On Wednesday (Dec. 20), social media users in Atlanta began sharing billboards that have been popping up around the city. In snaps found on Twitter, said advertisements contained a modified version of the American flag with 21 stars instead of the usual 50. Added to that, images of 21 Savage can be seen throughout, leading many to speculate that the rapper is gearing up for a new album.
As REVOLT previously reported, 21 has largely kept mum about what fans can expect on his next body of work. “We ain’t got no mixes back yet,” he said in an interview with Rolling Stone when asked about new music. In that same feature, his manager, Justin “Meezy” Williams, added, “He d**n near don’t even like the fact that we be listening to it, and I’m his manager. That’s why he said it is not mixed. It might sound small, but it’s a really big deal for him.”
It’s been five years since 21 unveiled his most recent solo album, I Am > I Was, a 15-song effort with assists from City Girls, Offset, Post Malone, Gunna, Lil Baby, ScHoolboy Q, Childish Gambino and more. Said project earned the British-born star his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The biggest standout from I Am > I Was, the J. Cole-assisted “a lot,” was successful in its own right with a top 20 placement on the Billboard Hot 100 and a five-times platinum certification.
Since then, 21 reconnected with Metro Boomin for 2020’s SAVAGE MODE II, the chart-topping sequel to the duo’s classic 2016 EP, Savage Mode. In 2021, 21 helmed the official soundtrack for the horror-thriller Spiral: From the Book of Saw, with help from the likes of Young Nudy, Real Recognize Rio, 21 Lil Harold and Young Thug. The following year, he returned to No. 1 alongside Drake with Her Loss, a 16-track effort that’s since crossed the double platinum mark.