Benjamin Thage Dag Reichwald (born 9 April 1994), known professionally asBladee (pronounced "blade"),[4] is a Swedish rapper and singer. In 2013, he formed theDrain Gang music collective alongside childhood friendsEcco2K,Thaiboy Digital, andWhitearmor. Bladee began releasing music that same year, and gained attention after collaborating withYung Lean.
Bladee released his debut mixtape,Gluee, in 2014, and his debut album,Eversince, in 2016. In 2017 he became art director of Yung Lean's Sadboys Gear clothing line, and releasedWorking on Dying, a collaborative mixtape withthe production group of the same name. Bladee releasedRed Light andIcedancer in 2018.
During 2020, Bladee released three projects:Exeter,333, andGood Luck, a collaborative album with producerMechatok. He released his fifth studio album,The Fool, in 2021, and it met with critical praise. Later that year, he exhibited his first solo collection of paintings,Real Sprin9, and released a collection in collaboration with American-Swedish clothing brandGANT. In 2022, he releasedCrest, a collaborative album with Ecco2K, as well asSpiderr, his sixth solo album.
In 2023, Bladee released several singles in collaboration withSkrillex and Yung Lean. In 2024, he releasedPsykos, a collaborative album with Yung Lean, as well asCold Visions. The same year, he appeared onthe remix ofCharli XCX's song "Rewind" and announced his departure from longtime label and management companyYear0001.
Benjamin Thage Dag Reichwald[5] was born on 9 April 1994[6][7] inStockholm, Sweden,[8] and was raised mainly in theSkanstull area. His mother was a teacher and his father worked in restaurants.[9] Reichwald has a younger brother named Gus, who was classmates with Yung Lean and ultimately introduced the two.[10] As a child, Reichwald aspired to become a painter.[11][12]
In 2004, he metEcco2K. The two were classmates and formed apunk band named Krossad (Swedish for "crushed"),[7][9][13] releasing a demo CD in 2007.[14] Reichwald later met Swedish producerWhitearmor and rapperThaiboy Digital through mutual friends.[9] After leaving school, he worked at a daycare centre for about a year.[12][15]
Reichwald began releasing music under the stage name Bladee in 2013. Alongside Ecco2K, Thaiboy Digital, and Whitearmor, he formed theDrain Gang musical collective, at the time named Gravity Boys Shield Gang.[9] Bladee became friends with fellow Stockholm rapperYung Lean, forming a working relationship between his own Gravity Boys collective and Yung Lean's Sad Boys Entertainment. He was featured on the track "Heal You // Bladerunner" from Lean'sUnknown Death 2002 mixtape, which gave him attention from Yung Lean's fanbase.[9][16]
In 2014, Bladee released his debut mixtapeGluee.[17] It was described as "a summertime anthem for a suburban generation stuck scrolling through Twitter".[15] Bladee released his debut album,Eversince, on 25 May 2016. The album was produced entirely by Whitearmor.[18][19][20]
2017–2018:Working on Dying,Red Light, andIcedancer
In 2017, Bladee became art director of Yung Lean's Sadboys Gear clothing line.[21] Later that year, he collaborated with production groupWorking on Dying on his second mixtape, named after the group.[22] The mixtape includes features from Yung Lean and Ecco2K.[23] A video for the track "Lordship" was later released.[24][25]
After releasing the track "Decay" as a lead single,[26] Bladee releasedRed Light, his second album, on 11 May 2018.[27][11] It features executive production by Whitearmor, Sad Boys producerGud, and Drain Gang member Yung Sherman.[28] In July2018, Bladee walked the runway at Alyx's fall 2019 menswear show in Paris, alongside Ecco2K.[13] His third mixtape,Icedancer, was released on 28 December 2018. The mixtape was produced by production duo Ripsquadd,[29][30] and had guest appearances from Yung Lean and Thaiboy Digital.[31]
In April 2020, Bladee releasedEXETER, a nine-song album he recorded during a week-long stay inGotland, Sweden with Gud.[32] The album included features from Ecco2K.[17] A video was later released for the track "Every Moment Special".[33] In July 2020, Bladee released333 viaYear0001. Executively produced by Whitearmor, the album contains no credited features.[34][35] A video for the track "Reality Surf" was released.[36]
After releasing tracks "All I Want", "God", and "Drama" as singles,[37][38][39] Bladee released his third album of 2020,Good Luck. A collaborative album with Berlin producerMechatok,[40] it premiered on 10 December as part of anaudiovisual livestream.[41][42] A deluxe version was later released that included a remix of the track "Drama", featuringCharli XCX.[43][44]
In May2021, Bladee released his fifth solo album,The Fool, via Year0001.[45] The album includes a feature from Thaiboy Digital and was primarily produced by Ripsquadd producer Lusi.[46]The Fool was well received by critics[47][45][48] and placed 11th onThe Fader's 2021 end of year list.[48] During July and August2021, Bladee exhibited his first solo collection of paintings,Real Sprin9, at the Residence Gallery in London.[49] In September2021, he released a capsule Drain Gang collection in collaboration with the American-Swedish clothing brandGANT.[12]
In January2022, Bladee released the single "Amygdala" in collaboration with Ecco2K and Mechatok, along with an accompanying video.[50][51] On 18 March, he releasedCrest, a collaborative album with Ecco2K, via Year0001. Produced entirely by Whitearmor,Crest was critically acclaimed.[52][53][54] In September2022, Bladee released the lead single "Drain Story", announcing his sixth album,Spiderr. An accompanying video directed by Ecco2K was released.[55] On 30 September, Bladee releasedSpiderr via Year0001.[56]
2023–present: Various collaborations,Cold Visions, and Year0001 split
In January2023, Bladee appeared on theSkrillex single "Real Spring",[57] which shares its name with Bladee's 2021 art exhibition.[58] The next month, Bladee appeared on Skrillex's single "Ceremony" alongside Yung Lean. Music videos were released for both tracks.[59] Bladee collaborated with fellow Swedish artistVarg²™ for their first art exhibition,Fucked for Life, held at The Hole in New York from May to June2023.[60][61] In August2023, Yung Lean released the double-sided single "Victorious" & "Bullets" in collaboration with Bladee.[62] Both tracks were produced by Whitearmor[62] and released via Yung Lean's personal label World Affairs.[62][63]
On 13 March 2024, Bladee and Yung Lean releasedPsykos, a surprise album,[64] via World Affairs.[63]Psykos marked their first collaborative album after over a decade of working together, and was a sonic shift for the two artists, incorporating elements ofrock andpost-punk as opposed to their usualpop andhip hop soundscape.[63][65][66] Bladee releasedCold Visions, also a surprise album, via his label Trash Island on 23 April 2024.[67][68] All 30 tracks were produced byF1lthy, with whom Bladee had previously collaborated on the mixtapeWorking on Dying in 2017.Cold Visions featured Yung Lean, Yung Sherman, Thaiboy Digital, and Black Kray[69] and was well received by music critics,[70][71] with it being described as Bladee's "most realized project to date" byPitchfork.[68]
In November2024, Bladee and other Drain Gang members announced that they were no longer affiliated with their longtime label and management company Year0001.[7][76] In an interview withThe Guardian, Bladee stated: "I don't really care anymore about being a bigger artist. The only thing that's important is that I'm doing something that's true to me."[7]
Bladee released the EPSte The Beautiful Martyr 1st Attempt on 30 April 2025.[77] A week later on 6 May 2025, Bladee announced theMartyr World Tour viaInstagram.[78] The tour features 10 different countries, making it the largest Bladee tour.[79][80]
In a 2019 interview, Bladee said the music he creates does not fit a preexisting genre.[9] Jack Angell, a music writer forThe Fader, called Bladee's sound "frostbitten futurism" and wrote that his music evokes "a wide spectrum of emotion".[9] Nadine Smith wrote forPitchfork that Bladee's work "introduces recognizable elements of American rap music to a new environment".[81] In an interview with032c, Drain Gang members described their intuitive approach to music creation, with Bladee saying he does not write lyrics ahead of time. He has citedHilma af Klint,[52]Chief Keef,Lil B,The Beach Boys,Basshunter, andJames Ferraro as influences on his work.[9]
Bladee is a private person.[7][12] He has said, "I really don't like to talk about myself. I find it weird."[9] In interviews, he has mentioned beingstruck by lightning during a trip to Thailand in 2019[12] and called the experience transformative.[7][9]
Bladee's younger brother, Gus Reichwald, is a videographer who has directed, filmed, and edited multiple Drain Gang and Sad Boys videos.[82]
