Famous Atlanta rapper 21 Savage (real name Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) has been arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement who claim the artist is in fact British.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Abraham-Joseph went to the US on a visa in 2005 which expired one year later. The 26-year-old was arrested in a "targeted operation" early Sunday morning and taken into custody.
Abraham-Joseph has long claimed to be from Atlanta, even performing at the Super Bowl Music Fest at State Farm Arena on Thursday in celebration of the city hosting the NFL final today.
A CNN reporter claims he was told by an ICE spokesman, "[Abraham-Joseph's] whole public persona is false. He actually came to the US from the UK as a teen and overstayed his visa".
ICE spokesman Brian Cox said that the rapper has been placed in “removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts".
Abraham-Joseph's attorney, Dina LaPolt, told TMZ, "We are working diligently to get Mr Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding.
"Mr Abraham-Joseph is a role model to the young people in the country -- especially in Atlanta, Georgia and is actively working in the community leading programs to help underprivileged youths in financial literacy."
It has also been claimed Abraham-Joseph was born in Dominica (an associated state of the UK), however this has not been confirmed.
Following his 2015-released mixtape, The Slaughter Tape, Abraham-Joseph dropped his debut studio album, Issa Album, in 2017.
His second LP, I Am > I Was, was released in December last year.
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