21 Savage released on bond from ICE custody after being detained by US immigration

Rapper’s lawyers say ‘he won his freedom’ after immigration proceedings are expedited by US officials

Rapper 21 Savage has been released on bond from federal immigration custody after US immigration officials said the British citizen had overstayed his visa and has a felony conviction.

In a statement, lawyers Charles Kuck, Dina LaPolt and Alex Spiro said the rapper, whose given name is She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was released Tuesday.

“In the last 24 hours, in the wake of the Grammy Awards at which he was scheduled to attend and perform, we received notice that [21 Savage] was granted an expedited hearing," the lawyers said in the statement.

“Today, 21 Savage was granted a release on bond. He won his freedom,” the statement continued. “He will not forget this ordeal or any of the fathers, sons, family members, and faceless people he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated.”

The rapper was taken into immigration custody early on 3 February.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said the British citizen had overstayed his visa and has a felony conviction.

His lawyers said they’ve been speaking with ICE since his arrest to “clarify his actual legal standing, his eligibility for bond, and provide evidence of his extraordinary contributions to his community and society.”

They have previously said the 26-year-old rapper was brought to the US when he was just seven-years-old.

The rapper's legal status expired in 2006 through no fault of his own, his lawyers have said.

“21 Savage asked us to send a special message to his fans and supporters,” the statement from the rapper’s lawyers continued. “He says that while he wasn’t present at the Grammy Awards, he was there in spirit”.

The lawyers noted 21 Savage “is grateful for the support from around the world and is more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together.”

Additional reporting by AP