Atlanta rapper 21 Savage has been arrested by immigration officials who say he is actually from the UK.
Officials say the rapper, Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, came to the US in July 2005 aged 12 and failed to leave when his visa expired a year later. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman said he was being held for removal proceedings.
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A CNN reporter quoted an ICE spokesman as saying: “His whole public persona is false”.
In an interview the rapper explained how he was expelled from school at the age of 12/13 for taking a gun into class.
It is reported that the ICE have said they are being held in the state of Georgia for being unlawfully present in the US and for being a felon, he was convicted of drug charges in 2014. Officials were waiting for a judge ruling before they decide how to proceed.
21 Savage is at the peak of his career and just released a popular album that has been loved for its introspection, storytelling, and maturity. He is known as someone who frequently donates to charitable causes and even launched his own campaign to promote financial literacy in children.
His lawyer Dina LaPolt said: “Mr Abraham-Joseph is a role model to the young people in the country – especially in Atlanta, Georgia and is actively working in the community leading programs to help underprivileged youths in financial literacy,”
She added: “We are working diligently to get Mr Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding,”
The rapper has been nominated for two awards at next week’s Grammys, including record of the year for Rockstar alongside Post Malone. In December 21 Savage released his second album ‘I am > I was’ which went to the top of the Billboard 200 albums charts.
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