‘I’m in savage mode’: Rapper 21 Savage performs at UF

While it may never be known if 21 Savage ate his chicken wings, UF students definitely saw him perform.

About 6,000 people watched rapper 21 Savage, who requested 50 wings in his contract with UF, perform Monday night at the O’Connell Center.

The performance was first scheduled for Feb. 27 in honor of Black History Month. However, it was rescheduled due to the detention of 21 Savage, whose legal name is She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Feb. 3 for overstaying his U.S. visa.

Rapper Yung Garzi, who was a UF plant science student for two years, opened for 21 Savage, performing a 40-minute set in pink and white socks.

“I used to go here,” Garzi told the crowd. “UF, turn the f--- up.”

21 Savage came out at about 8:40 p.m. and performed for about an hour, including his songs “rockstar,” “Savage Mode” and “a lot.” The performance included fire and smoke cannons.

“Gainesville, I’m in savage mode,” 21 Savage said in his performance.

Several students leaving the concert said it wasn’t too vivacious, which they said was expected considering it was a school event.

Students were able to return their $10 tickets for a full refund because of the schedule change, said Student Government Productions Chairman Andrew Kelly.

“I’m sure [students] are definitely not going to forget tonight,” Kelly said. “There’s a lot of work and effort that went into the show, not only by myself but, of course, the entire team.”

The O’Connell Center offered refunds until the start of the show and only issued 10 refunds through the box office until then, said Renee Musson, the associate director of the O’Connell Center.

The box office did not have information on how many tickets were refunded electronically through Ticketmaster, and all refunded tickets were resold, she said.

Student Government officials, including SG President Ian Green and SG President-elect Michael Murphy, received invite-only meet-and-greet passes, according to the rapper’s contract.

The rapper was released on bond a little more than a week after his detention, but the status of his UF performance was unknown until Feb. 20.

21 Savage, who was brought to UF by Student Government Productions and the Black Student Union, was paid $110,000 to perform.

Mac Baxter, a 23-year-old UF mechanical engineering senior, said he admits he isn’t the biggest 21 Savage fan but went to the show because some of his friends were going.

However, after the schedule change, many of his friends could no longer go, even though he did.

“The delay affected me because a third of the people I knew couldn’t come, and I ended up sitting in better seats because everyone was giving their tickets away,” he said.

The concert was what he expected for a school event, but he said he was not too thrilled with 21 Savage’s performance.

“He kind of just, like, sang over his own songs. It was borderline lip-syncing,” he said.

Sarah Dominique, the director of UF’s Black History Month, attended the concert with her friend Zjara Wilson.

“He’s my husband. You can quote me on that,” Wilson, a 22-year-old UF telecommunication senior, said about the rapper. “So, that’s why I’m here — supporting my man.”

Wilson, who knew all of 21 Savage’s songs, said that even though the concert was rescheduled from February, which is Black History Month, it still holds special value.

“[His situation] just brings a highlight to just how different African Americans are treated in this country,” she said. “It’s just really refreshing for him to still be able to come perform, share his art with us and share a part of our culture with the University of Florida.”

Staff photographer Chris King contributed to this report.

Rapper 21 Savage performs at UF Monday night.