Photo Credit: ABC News
Rapper 21 Savage became a free man this week, flying away in a private jet after making his $100,000 bond ending his 9 day detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In his first interview with Good Morning America today since all of this took place, he spoke with ABC News’ Linsey Davis about his time being detained.
When asked if he feared being deported, he said “Yeah, but I feel like I done been through so much in my life, like, I learned to embrace the times when I’m down ’cause they always build me up and take me to a new level in life,” he said.
“So it’s like even if I’m sitting in a cell on 23-hour lockdown, in my mind, I know what’s gonna come after that. So I’m not happy about it. But I’m accepting of it,” he added. “I’ve been here 19, 20 years, this is all I know. I don’t feel like you should be arrested and put where a murderer would be just for being arrested… I was in one room all day.”
He was asked if he felt that his music was the cause of his arrest by ICE, a point that has been stated by area Congressman Hank Johnson and his attorney Alex Spiro. A point to notice is that when Linsey asked 21 if he felt his music was the cause of his detention, he said he had heard that and he could see how people could come to that conclusion. Since he was speaking on the thoughts of others, she asked what he believed, and he said he couldn’t say if that was the case. His legal team is clearly making the case that his music caused him to be picked up by ICE and the reality is he doesn’t appear to believe that himself. And as for Hank Johnson, some of you might remember he recently stated that Guam, an island in the middle of the ocean, was going to capsize and tip over into the ocean so his words should be taken with a grain of salt.
He’s been here since he was 7 years old and said “I didn’t even know what a visa was.” He went on to say “I knew I wasn’t born here, but I didn’t know what that meant as far as when I transitioned into an adult, how it was going to affect my life.” When asked if he had any words for those who may not have the resources that he does or able to make bond, still in detention, he said “I feel your pain. (I’m going to) do everything in my power to try and bring awareness to your pain.”
“I knew I wasn’t born here but I had no idea what that would mean when I was an adult… I don’t think the policy is broken. I think the way they enforce the policy is broken.”
Following his detention and missing the Grammys where he received two nominations and was scheduled to perform, he now says his top priority is to become a US citizen.