During a new episode of ‘Perspektives With Bank,’ 21 Savage (whose birth name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) discussed his lifestyle in Atlanta. He shared insights into how he navigates the city and whether he’s still “outside” (i.e., frequently out and about). He clarified that he’s mostly a homebody now, but then dropped the bombshell about Atlanta’s influence on his youth.
“I’m not really no n***a who just be out, everywhere all the time anyway. Half the time I’m in the house. This is how I really feel. I feel like Atlanta is really goddamn—what’s the word? Atlanta really a pedophile. ‘Cause Atlanta really groomed us, bro, since we was kids. Just listen to me. Okay, maybe pedophile is the wrong word. Atlanta is a grooming a** city. Atlanta groomed us n***as since we were 10, 11, 12 on club life, bro.”
He elaborated on this “grooming” by detailing how he’d hustle for cash to buy clothes for the skating rink. “When I was 11, n***a, on my momma, n***a, I was taking out trash for $2 in the apartments just to goddamn get some chucks [Converse Chuck Taylors] and some Dickies to go to Decatur Skate,” he shared. “Getting wristbands. Goddamn, n***a, they used to have pitchers with no liquor. You just get a pitcher of Sprite. So, yo a** getting groomed for the club. From, you goddamn in middle school. So, now when you goddamn 30, man, n***a, I’ve been going to the club since I was 11-12-years-old, bro f**k the club. You get what I’m saying? Atlanta groomed a n***a, bro.” This early exposure, even to non-alcoholic pitchers, was essentially a primer for adult club life.
“And n***as are banging out at these clubs. Decatur Skate. Megaplex. Goddamn Vivid. Lone Star. Palladium. All this sh*t. N***as banging out, man. N***as shooting at these clubs. N***a, we 15-16. Girls getting shot. N***as getting shot.”
He painted a stark picture of the violence that also came with these venues, listing places like Decatur Skate, Megaplex, Vivid, Lone Star, and Palladium. “N***as are banging out at these clubs… N***as shooting at these clubs,” he said, recalling the danger. “N***a, we 15-16. Girls getting shot. N***as getting shot.”
When Big Bank probed deeper, asking what led him into street life, suggesting he seemed too intelligent for it, 21 had a thoughtful response. He started by hinting that often, the quiet ones are the most formidable, cautioning against underestimating anyone. “Those are really the most dangerous n***as, though. I’m not saying I’m dangerous. I’m just saying, don’t let them take that as…”
He then opened up about his personal situation, emphasizing that his entry into the streets wasn’t a choice but a necessity. “I think what made me jump in the street is just my circumstances,” he explained. “Like, I was forced in the street. ‘Cause I couldn’t do nothing else. I ain’t got no green card. I can’t get no job. So, how the hell else was I going to survive? I don’t feel like I jumped in the street. I feel like I was kind of like forced. When we moved to Atlanta, my momma had four kids.” This background highlights the very real struggles he faced as an immigrant in a new city.
What are your thoughts on 21 Savage’s reflections on Atlanta and his upbringing? Drop a comment below! Check out the clip he’s referring to:
