Morgan Freeman Reveals How He Got On 21 Savage & Metro Boomin's "Savage Mode 2"

Morgan Freeman revealed how he connected with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin to do the skits on "Savage Mode 2."

BYAron A.
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It came as quite a shock when Morgan Freeman's ushered the announcement of Savage Mode II. What was even more surprising is that his role wasn't just limited to the trailer. Known to many as the voice of God, Morgan Freeman's voice leads Savage Mode II as the first person you hear on the project. "Great men with great ideas can be separated by hundreds or even thousands of miles and still be in the same place," he says.

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Speaking to GQ, Morgan Freeman explained his interest in the role came from constantly being cast as a "nice guy." This was an opportunity to step out of his typical line of work. “What happens is you sort of get locked into a position,” Freeman explained. “Henry Fonda was in it, Spencer Tracy was in it, James Stewart was in it, even though he played a couple of bad guys. You don't really don't want to be cast into a mold, but after a few years, it's bound to happen. Every [offer] that’s outside of what you consider [your] mold is fun to do. I got to jump at it.”

Excluding defining what separates a snitch and a rat, Freeman revealed that the morals and values being preached in both the album and the script resonated with him. “I read the copy and was like, ‘Wow, there’s some wisdom in here,’” he said. "I think this is the way I think. It's basically saying don't suffer fools and when you want something go for that... “If [Savage’s music] is a young people thing, then this is stuff they need to be aware of. So it’s a good thing to do.” He added that the skits were all recorded on his iPhone from home. 

Savage was perhaps even more excited to be working with Morgan Freeman. The rapper celebrated his album release during an Instagram Live where he flexed on pretty much everyone, including his peers in rap, that he was able to work with the legendary actor.

"Listen to Morgan Freeman, man! That's Morgan Freeman. Fuck wrong with y'all? Y'all can't even e-mail Morgan Freeman," he said as "Many Men" starts playing in the background. Savage brings it back to the "Snitches & Rats" interlude. "Break it down to 'em, Morgan!"

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Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.