Last year’s Savage Mode saw Metro Boomin and 21 Savage make a statement on behalf of the grittiest underbelly of Atlanta. They represented the unseen backbone of the city’s oft-emulated culture in riveting fashion. They crafted a potential new-age classic and propelled both their careers to a brand new level with hits like “X (ft. Future).”
Now, following the success of his Post Malone collaboration, “Rockstar,” and the notoriety of his relationship with Amber Rose, I think it’s safe to call 21 Savage a pop star; his star power is as responsible for the success of Without Warning as Metro Boomin’s or Offset’s, if not more. Still, he’s relatively new not only to the industry, but to rapping itself, having only picked up a mic for the first time in 2014. In this light, we believe he’s often harshly critiqued for what is genuinely a unique style all his own.
21 thrives in nuance. He isn’t showy, he’s calculated and measured. He can make a simple “yeah yeah” ad-lib sound like a sinister sneer. He can go from making a carnival bop about Playboy Bunnies to deconstructing the American prison-industrial complex two tracks later. His versatility is as understated as his stark imagery or dark, karmic sense of humor. The most noted aspect of his style is his deadpan delivery, but his infectious sense of rhythm, ear for beats and frequently poignant point of view are often ignored.
Sure he’s not versatile in the traditional sense (his playfully off-key singing, for example, still has ways to go), but he’s definitely not as one-note as he may first appear. Therefore, we took some time to shift through his super productive in search of the verses that best bookend his growth as an artist thus far.
Here are 21 Savage's top 13 verses of 2017. Do you agree? Sound off.
13. "Both Sides"
Over the past two years, 21 Savage has proven to be a great features artist and "Both Sides" is a worthwhile addition to his resume. It sees him provide not only a memorable verse, but a catchy hook that includes references to Coolio and a deadly repurposing of a Super Soaker. "Told my son don't suck his thumb around me," he raps in his sparse but highly effective verse. "Gucci jacket, inside pocket hold the ratchet/OG kush, I'm smokin' on a potent package," is just an extremely pleasing series of internal rhymes.
12. "Money Convo" (Verse 2)
The stray homophobic slur aside, there’s just something satisfying about hearing 21 Savage talk his shit. He’ll not only "send a hit like John Gotti," he’s the self-proclaimed “Saint Laurent Don,” a certified “seven figure n****,” and, in general, has amassed so much wealth that everyone just assumes he sold his soul. In reality, as he so cleverly puts it, he’s rich because he “robbed Peter and Paul.” Touché, Savage.
11. "Disrespectful"
One of the most quoted verses on the tape, “Disrespectful” sees the 9th Ward native dedicate an entire 4 bars to how is neck and wrists are flooded out like various deadly hurricanes. Backed by a ominous Metro Boomin beat, he sounds as menacing as ever. “You can build a bear, fuck it, I’m finna build a thot,” might be the most savage 21 Savage line to date.
10. "Darth Vader"
When 21 raps, "I just talk to my accountant and I chuckle," it's as sad as it is humorous. As with all of 21's often extravagant celebration, it is tinted by the grim context of his upbringing and life before fame. It's tinted by poverty, it's tinted by drugs, it's tinted by the many, many people he's lost in his brief time on this Earth. 21's word choice is particular and you can hear the pain his voice:
"My dog lost his life and it changed me (damn)
I'm poppin' percocets 'cause the pain deep (21)"
9. "Whole Lot" (Verse 2)
While the first verse on this late-album cut off Issa is solid ("My brother down the road on tango," 21 raps as Young Thug, an uncredited feature on the song, ad-libs, "I still see him"), he really kicks things into gear on verse 2. His delivery is more lively, his flow is nimble and Thug's continued ad-libs are a delight. From eating soup while locked up on Wright Street to going platinum within the first two years of rapping, 21 has had one hell of a life. Nothing surprises him anymore. "When my brother got killed, I cried," he admits in a matter of fact manner before clarifying, "I can't let a n**** stop my stride."
8. "Mad Stalkers"
"Hold on let me kick my shit," is the kind of verse opener that begs for a quality verse to follow. And, luckily, 21 Savage delivers in spades on this underrated Without Warning cut. By the time the beat breaks down and 21 deconstructs and flips the "Issa knife" meme towards the end of his verse, he's rightfully got your full attention.
7. "7 Min Freestyle"
"7 Min Freestyle" is such a bold way to close out Issa, partly because it's such an over the top spectacle and partly because it's way better than it has any right to be. Despite how many "crutches" 21 uses to keep the off-the-dome rhymes going, no matter how many times he might repeat himself or his flows, 21 ties it all together like a high-wire circus act while putting his special PDE drip on full display. Just when you think he's gonna slip up, he gracefully makes you look like a fool and keeps attacking the great Southside & Metro Boomin beat.
6. "Rockstar"
21's guest verse here is flawless and probably his best feature of the year. He floats all over this atmospheric beat and provides the grit that Post Malone needed to fully realize this ode to the rockstar lifestyle. He's completely in his pocket the entire time, never straining to hard even when he needs to hit the same note as Posty. It's a fitting victory lap verse for a victorious breakout year.
5. "Baby Girl" (Verse 2)
Not content with "Baby Girl" just being an all-around bop, 21 chooses this song of all songs to go off on the 2nd verse. Just take a look at how he opens this 16:
"Stab a nigga up, this that Shawshank Redemption
Bitch, I send hits, I don't walk 'round with tension
Gots a island girl and she come from St. Vincent
Pull up with a choppers, nigga started running, not flinching"
His delivery is vibrant and the lyrics are menacing. His GD partners are "throwin' up the pitchfork," his VVs are doin' a "crip walk," and he unflinchingly swears, "I would've shot that cracker if I was Rosa Parks." Sheesh.
4. "Famous" (Verse 1)
21 kicked off his debut album with this powerful verse. The first four bars reads like the thesis statement for his entire career:
"Rags to riches, nigga came from the bottom
Hood rats, now a nigga fuckin' on models
Ridin' in the foreign, remember ridin' on MARTA
Grind got harder and my mind got smarter"
The Zaytoven and Metro Boomin instrumental provides the perfect cinematic backdrop to his measured delivery. The verse builds with purpose, placing the set pieces for the rest of the album to come. He laments on fame, success and newfound riches, placing his recent wins in context for the uninitiated. He teases new facets of his artistry, with bars like "makin' sure my kids happy, they dependent on their daddy," probably being the most honest & vulnerable we've seen Mr. Savage to date. "The internet ain't gon' help you understand me," he closes, convincing himself that he'll forever remain an enigma to the general public.
3. "Thug Life" (Verse 2 > 1 > 3)
Issa highlight, "Thug Life," is rare case of not only three full verses on a single track, but all three of the said verses being exceptional. While we're sure everyone has their own ranking, we believe the middle verse is the strongest one here. "My son got asthma, grandma having spasms," he raps, dismissing any notions that he's got it easy now. Despite the fame & fortune, his life is still plagued by backstabbing, lies and gang violence. 21's economical approach to the opening verse is also definitely underrated - in just a few words, he's able to succinctly describe the kind of environment he's emerged from:
"Scrape the corner, buy a Rover
Crack inside my grandmas sofa
Sunday, family coming over
Move the crack behind the toaster
Carry pistols with no holsters
Trying not to be a poster
You was listening to your coaches
I was listening to the vultures"
The third verse is also strong, littered with moments of unexpected poignancy ("Used to make my mama cry, but now I make her proud"), but it doesn't match up to the first verse's imagery or the second verse's ferocity.
2. "Numb" (Verse 1)
The second verse here is good, but there's something about the way 21 comes in to open up this song that has us placing this verse so high up on the list. "Grind hard, nigga, grind hard, I done grind hard, late nights playin' b-ball with a decoy," he details, painting the scene in a vivid manner. He went from standing on the corner to using "Louis rags" when his nose is running. From beefing with his teachers to dominating the Billboard charts. On the other hand, he may be more paranoid than ever before, but success like his doesn't come without its setbacks.
1. "Nothing New" (Verse 2 > 1)
Y'all knew this was coming. With a grim, highly relevant and uncomfortably poignant concept, "Nothing New" is a critique on policing and systemic racism in the United States. It features two equally stellar verses that see 21 showcasing his writing on level we've never seen before. He eloquently articulates his lifelong plight and paints a nuanced, multi-layered view of the black man in today's America. "They thought I only rapped about murder and pistols, I'm tryna feed my family, I ain't being political," might be his best pair of opening bars to date and he only gets sharper with his commentary as the song progresses.
Here's to 21 making one of the most astute rap songs of 2017.