21 Savage’s recently-released birth certificate reveals that he was born in England. According to The Daily Mail Online, the I Am > I Was rapper was born in Newham Hospital in East London in 1992 to British parents, per the certificate.
“The musician also has twin sisters in the capital, dance choreographers Kyra and Jayda, who have called his arrest ‘fishy’ but deleted childhood photos of the star growing up in the UK with one saying: ‘I don’t want him to get deported,’” the site continues. Jayda took to her Twitter page to comment on the news, stating that she thinks he should be able to stay in America regardless of where he’s from originally.
Yesterday (Feb. 3), the musician (real name Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) was arrested by ICE over claims that he is a citizen of the UK who was living in America illegally since he was a teenager. Reports say that his visa to the United States expired one year after moving to Atlanta. Initially, there were claims that 21 was born and raised in Dominica, a former British colony.
Members of the hip-hop community including Wale, Killer Mike and Vince Staples shared their thoughts on the situation and have offered support to the rapper.
But Shaayaa moved to America when he was mad young, so he basically is American, he grew up there
— Claire Voyance 🔮 (@Jayda_Davis) February 3, 2019
I’m bare confused as to how they’re trying to deport him though… He’s been comfortable this whole time, even when he was gangbanging and shit. This smells fishy
— Claire Voyance 🔮 (@Jayda_Davis) February 3, 2019