21 Savage Sparks Debate On Authenticity After Cryptic Social Media Post

Instagram/@21savage

21 Savage with his post on social media has drawn a lot of attention and even controversy has erupted around him regarding his authenticity and street credibility. The rapper, who was born as Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, uploaded a picture on his Instagram saying ‘Is he the realest out rn?’ and very soon after this question had popped up, even fans and detractors stepping up to the plate to grill him on his partnerships, his past, and his entire career. The whole thing was happening in the midst of the conflicts within the industry and the release of his new album.

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The post caused a stir in the comment section. Fans were immediate in their support, one of them even said, “After seeing the Bank interview, yeah, 21 is REAL,” he implied to the rapper’s long interview with journalist Adam22. Such support was also shared by other users who thought that the artist’s consistency in the same musical genre throughout his career was a great positive point for him. “Real stuff. I do not understand where the 21 hate comes from, he has always been in the same lane he just raised his craft,” one user wrote.

Oppositions were, however, more numerous and even more articulated than all the support put together. One of the hottest topics in the discussion was his alleged side-switching in the case of feuding between rappers. “How he the realest when he switched up on yb just for durk,” asked one of the critics referring to the past collaborations of the rapper with YoungBoy Never Broke Again. Another critic commented, “Nah if he was real then he’d treat thug like he treats Gunna. Let’s be real the dude thug ratted out is doing time for his ratting. Real always keep real.” This user was referring to the challenging situation with the YSL RICO case saying 21 Savage has a double standard.

A rapper’s three-hour-long interview with No Jumper, a blog where he discussed sensitive topics, was also a major discussion topic. “3hrs talmbout how they hang wit rats😂,” a user replied ironically. Another user said, “man woke up and was like ‘ima go talk to the police’ what street nigga ever will do that and talk for 3 hours straight.” To these users, the fact that he allowed such a long recorded conversation was a strong argument against the “real” image.

Another thing that made memes go viral on the internet and he being British, of course, was that he was already using it against himself. “Bro you from the UK relax,” was the most common response, which was followed by “Sir Sabbath the 21st has spoken 🇬🇧 😂” and “Greatest British Rapper Of All Time 🇬🇧.” Jokes were flying thick and fast, from telling him to “go have your tea in London” to plain telling him to “go back to the UK.” There was even one user who said, “I read this in my British accent!”

There were some critiques apart from the jokes that were aimed at his artistry. “Cut it out, you make the same song over and over, you not the biggest of anything..🙄” one listener claimed. Another simply said, “his shit been wack since he came out with X years ago.” Some argued about his business decisions, like when he worked with Drake at the same time the rapper was having a legal battle: “Whole album bout ‘real skreet niggas’ then has a song with drake the Jew who’s mad he lost a battle so he’s sueing his label 😂 lost me with that shit.”

The reply captures a significant contradiction in the modern hip-hop audience: the demand for genuine and street-related stories vs. the fact that artists are constantly dealing with complex legal and business issues. 21 Savage’s question, whether it was rhetorical or honest, was a litmus test. It revealed the truth that every interview, every collaboration, and every lyric is assessed by the hard standard of “realness.”

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At length, the post achieved at least one thing that cannot be disputed: it generated dialogue. Whether seen as a boastful claim or a cautious question, 21 Savage has successfully shifted the focus on his reputation. The talk is now on his terms, even though the responses he gets are mixed to the extreme. The dispute about what makes an artist “real” in this era is still alive, with 21 Savage being at the center of it.

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