Popular rapper 21 Savage made headlines recently when he released a trailer for a biopic film about his life. The trailer featured stars like Donald Glover and Stranger Things‘ Caleb McLaughlin portraying 21 at various stages. It promised a July theatrical release for American Dream: The 21 Savage Story. However, 21 Savage has now revealed it was just a clever marketing gimmick.
The Parody Trailer
On January 8th, 21 Savage dropped the trailer for what looked to be an upcoming biopic film about his journey. The trailer had high production value and featured Glover as 21 Savage during his rap career, plus McLaughlin playing him as a youth. It also starred Jabari Banks as producer Metro Boomin to showcase their rise together.
The trailer announced a July 4th release date for American Dream via Lionsgate Films. It depicted 21 Savage’s origin story, from a young British immigrant to a Billboard-topping Atlanta MC. Overall, it seemed to be a real film chronicling 21 Savage’s inspirational path to stardom.
21 Savage Confirms It’s Not a Real Movie
However, 21 Savage has now debunked the biopic. During a January 24th appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, 21 Savage clarified the trailer is just a “parody.” When asked about the movie coming soon, he simply stated, “Nah, that was a parody.“
21 Savage elaborated that his life story could make for a great film one day. But he feels critics would question if he deserves a biopic right now. “They would hate on it now though,” he explained. Still, the parody trailer served its purpose in promoting 21 Savage’s new album American Dream.
Using The Trailer to Push His Album
The fictional biopic trailer was a clever marketing tool for 21 Savage’s real new album, also titled American Dream. Dropping the trailer shortly before the album’s January 13th release generated buzz. As 21 Savage expected, the trailer sparked conversation about whether his career merits a film already.
Ultimately, the ploy worked. Thanks to the biopic trailer and more, American Dream debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It moved 153,000 first-week units, becoming 21’s third chart-topping release. The trailer got fans hyped about 21 Savage’s story right as his latest chapter arrived.
Key Moments in 21 Savage’s Journey Thus Far
While 21 Savage feels it’s too soon for a biopic, his real life has contained plenty of compelling moments already. Here’s a quick timeline of his successes so far:
- 1992: Born in London to British and Dominican parents
- 1999: Relocates to Atlanta at age 7
- 2013: Drops breakthrough single “I Can’t Get Enough”
- 2015: Releases debut mixtape The Slaughter Tape
- 2016: Named an XXL Freshman; drops smash EP Savage Mode with Metro Boomin
- 2017: Scores first Hot 100 #1 hit with “Rockstar”; signs deal with Epic Records
- 2018: Launches philanthropic back-to-school drives and financial literacy campaigns
- 2019: I Am > I Was becomes first #1 solo album
- 2020: Wins Best Rap Song Grammy for “A Lot”; scores second #1 album with Savage Mode II
- 2022: Collabs with Drake on album Her Loss, his third chart-topper
- 2023: Finally granted U.S. permanent residency after years of waiting
As shown above, 21 Savage has packed his 10+ year career with groundbreaking milestones. He overcame childhood hardships and legal struggles to become a rap icon. 21 Savage gives back to the Atlanta community and leads by example with his label Slaughter Gang. He keeps breaking boundaries, like recently becoming the UK’s first drill rapper to headline London’s famous O2 Arena.
So while 21 Savage feels now isn’t the right time for his biopic, his journey clearly mirrors the American dream. His parody trailer brought extra exposure right as he etched a new chapter with American Dream. Don’t be surprised if an actual blockbuster film about 21 Savage’s come-up does get made further down the road. But for now, the focus stays on 21 Savage’s thriving present and future.