JACQUES: 21 Savage answers a few questions about his life and childhood on 2016’s “No Heart.”
JACQUES: The song was produced by Southside, Metro Boomin & CuBeatz
and is on Metro & 21’s joint project, “Savage Mode.”
And while “No Heart” peaked at no.43 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017,
according to 21, it almost didn’t make the cut.
21 SAVAGE: I wasn’t finna put “No Heart” on there.
Metro just did what he did to the shit.
Sent it back to me and I was like, 'Alright.
Shit sound cool.'
Then, shit, it came out and everybody was just like, 'Young Savage, why you…' and all that shit,
and I was like, 'OK, shit.'
JACQUES: On the rest of the chorus, 21 shouts out what keeps him safe.
21 SAVAGE: I’m prayin' to my Glock and carbon because that’s who gon' ride with me.
JACQUES: Next Young Savage opens his verse by mentioning the Dr. Suess 1957
children’s book, “Cat in the Hat” and the tragic scene from 1991’s Boyz n the Hood.
TREY: Ricky!
JACQUES: Then 21 dives into his rough upbringing.
21 SAVAGE: You know I got caught with a gun in school and they locked me up for the shit.
JACQUES: Folks are looking at 21's lyrics about his childhood with fresh eyes following
his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement agents on February 3, 2019.
CNN: An ICE Spokesman says the rapper is actually a resident of the United Kingdom and has been
in the U.S. illegally since 2006.
JACQUES: 21’s attorney disputed ICE’s claim in a statement saying quote.
21’s team added in their own statement that he came to the U.S. at seven years old
and is a Dreamer, meaning that his immigration status was left in limbo through no fault of his own.
JACQUES: Savage was locked up alongside rapper Young Nudy and over 150,000 people have signed
a petition to stop his deportation.
Some fans also believe 21 was targeted by ICE after he criticized U.S. immigration practices
while performing “alot” on 'The Tonight Show' recently,
specifically the Trump administration losing thousands of children
who were taken from their parents at the border.
JACQUES: A few U.S representatives have spoken out in support of 21 Savage.
REP. YVETTE CLARKE: Who has turned his life around through his gift of rap
and was picked up by ICE on Sunday.
JACQUES: Back on “No Heart,” 21 addresses social media beefs between artists
and he makes it quite clear that he’s not the one to hide behind a screen.
21 SAVAGE: Imma “at” your favorite rapper and shoot him like I’m John Dillinger,
You know what I’m sayin’, I’m not gon' sneak diss.
JACQUES: These lines became a meme that spread across social media.
JACQUES: The music video, directed by A Zae Production and ThePictureMan, features a reenactment
of the pivotal opening scene from the 1993 film, ‘Menace II Society.’
O-DOG: You talking shit? Every time I come in this motherfucker, you got something to say. Fuck you!
“No Heart” along with “X” off of “Savage Mode” were both breakout tracks for 21 Savage
and two of his most searched songs on Genius.
If you want to learn more about “No Heart,” check out the song page on Genius.com.
I’m Jacques Morel with Genius News,
bringing you the meaning and the knowledge behind the music.
Peace!