"Monster" is a song by Atlanta-based rapper

21 Savage Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He became known after releasing two m ...

from his second studio album ''I Am > I Was'' (2018). The song features actor and rapper

Childish Gambino Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...

, and was produced by

DJ Dahi Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), professionally known as DJ Dahi, is an American DJ, songwriter, record producer and singer from Inglewood, California. Dahi is perhaps best known for producing " Money Trees" by American rapper Kendric ...

, Axl Folie, Dave Sava6e, and Tiggi. The song was first previewed on December 16, 2018 on 21 Savage's Instagram and was eventually sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on May 7, 2019.

Composition and lyrics

The song is about how wealth and fame can turn a person into a "monster", as summarized in the chorus: "Power / The money and the fame make a monster." Childish Gambino also expresses his disillusionment in the music industry, rapping: "Me and Savage, we came from the dirt / If you rappin' for money, you silly / This shit ain't a milli', this shit is a hundred / The industry savage and most of you average".

Live performances

On August 3, 2019, 21 Savage performed the song at

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...

with Childish Gambino.

Charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2019 singles 2019 songs 21 Savage songs Songs written by 21 Savage Donald Glover songs Songs written by Donald Glover Songs written by DJ Dahi Song recordings produced by DJ Dahi