The Slaughter Tape 21 Savage

An Atlanta-based rapper who kicked off his career with the crew Slaughtergang, MC 21 Savage hit as a solo artist with his 2014 single "Picky." Born Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph in Dominica, he formed Slaughtergang with fellow Atlanta rapper Lotto Savage. First single "Picky" launched his solo career in 2014, and his debut mixtape, The Slaughter Tape, dropped in 2015. The Free Guwop EP, with Sonny Digital, landed that same year, as did a second solo mixtape, Slaughter King. In 2016 he joined Metro Boomin for the collaborative EP Savage Mode, which climbed into the Top 25 of the Billboard 200 and peaked at number seven on the Rap Albums chart. Savage's debut full-length arrived in the summer of 2017. Issa Album (Slaughter Gang/Epic) featured production by Metro Boomin, Southside, Zaytoven, and DJ Mustard, as well as an appearance by Young Thug on "Whole Lot." He closed out the year by releasing another mixtape, Without Warning, which arrived on Halloween and featured heavy collaboration with Offset. ~ David Jeffries