Under gårdagen möttes hiphopvärlden av den smått otroliga nyheten att 21 Savage blivit arresterad och riskerar att utvisas från USA. Detta efter att myndigheten ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) avslöjat att han egentligen ska vara en brittisk medborgare som levt olagligt i landet på ett utgånget visum i 13 år. Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, som han egentligen heter, sitter just nu häktad i Georgia.
Händelsen ska ha skett under söndagsmorgonen den 3:e februari och enligt rapporter vara en slump, då polisen egentligen ska ha varit fokuserade på rapparen Young Nudy och två andra män. VICE-skribenten Donovan Farley skriver på Twitter att han pratat med en talesperson för ICE som bekräftat att Young Nudy blivit arresterad.
Just go off w ICE spox. 21 was in a car w Young Nudy and 2 others last night when APD pulled them over & arrested Nudy & others. 21 got dinged in the system & turned over to ICE. Spox said ICE wasn't aware of 21's '14 arrest or they'd have popped him then. #free21savage #free21
— Donovan "Abolish Guac Costing Extra" ? ? Farley (@DonovanFarley) 3 februari 2019
CNN-reportern Nick Valencia har också pratat med talespersonen som hävdar att hela 21 Savage persona är fejk.
BREAKING- @ICEgov spokesman tells me @21savage was taken into custody by ICE. “His whole public persona is false. He actually came to the U.S. from the U.K. as a teen and overstayed his visa.” MORE COMING
— Nick Valencia (@CNNValencia) 3 februari 2019
Andra spekulerar i att häktade Tekashi 6ix9ine ska ha tjallat på 21 Savage för att få till en deal i sitt åtal.
They say 69 snitched on 21 savage. But y’all ain’t hear that from me
— lil duval (@lilduval) 3 februari 2019
Hur som helst har händelsen såklart väckt många reaktioner inom hiphopvärlden, där många skänker tankar med “Free 21 Savage”-meddelanden. Se reaktioner nedan och läs myndigheternas kompletta uttalande.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested unlawfully present United Kingdom national Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph AKA ’21 Savage’ during a targeted operation with federal and local law enforcement partners early Sunday in metro Atlanta. Mr. Abraham-Joseph was taken into ICE custody as he is unlawfully present in the U.S. and also a convicted felon.
“Mr. Abraham-Joseph initially entered the U.S. legally in July 2005, but subsequently failed to depart under the terms of his nonimmigrant visa and he became unlawfully present in the U.S. when his visa expired in July 2006. In addition to being in violation of federal immigration law, Mr. Abraham-Joseph was convicted on felony drug charges in October 2014 in Fulton County, Georgia.
“Mr. Abraham-Joseph is presently in ICE custody in Georgia and has been placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts. ICE will now await the outcome of his case before a federal immigration judge to determine future actions.”
FREE 21 SAVAGE ?
— RICH THE KID (@richthekid) 4 februari 2019
Snitching at its all time high FREE 21
— DURKIOOO? (@lildurk) 3 februari 2019
ICE got thousands of kids separated from their parents forever and y’all quiet but y’all wanna make the lowest hanging fruit jokes for this.
— alex tumay (@alextumay) 3 februari 2019
So yall clowning niggas for being immigrants now? You can always tell who don’t know any Mexicans free all my niggas out that jam.
— Vince Staples (@vincestaples) 3 februari 2019
FREE @21SAVAGE BITCH
— underdog (@lilyachty) 4 februari 2019
Free 21 ?
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) 4 februari 2019
Under natten mot måndagen spriddes nyheten som en löpeld på nätet – och memes om händelsen har haglat i sociala medier. Se ett urval nedan.