21 Savage thinks he has to have a long way to go before being regarded as a peer of Drake or J. Cole.
In an interview with Complex, which labeled him as the best rapper of 2022, the Slaughter Gang member explained why he isn't yet on their own level. 21 Savage referenced Lil Baby, Young Thug, and Travis Scott as real-life peers.
“There’s just a difference, bro,” 21 Savage said when comparing himself to Drake and J. Cole. “That’s like years of work and a fanbase that is going to be there until they die, that’s different. I feel like I’m working to be on that level that they’re on, but I don’t feel like it’s the same. I feel I could do something corny, and I would lose a lot of what I got. That wouldn’t happen with them.”
He continued, “Drake could do whatever, Cole could do whatever, and their s### not going anywhere. I’m working toward that level for sure, but I don’t I’m there yet. I’m not saying I’m light-years behind. They’re more solidified, and I’m still building on what I got. But I could be wrong … It’s all about how the fans look at it.”
21 Savage and Drake collaborated on the album Her Loss last year. The album started at the top of the Billboard 200.
J. Cole collaborated with 21 Savage on the song "A Lot" off his 2018 album I Am > I Was. In 2021, the two reunited for a tune named "m y. l I f e" on J. Cole's The Off-Season.