21 Savage has been released on bond following his arrest in Atlanta by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Feb. 3.
21 Savage has been released on bond following his arrest in Atlanta by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Feb. 3.
On Tuesday, in a statement to ET, the 26-year-old rapper's lawyers said that their client -- whose real name is She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph -- has also been granted an expedited hearing. They note that 21 Savage was scheduled to attend and perform at the GRAMMYs on Sunday.
During the ceremony, rapper Post Malone sang his hit, "Rockstar," which features 21 Savage. Post Malone wore a shirt reading "21 Savage" backstage in a show of support for him.
"For the past 9 long days, we, on behalf of She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known to the world as 21 Savage, have been speaking with ICE to both clarify his actual legal standing, his eligibility for bond, and provide evidence of his extraordinary contributions to his community and society," the statement from 21 Savage's lawyers Charles H. Kuck, Dina LaPolt and Alex Spiro reads. "In the last 24 hours, in the wake of the GRAMMY Awards at which he was scheduled to attend and perform, we received notice that She’yaa was granted an expedited hearing. Today, 21 Savage was granted a release on bond. He won his freedom."
The statement also thanks the rapper's fans for their support.
"21 Savage asked us to send a special message to his fans and supporters -- he says that while he wasn’t present at the GRAMMY Awards, he was there in spirit and is grateful for the support from around the world and is more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together," the statement continues. "He will not forget this ordeal or any of the other fathers, sons, family members, and faceless people, he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated across the country. And he asks for your hearts and minds to be with them."
21 Savage was arrested by ICE on Super Bowl Sunday, revealing in the process that he is a British national who is in the country illegally after his nonimmigrant visa expired in 2006, when the rapper was a minor. His legal team sent out a statement shortly after, clarifying details about his situation.
“Mr. Abraham-Joseph was born in the United Kingdom,” the statement read. “Mr. Abraham-Joseph arrived legally in the United States at the age of 7… Mr. Abraham-Joseph has been continuously physically present in the United States for almost 20 years, except for a brief visit abroad. Unfortunately, in 2006 Mr. Abraham-Joseph’s legal status expired through no fault of his own."
The lawyers’ statement also refutes claims that he had previously been arrested on drug felony charges in Atlanta in 2014, a charge that ICE agents suggested contributed to his detainment, via CBS News.
“Mr. Abraham-Joseph has no criminal convictions or charges under state or federal law and is free to seek relief from removal in immigration court," the statement continued. "ICE provided incorrect information to the press when it claimed he had a criminal conviction.”
Since his arrest, 21 Savage has received overwhelming support from his peers, including JAY-Z, who hired an attorney for him. On Tuesday, a Mic video featuring Kendrick Lamar, Jesse Williams, America Ferrera, Yara Shahidi, SZA and more stars was released in solidarity with 21 Savage and others detained by ICE, in which they share 21 ways undocumented people can face deportation in America.
For more on the case, watch the video below:
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