''Savage Mode'' is a collaborative

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

by British-American rapper

21 Savage Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American-British rapper. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regiona ...

and American record producer

Metro Boomin Leland Tyler Wayne (born September 16, 1993), known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer and music executive. Widely acclaimed for his dark and cinematic production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential p ...

. It was released on July 15, 2016. It features a sole guest appearance by American rapper

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ex ...

. The EP was

self-released Self-publishing is an author-driven publication of any media without the involvement of a third-party publisher. Since the advent of the internet, self-published usually depends upon digital platforms and print-on-demand technology, ranging fr ...

. The EP received acclaim from critics, with ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' including it in its list of the 40 Best Rap Albums of 2016. A sequel album, '' Savage Mode II'', was released on October 2, 2020 to further acclaim.

Critical reception

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'' called the project 21 Savage's "strongest and bleakest work" and praised the "brooding, eerie production" by Metro Boomin. ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' called it "a minor masterpiece in

sound design Sound design is the art and practice of creating auditory elements of media. It involves specifying, acquiring and creating audio using production techniques and equipment or software. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking ...

", noting that "for as merciless as 21 Savage's writing can be, the album borders on

ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...

." ''HotNewHipHop'' stated that "its style unequivocally trumps its substance, which is par for the course in this school of arty street rap, but its form a compact, impeccably-curated product is sorely missing from the genre." ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'' called the album "a grim, pearl clutching narrative straight from the South." In a positive review, Craig Jenkins of ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...

'' called it "gleefully ultraviolent and pridefully indulgent", stating that "this music is built from the same casual hopelessness that shocks us cold whenever we awake to fresh news of

mass murder Mass murder is the violent crime of murder, killing a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. A mass murder typically occurs in a single location where one or more ...

police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...

Track listing

Notes * "X" was originally titled "X Bitch"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 2016 collaborative albums 21 Savage albums Metro Boomin albums Albums produced by Metro Boomin Albums produced by Southside (record producer) Albums produced by Cubeatz Albums produced by Sonny Digital Albums produced by Zaytoven