21 Savage Dissed Gunna On "american dream," Fans Theorize

BYGabriel Bras Nevares4.2K Views
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Dinner Celebrating Young Thugs's Album "Punk"
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 25: Lil Duke, Taurus, YK Osiris, Young Thug, G Herbo, 21 Savage and Gunna attend a dinner celebrating Young Thug's album "Punk" on October 25, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images)
While there's nothing specific in terms of references, it's hard to interpret anti-snitching bars any other way these days.

21 Savage just dropped his new album american dream to usher in what will hopefully be a very stacked year for hip-hop. It's a very busy week, what with Kid Cudi's INSANO and a new Lil Nas X single, but the introspection, consistency, and weight of this new project stands tall among the crowd. What's more is that fans are already diving into the lyrics and songs here to pinpoint what exactly he's trying to say here. As such, fans found a potential reference to the Young Thug and YSL RICO case in which the Slaughter Gang boss might've dissed Gunna. It's on the track "letter to my brudda," a cut about the hardships of street life that many interpreted as a Thugger tribute, who features on the preceding song off the LP, "pop ur s**t."

Furthermore, here's the first part of 21 Savage's first verse. "Once you cross that line, it ain’t no trying to fix it, you want me to forgive you, let’s be realistic," he raps. "I can’t kick it with your kind like I tore my meniscus, how you go from co-defendant to a f***ing witness? They’ll stand on couches with you, but won’t stand on business. Woah, I watched everybody turn on my brother like he ain’t have them out here flying jets and f***ing b***hes. This s**t ridiculous."

21 Savage's "letter to my brudda": Stream

Meanwhile, here's the second part, in which 21 Savage switches to talk about "his brother." "I feel your pain, my brother, I know you from the struggle, I know how hard you hustled just to take care of your mother," he spits. "I know you took clothes off your back for n***as you call brother, I know how hard it get in this jungle. Trying to prevail without being tried like you no sucker. Huh, life's a motherf***er, yeah, I know ain't nobody perfect. But what's the point in making it out if all they do is cuff you?"

Of course, this could apply to a lot of different situations, and there's nothing specifically tying this to the ongoing YSL case. Still, it's hard for fans to hear this and not think of Jeffery, especially given his feature on the preceding song on american dream. Regardless, the most salient and important message delivered here is empathy for those in much tougher situations, something we could all use a little more of. For more news and the latest updates on 21 Savage and Gunna, come back to HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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