Perspektives With Bank Exclusive: What Happened To The Streets feat. 21 Savage

Podcast: The Breakfast Club (iHeart)
Date: December 12, 2025
Guests: Big Bank (Host), 21 Savage

Episode Overview

This special “Perspektives With Bank” episode features a candid, no-holds-barred conversation between Atlanta rap icon 21 Savage and seasoned industry figure Big Bank. The two dissect the current state and meaning of “the streets,” the internet's impact, street codes like snitching, and Atlanta’s rap scene. Personal experiences, vulnerability, and raw perspectives give the discussion depth, providing an authentic lens on survival, loyalty, change, and the real costs of street life and music fame.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Happened to the Streets? The Death of Street Code

Timestamps: 05:16 – 18:00; 31:26 – 36:45; 42:47 – 44:12; 80:53 – 177:10

• Erosion of Morals & Principles:

  • 21 Savage: “Street dead, up ain’t the same no more.” (05:19)
  • Trouble began when "the Internet started having an opinion on what goes on in the streets," breaking traditional boundaries (06:20).
  • "The cons always outweigh the pros of the street," says 21. In the past, you risked jail/death for good money; now there’s “no money, just risk” (33:48).

• The Influence of the Internet:

  • 21 Savage: “The internet don’t supposed to never dictate who did wrong in the streets… you’re not in the streets.” (08:44)
  • Perception can destroy artists quickly: “Let the wrong narrative get going about you, oh God.” (44:08)

• The Breakdown of the Hustle:

  • Old streets had room for grinders; new streets are about violence, not money:
    • “Now you only signing up to die or go to jail.” (33:23)

• Content vs. Reality:

  • Storytelling on the internet confuses fiction and fact, blurring real street reputations (07:32–09:35).

2. Internet Culture, Rumors, and the Nature of Respect

Timestamps: 06:20 – 18:00; 43:42 – 48:47; 130:04 – 137:47

• Internet vs. the Real:

  • 21: People’s reputations are destroyed by rumors. Even real street guys start believing the net:
    • “You got street niggas who wake up and see some sh*t…and will go with that narrative.” (10:00)

• Narrative and Virality:

  • Social media encourages quick judgments, often against street principles (11:07), fanning drama for online attention.

• Fame, Authenticity, and Survival:

  • Real authenticity inspires listeners, but now fans demand proof and force entertainers to prove themselves beyond the music (41:58–43:12).

3. Personal Evolution Out of the Trap

Timestamps: 15:03 – 18:00; 27:02 – 36:45; 40:59 – 44:12; 115:56 – 117:03

• From Hustler to Star:

  • 21 Savage discusses his past: “I was forced in the street. Couldn’t do nothing else…I ain't got no green card, I can't get no job.” (27:41)
  • “I always did my own thing, bro. I ain’t...I always have. But I’m not going to compromise myself…” (119:36)
  • Unexpected journey: “If Johnny didn’t die, I don’t think I would have been no rapper.” (15:41)

• Psychological Scars & Survival's Price:

  • Survivors' remorse is real—but 21 focuses on cause and effect, not destiny (53:56–61:37).
  • Both compare the trauma of street loss to war PTSD, highlighting how both leave people "f**ked up in the head for real." (110:41–116:07)

• Letting Go of the Street:

  • “I ain't get out of the street till the money start coming.” (117:16)

4. Codes, Snitching, and Moral Ambiguity

Timestamps: 83:04 – 102:08

• The Myth of a Clear Code:

  • “Everybody acts like snitching is just this oxymoron from the streets. But even police stand on it—the code of silence.” (83:04)

• Subjectivity & Moving the Goalposts:

  • “It’s like basketball...it’s not just black and white, just one thing.” (91:44)
  • What’s “telling” is dependent on context, intention, local codes, and relationships. It’s not always cut and dry.

• Admitting Bias:

  • Both hosts acknowledge how personal feelings often color judgment—“I’mma move for my nigga in public” (101:04)

5. Atlanta & the Rap Game: Past, Present, and Future

Timestamps: 65:13 – 77:41; 140:29 – 164:14

• Industry Dynamics:

  • Atlanta’s hierarchy is shifting. The city once produced icons at a rapid pace. Now, “the path isn’t the same,” fewer real stars emerge, and the internet saturates everything (70:27–73:40).

• Unity and Division:

  • The clique mentality is criticized: “That’s the bitchest shit ever to me...just because I don’t like A, I don’t want all my n****s to not like him.” (75:49–78:06)
  • The hosts state that ego, jealousy, and lack of honest communication are key obstacles. “Ego is the biggest downfall of men.” (104:01)

• Street to Music Pipeline:

  • “Rappers waited ‘til they got money and blew up to act like they kingpins and gangsters. … You never did nothing.” (175:11)

• Rap Game Suggestions:

  • Less ego, more focus on mutual benefit and honesty could transform both streets and the music industry.

6. Patchwork and Peace: Conflict Mediation

Timestamps: 121:25 – 137:47

• 21 reflects on trying to mediate high-profile rifts (Lucci vs. YSL) in Atlanta: “If I just watch two n***s almost lose their freedom behind some sht, why not bring y'all together?” (122:32)
• On failed mediation: Sometimes beef is too deep or egos too large; mediation only happens if it feels genuine.

7. Vulnerability, Family, and the Real Definition of Success

Timestamps: 146:43 – 148:02

• True Accomplishments:

  • 21’s greatest personal success isn’t records or platinum plaques—“my mama got two mansions. That’s my biggest accomplishment. From sleeping in the bunk bed together…no mortgage, no nothing.” (146:43)

• Duty as a Public Figure:

  • Bank presses 21 on whether he’s got a responsibility to guide youth. 21 questions that role: “Is it my duty to be a n****'s daddy? …They grown as hell, they know what's wrong.” (169:28)

• The Limits of Leadership:

  • 21 admits he won't compromise his core self for industry trends or peer pressure (120:15–120:26).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“If every n**** start jumping off cliffs, you going to jump off a cliff?”
— 21 Savage, on upholding personal morals regardless of trends (05:44)

“The Internet don’t supposed to never dictate who did wrong in the streets… you’re not in the streets.”
— 21 Savage (08:44)

“Let the wrong narrative get to going about you,—oh God.”—21 Savage, on how fast the internet can destroy a reputation (44:08)

“Niggas killed the streets. Everybody dead. And it ain’t no money in it.”
— 21 Savage (30:44)

“Now you only signing up to die or go to jail...It’s really like an oxymoron.”
— 21 Savage, on the futility of being in the streets now (33:23)

“Police have a code too. They stand on it. Everybody that worked for goddamn law enforcement stand on it. They don’t snitch on each other… It’s just betrayal.”
— 21 Savage (83:04)

“It's only the success that's making you call it special. If I didn’t make it, we wouldn't even be talking.”
— 21 Savage on “destiny” and being an anomaly (61:00)

“Ego is the biggest downfall of men. In the rap game, in life.”
— 21 Savage (104:01)

“How do you win a battle when they want you to lose it? Even if you win, you lose.”
— 21 Savage, on battles and public perception in music (151:59)

“If you could change the streets, I’d make it so all you can do is hustle. No violence.”
— 21 Savage (121:11)

“If I could say my mama got two mansions… That’s my biggest accomplishment.”
— 21 Savage (146:43)

“I ain't gonna compromise my morals or my principles.”
— 21 Savage (146:12)

Important Timestamps

• 05:16: Naming of the album, “the streets ain’t the same no more”
• 06:20: Internet’s impact on real street culture
• 10:00: How narratives online shape street perceptions
• 27:41: 21’s upbringing—forced into hustling for survival
• 33:23: You can’t grind up from the block anymore; streets are all risk
• 44:08: The internet can drop your career “from 100 to 40”
• 61:00: On “specialness” and circumstances—“it’s only the success”
• 80:53: Conversation about rewriting street codes and responsibilities
• 104:01: Rap game’s biggest problem is ego
• 146:43: 21’s biggest victory—providing for family
• 175:11: Current rappers faking or amplifying gangster images

Overall Tone

The tone is conversational, at times playful but predominantly raw, unfiltered, and deeply reflective. Both 21 Savage and Big Bank use authentic street language, speak honestly about their pasts, and aren’t afraid to critique their industry, city, or themselves. There’s humor and warmth alongside a grounded seriousness about violence, trauma, and responsibility.

Summary Takeaway

This episode delivers a deep dive into the realities and shifting codes of street culture—from the personal, moral, and economic standpoints. It also opens up nuanced debates about snitching, authenticity, trauma, and responsibility in the hip-hop community and beyond. Both hosts ultimately agree: the “streets” as defined in their youth have died, altered by time, economics, modern music culture, and, above all, the internet—a phenomenon neither villain nor savior, but a force too wild for old codes to harness.