Over the weekend, the rap game was left stunned when ICE brought 21 Savage into custody, threatening him with deportation. By now, fans are well aware of the rapper's U.K. "origin", though the rapper has admittedly spent the majority of his life in Atlanta. In that sense, he remains a fixture of the ATL, in the same way the New York-born 2Pac became an emblem of the westside. Not only are 21's contributions to the city well documented, but his Atlanta come-up has been a dominant theme throughout his music. Music that has won the hearts of many, at that.
Image via HNHH
Now, 21's fans have decided to pay it forward. Last night, the #Free21Savage petition was launched by Black Lives Matter activist Patrisse Khan-Cullors. After being shared by 21's manager Kei Henderson, the petition picked up steam, drawing support from the game at large. Artists like Future, Post Malone, Quavo, and more all did their part in sharing the cause, imploring fans to hold it down for the beloved expatriate.
Henderson took a moment to add context to the situation, which has already drawn cold responses from "rules are rules" types. "There are around 4.2 Million Black immigrants in the U.S. - 619,000 are undocumented," writes Henderson, via Twitter. "Savage has been in Atlanta since he was a young child. He is the father of 3 beautiful kids. And active in their daily lives. Stop family separation and sign the petition to stop the Deportation."
As of now, the petition has earned 129,923 signatures out of the intended 200,000. Be sure to show support by hitting the link here. Free 21 Savage!