A Savage is Born

         My first exposure to 21 Savage was at the start of my freshman year in college. He had just released an album that was called Savage Mode and it was all produced by Metro Boomin. The album gained immense traction in the mainstream due to the exhilarating single “No Heart”. The song was very cold and dark, both in lyricism and production. Just by listening to that one song, an individual could tell that 21 Savage had seen things in his life that most of could never imagine. As I went on to listen to the whole album, I was able to see a glimpse into a way of life that was far from ordinary and how such a brutal upbringing can shape a person.

 

             21 Savage was bubbling around the Atlanta scene since 2015, but he really started to focus on the music in 2016 which was the turning point for his career. Savage Mode made him noticed on the map and he also would go on to be on the freshman list for the XXL publication. Yet, just having an exciting debut does not guarantee staying power and Savage would have to accomplish many things before he could truly be comfortable within the rap genre. Luckily, 21 Savage has grown to be immensely popular and his discography is the reason behind his success today.

 

            His follow-up album to Savage Mode was Issa, which had very mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. In many ways, the album was a big step up from his previous work. It provided more variety, with many of the songs addressing larger societal issues and his personal mental health. But, his flows had still not changed that much and it left fans like me curious as to where he would go next. He then released Without Warning a mere month after Issa, and it was a collaboration album with rapper Offset and producer Metro Boomin. Once again, this whole album was produced by Metro Boomin and it was actually a very enjoyable listen throughout. Savage had tightened up his flows, the production was spacey and dark, and Offset complimented Savage’s monotone nature with an energetic delivery. 21 Savage had released a great album, but the next album was crucial for him because it would be a solo release and it would show whether Savage can maintain this strive alone. I Am > I Was was the fourth album released by 21 Savage and it is arguably his best and most polished work to date. The subject matter ranged from gang banging to forgotten love to reflection of the street life. It had a lot of variety while sounding sonically great, and most importantly Savage had become much more clever with his lyrics. He grew into the artist that he was always destined to be.

 

            21 Savage just a week prior from today released Savage Mode 2, and it is a great album that continues a great streak for Savage. It might even become an album I enjoy more than I Am > I Was in due time, which just shows that Savage is constantly improving and adapting. I love that he has become so popular over the years, because he truly came from nothing and worked his way up the ladder and made sure that he would succeed. He is one of the more interesting characters in rap currently, and as always I am excited to see where he will go next in his career. 

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