21 Savage

The grim reaper of Atlanta's rap scene, haunting Cole's beats with a deadpan voice that turns introspection into a standoff.

21 Savage is a featured artist on J. Cole's song "My Life", appearing alongside Cole and fellow American rapper Morray on the third track of Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season, released on May 14, 2021. The song marks the second time Cole and Savage collaborated on a song, the first being "A Lot" (2019). Savage also appears in Cole's documentary Applying Pressure: The Off-Season.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph

Born

22 October 1992

Birthplace

Plaistow, London, England

Citizenship

United Kingdom

Occupation

Rapper
songwriter
record producer

Years active

2013–present

Children

Partner

Latto (2020–present)

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

21 Savage's collaboration with J. Cole on "My Life" represents their second joint effort, following their first collaboration on "A Lot" in 2019. On "My Life", Savage's verse explores "how tragedy and hardship led them to develop strong characters", according to the song's composition notes. The track features a notable switch-up in Cole's delivery, starting with a "chilled out, melancholy feel" and changing to a "harder, razor-sharp tone", while Savage's contribution maintains his characteristic deadpan style. Critical reception highlighted the contrast between Cole's and Savage's "styles and personalities", with Billboard's Carl Lammare noting that both "prove how formidable they can be as a unit and that together, they can wreak havoc on any given track". Matthew Strauss at Pitchfork observed that neither artist had to adapt each other's style to fit on the song, instead the collaboration shows "that Cole wants to be seen as a connective tissue instead of some sort of anti-hype iconoclast". The song debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming 21 Savage's highest-charting song as a lead artist (tying "Rich Flex" with Drake), overall behind his features on Post Malone's number-one hit "Rockstar" and Drake's number-one hit "Jimmy Cooks".

Reader's Guide

21 Savage is a featured artist on J. Cole's song "My Life", which is the third track from Cole's sixth studio album The Off-Season, released on May 14, 2021. The song also features Morray and interpolates the hook of "The Life" (2002) by Styles P. This marks the second time Cole and Savage collaborated on a song, the first being "A Lot" (2019). On "My Life", Savage's verse addresses how tragedy and hardship shaped his character, complementing Cole's reflections on financial success and wealth. The song was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on May 25, 2021, as the album's first single. It debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming 21 Savage's highest-charting song as a lead artist (tying "Rich Flex" with Drake), overall behind his features on Post Malone's number-one hit "Rockstar" and Drake's number-one hit "Jimmy Cooks". The song received two nominations at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.