21 Savage has faced quite a hectic rollout for his new album WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS?, whether for the peers he's trying to unify or the enemies he's creating. Recently, he cleared up his recent online and interview comments on "the streets" after folks like Blueface and Tekashi 6ix9ine called him and others out for what they believe is hypocrisy.
For those unaware, what began as 21 Savage's plea for a reconciliation between Young Thug and Gunna eventually led to Thugger, Meek Mill, Pooh Shiesty, and other rappers saying "f**k the streets" online. Savage took to his Instagram Story recently to address some of the backlash.
"When I say f the streets I'm talking about the part that gave me trauma and made me can't sleep at night," he wrote, as caught by The Shade Room on IG. "If you ain't tired of that part you ain't been through it!"
Before this, 6ix9ine and Blueface had dismissed 21 Savage's remarks. "I love the streets," the latter tweeted, as caught by The Neighborhood Talk on Instagram. "You square a** n***as should have never jumped off the curb smh."
"Now it's f**k the streets," Tekashi posted on his Instagram Story. "But remember when it was 'yo 69 we don't care about your platinum records WE PLATINUM IN THE STREETS' but now it's f**k the streets."
"F**k The Streets"
These responses from both provocative MCs represent a wider pushback against 21 Savage's anti-"streets" statements. Fans opposing it are on three sides: one brings up folks like Gunna, whom other rappers left behind due to snitching allegations. If "the streets" are no more, then forgiveness, reconciliation, and accountability are in order.
Another side is happy to see these rappers leave the streets behind in favor of more "authentic" voices in their view, dismissing their loyalty to "the streets" as a whole. The final side thinks that this is all because these artists' music isn't hitting like it used to.
No matter what you think, it's clear that there are a lot of contradictions, nuances, and presumptions at play. Hopefully fans champion perseverance, growth, and earnestness over perceptions of Internet authenticity, numbers games, and the like.
