"A Lot" is a song by British-American rapper21 Savage. The audio of the song was released on December 20, 2018, a day ahead of the album's official release, via the rapper'sYouTube account. The song was sent to rhythmic andurban contemporary radio on January 8, 2019, as the lead single from his second albumI Am > I Was.[1]
"A Lot" features fellow American rapperJ. Cole, though he only appears in the streaming and digital versions, as well as later CD pressings.[2] The song was written by the artists and its producersDJ Dahi andJ. White Did It. It samples "I Love You" by East of Underground, which is a cover of "I Love You for All Seasons" performed bythe Fuzz; Fuzz member Shelia Young is credited as a co-writer.[3] The song received acclaim from critics, withBillboard ranking it as the 6th best song of 2019.[4] It won aGrammy Award forBest Rap Song at the2020 ceremony, marking both 21 Savage and J. Cole's first Grammy wins.[5][6]
Speaking toThe Breakfast Club radio show, 21 Savage recalled how the song came about after he and J. Cole first met at theMade in America Festival in 2018;[7] the two exchanged cellphone numbers and a random text from Cole ended up in a studio session.[7]
21 further elaborated:
He took the song with him back home to Raleigh, 'cause he drove [...] and then he sent me the shit. And I was like, "Damn, this shit hard as fuck". That was just like some spur-of-the-moment shit. You know I had to go up there and fuck with Cole."[7]
On the song, 21 Savage reflects "just how much he's endured and how far he's come". J. Cole meanwhile "speaks directly on the dubious machinations of the music industry, thejustice system,media spin and his own place in the larger narrative", according toBillboard.[4] The magazine praised the "heady, honest lyricism that gives the song its timeless appeal".[4] The song's video and the original CD edition feature an additional verse by 21, which included the line "Been through some things, but I couldn't imagine my kids stuck at the border", a reference to theTrump administration family separation policy.[4] The hook contains similarities toGucci Mane's 2009 song of the same name.[8]
Themusic video was released on February 1, 2019, and was directed by filmmaker Aisultan Seitov. It depicts 21 Savage having a family reunion in a luxurious mansion, with alternate shots intercut of his family members in dire situations such as beingpulled over by police, in the hospital, refining cocaine,in jail, held hostage byorganized crime, beingsexually trafficked, or mourning the death of a son. The video was influenced by the filmsCold War andThe Godfather Part II.[9]
Both J. Cole's verse and 21 Savage's alternate verse from the album version are featured, with J. Cole also appearing in the video.
After thearrest and detention of 21 Savage byICE just days after the release of the music video for "A Lot", it was purported that besides his immigration status, the rapper was targeted due to his alternate verse for the album version of the song. Lawyers for 21 Savage, in addition to U.S. RepresentativeAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, all suspect that ICE targeted him for his views and comments including a certain stanza of the song that criticized issues with theMexico-U.S. border, especially theTrump administration family separation policy.[10][11][12]
Been through some things but I couldn't imagine my kids stuck at the border
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 07. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 07. týden 2019 in the date selector. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
