Key Takeaways:
- The album includes features from Drake, Latto, GloRilla and more across 14 tracks.
- 21 Savage reflects on themes of loss, loyalty and change in Atlanta’s evolving rap scene.
- A standout quote from Savage frames the album’s title: “The street dead… S**t ain’t the same no more.”
“What happened to the streets?” That’s the question 21 Savage set out to answer on his surprise fourth studio album, announced just days before its release on Friday (Dec. 12) at midnight.
Spanning 14 songs, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS? arrived with plenty of familiar collaborators, including Young Nudy, Lil Baby and G Herbo. The London-born rapper also teamed up with GloRilla and R&B singer Jawan Harris for the first time on songs like “DOG $HIT” and “I WISH,” respectively.
Savage opens the LP with “WHERE YOU FROM,” in which he reaffirms his ties to Zone 6 before name-dropping Drake and Metro Boomin, both of whom appear later on. A few tracks later, on “POP IT,” he reunites with his rumored girlfriend, Latto, who seemingly confirms their relationship with bars like, “Thick as f**k, built like I dance / F**kin' on this British man.”
On the very next track, “MR RECOUP,” Savage and Drake tap back into their Her Loss chemistry. Drizzy references his eagerly awaited Iceman album and OVO affiliate Chubbs, with the most polarizing element likely being the song’s instrumental.
Closing out the body of work, “I WISH” feels closest to answering the project’s titular question. Savage reflects on the many lives Hip Hop has lost in recent years, paying tribute to Takeoff, Young Dolph, PnB Rock, Young Scooter, Rich Homie Quan, Lil Keed and several others.
Surprise albums — especially this late in the year — are always a gamble, especially when taking into consideration stan culture’s obsession with first-week sales. However, Savage seemingly made the right call trusting WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREETS?, which also arrived with four different physical editions, each numbered from one to 2,100.
“The street dead,” Savage said while discussing the album’s title during “Perspektives With Bank” on Thursday (Dec. 11). “It’s f**ked up. S**t ain’t the same no more.” See the full interview below.