America while his immigration case was sorted out. 21 Savage was allowed to tour the US – including as a special guest on Drake’s trek – but was unable to perform outside America, including the Canadian leg of the It’s All a Blur tour.
“She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph has complied with all applicable immigration laws since his initial detention by ICE,” 21 Savage’s immigration attorney Charles H. Kuck said in a statement. “His immigration proceedings have now been concluded and he is a lawful permanent resident of the United States with the freedom to travel internationally.”
Although his travel restrictions have been lifted, 21 Savage did not perform at Drake’s first of two shows in his hometown of Toronto on Friday night, with Lil Baby filling in. If 21 Savage does perform in Toronto tonight, it will be his first international concert, as he hasn’t left America in 21 years.
Drake previously hinted at the end of 21 Savage’s immigration problems on the For All the Dogs track “8 AM in Charlotte”: “Savage got a green card straight from the consulate/Where I go, you go, brother, we Yugoslavian.”
