Lawyers for 21 Savage made fresh charges at ICE agents involved in the arrest of their client. While acknowledging that She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, 21’s real name, was born in the United Kingdom, they want all to know that he came to the US legally when he was only 7 years old – not the 13 or 14 year old teenager first reported over the weekend.
They say their client visited the UK for only a month in 2005 and returned again, legally. They also admit he lost his legal status in 2006, but through no fault of his own, presumably because he was just a child at the time. Here’s where it gets interesting… his lawyers make a sharp charge at ICE agents by speculating whether 21 Savage’s arrest and detention was brought on by song lyrics the rapper had just performed a few days before, on late night tv. Here’s the performance…
The song, “A Lot,” normally features rapper J. Cole on the 3rd verse, but that night 21 Savage, naturally, filled that verse with new lyrics. Those lyrics featured criticism of border agents for their treatment of families on the border – a hot topic in the US today, made so by President Trump.
It would normally seem a stretch to think that a government agency, or any part thereof, would be so petty as to target specific individuals based on spite. However, tone is set from the top, no matter what the organization might be. President Trump is one who often boasts of his leadership when it comes to ICE, and gloats about his relationships with ICE agents. It could be reasonable to believe that at least some of those agents might turn as petty as our 45th President, and actually target a rapper for his political views.
We’ll be paying close attention to the arguments going forward, and we’ll bring it to you when it happens. Until the next time it drips…
