Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, better known as 21 Savage, is no stranger to the rap game. He made a name for himself in his "hometown" of Atlanta in 2015 with his mixtape, "The Slaughter Tape" (nice try, 21 Savage, we know you're originally from England). His first studio album "Issa Album" reigned as second on the Billboard Top 200 in 2017 with one top hit "Bank Account." 21 Savage's mysteriously boyish demeanor, quirky ad-libs, and fresh sound quickly drew a large fan base. He's stayed prominent in the limelight in the meantime, releasing multiple albums and popping up on popular songs everywhere. It's nearly impossible to chronologically rank which of his songs are the best due to their flawless execution and musicality of the lyrics, so we'll just rank some songs that he's a feature in.
"Bartier Cardi" - Cardi B
21 Savage effortlessly embodies the savagery Cardi B planned to dish out in her second chart-topping single. His cocky personality matches Cardi B's flamboyant aura to create a perfect mixture of attitude. This song has, in my opinion, the best line in all of the rap music, "Tell the waitress I ain't tippin', I like hot sauce on my chicken." Being a hot sauce connoisseur myself, I really am a fan of this line.
"NC-17" - Travis Scott
This song is featured on Travis Scott's newest album "Astroworld." 21's verse starts off with a very playful, boyish beat, but the lyrics turn more sinister as the verse progresses. He doesn't hype up only himself and his actions in the verse, he flexes his dog's clout briefly in one line saying, "I done got so rich I Saint Laurent my dogs now."
"rockstar" - Post Malone
Post Malone's first single off of his newest album, "Beerbongs and Bentleys," went platinum seven times and reigned as #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for both artists following its release — 21 definitely contributed to its success. The song has a funky beat that perfectly meshes the two completely different styles of Post Malone and 21 Savage. 21 shows his love for having 6 cars in this song including, "Savage why you got a 12 car garage and you only got 6 cars?"
"BBO (Bad Bitches Only)" - Migos
Migos' sophomore album "Culture II" was star-studded with great features, including 21 Savage. "BBO" was a fan-favorite since the album's release. 21 Savage can be found on the chorus of the song instead of a whole verse, which is pretty different for Migos. He flexes his jewelry with the line, "Whole pointers 'round my neck, lookin' like a lighthouse."
"Pass Out" - Quavo
"Pass Out" is definitely one of the best collaborative works on Quavo's first album "Quavo Huncho." 21's trademark ad-libs work well with Quavo's flow and catchy beats. The lyrics are a string of one-liners that reference everybody who is everybody including, "I'm not Will Smith but I'm tryna get jiggy. I can show you how to make a band like Diddy." This is undeniably my favorite 21 verse I have heard since its release in the summer.
"Sneakin" - Drake
The Apple Music exclusive single produced by London on da Track is no stranger to this list. Being released alongside "Fake Love" and "Two Birds, One Stone," Sneakin is pretty easy to forget about since it's no longer available on Spotify, but 21's verse cannot go unmentioned. With the flawless entrance "Baby, I'm a savage, I ain't romantic," 21 gets us hooked into his verse about flexing all his cash and living a lavish life.
"Undefeated" - A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
A Boogie's catchy, melodic hook feeds into 21 Savage's dark and twisted verse. A Boogie said he had a bunch of famous rappers asked him for this feature, but he believed 21's flow would mesh the best. There's a lot of quotable lyrics in this song, including "Riding in a Hellcat, ain't no catchin' up to me."
"The Race (Remix)" - Tay-K
It would be a crime not to give this remix some love (LOL because Tay-K was on the run from the cops). This song generated a lot of coverage by the media due to the crazy backstory behind it. A lot of rappers made their own remixes including Lil Yachty and YBN Namir. 21 Savage took this opportunity to make this bad situation good and rap about the positive turn his life has taken. His lyrics include, "My street cred platinum, ain't nothin' fake. Pulled up to the **** Walk with a K. You a internet gangster, I'm a ape." These lyrics show how hard 21 Savage has been working as well as showcasing his successes.
"Pull Up N Wreck" - Metro Boomin & Big Sean
Big Sean, the self-appointed king of spitting bars, struck out on this song with 21 Savage. 21's aggressive verse highlights his talents and puts him up to the same level as the more established rapper, Big Sean. Nonetheless, Big Sean doesn't steal any of 21's clout in this song. It shows in verses such as, "All these diamonds dripping, now she wanna bite me. She broke up with that *****, now he wanna fight me."
"Rover 2.0" - BlocBoy JB
The remix of the mainstream hit "Rover" shows 21 Savage's cool side mixed with JB's unmatched energy. His whole verse seems as if 21 is shooting a warning shot at an unnamed rival. Including the line, "Salt kills snails, not players," he is really trying to instill fear in the face of this rival, and they better run while they're ahead!
