21 Savage is out of jail on a $100,000 bond after being arrested and detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over Super Bowl weekend. Friday morning, the Atlanta rapper appeared on Good Morning America, where he discussed his arrest and explained that his lawyers think he was purposely targeted after criticizing US immigration policy on his recent song, “a lot.”
“My lawyers think that,” he said about the possibility that ICE officials were upset by his lyrics. “I don’t really know. I can’t really say. I see why people would think that, but I really can’t say.”
The extended version of “a lot” appears in the song’s music video, which dropped just two days before his arrest. On the track, he raps about family separation at the US/Mexico border:
Been through some things, but I couldn’t imagine, my kids stuck at the border
In a separate interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Savage’s attorney Alex Spiro explained that they do think his music played a role. “We believe honestly that he was targeted like they said. And part of the reason we think he was targeted is because he’s both a celebrity and they can use this as a way to send a message, and also, perhaps, because of his music,” he said.
Although the circumstances surrounding his arrest were initially unclear, ICE confirmed to Good Morning America that 21 was arrested as part of a targeted operation. Rapper Young Nudy was also arrested and remains incarcerated. During the interview, 21 explained what happened after he was pulled over by police. “They didn’t say nothing. They just said, ‘We got Savage,’” he revealed. “It was definitely targeted.”
As Genius recently reported, “a lot” has surged in popularity over the past few weeks, with fans rallying around the song during the rapper’s incarceration. It currently sits at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, tying the highest chart position of his career as a lead artist alongside 2017’s “Bank Account.”
Listen to the song above and read all the lyrics to 21 Savage’s “a lot” featuring J. Cole on Genius now.
