The rapper, whose real name is She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency on February 3 and placed in deportation proceedings. ICE said Abraham-Joseph was actually a citizen of the United Kingdom, and alleged that he overstayed a US visa that expired in July 2006.
News of Abraham-Joseph's arrest jolted his fan base and much of the music industry, as most people had assumed the popular rapper was born and raised in Atlanta, the city that features prominently in his lyrics.
The initial response to news of his arrest was largely ridicule. Twitter users cracked jokes linking Abraham-Joseph with common English stereotypes, and questioned why he didn't have an accent.
Before long, the memes themselves were being criticized for insensitivity . Immigration advocates urged people to understand that Abraham-Joseph's arrest was a serious issue, and indicative of broader trends in how the Trump administration treats unauthorized immigrants.
Abraham-Joseph was released from detention on bond on February 13, and his lawyers have said he applied for a U visa in 2017 that could secure his legal status in the US.
[Ive] been through way worse things in my life than somebody putting me on a meme
Abraham-Joseph told The Times he understood why some people were offended by the memes, but he could easily ignore them. Other, larger issues were more important, he said.
"Some people, I see why they was mad. It ain't about the meme, it's about the bigger picture," he told the newspaper. "But I done been through way worse things in my life than somebody putting me on a meme. I been shot what is a meme? A meme is nothing."
He continued: "I look at bullet scars every day, so it's like a meme, bro?"
Abraham-Joseph also revealed to The Times that he'd once had a British accent, and he was mocked for it on his first day of school in America.
"They was making fun of me so I beat somebody up, and they was calling me 'taekwondo kid,'" he said. "My mama whupped me, she made me stay in the house. So I know I had a accent, but I been here 20 years I don't know what happened to it."
He added that while he wasn't keen to immediately start putting his experiences with ICE into music, he felt obligated to speak up about immigration issues on behalf of those who couldn't.
"My situation is important 'cause I represent poor black Americans and I represent poor immigrant Americans," he said. "You gotta think about all the millions of people that ain't 21 Savage that's in 21 Savage shoes."
