21 Savage’s English origins stun fans of the Atlanta rapper

LOS ANGELES (AP) – It was a shock for fans when 21 Savage was taken into custody by U.S. immigration agents in Georgia. It was an even bigger shock to learn he had been an immigrant in the first place.

The Grammy-nominated rapper and his music are so associated with Atlanta that the notion he was actually born in England and brought to the U.S. at 12 felt bizarre. It became clear that very few knew his birthplace.

Surprised tweets and memes showing him as an Englishman followed.

The rapper born Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph was truthful in his music about his tumultuous teenage years in Atlanta, he simply left out his first years.

Abraham-Joseph was detained by immigration officials Sunday. His attorneys say he has applied for a new visa and should be freed.