Swae Lee | |
|---|---|
.png) Lee in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Born | Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown (1993-06-07)June 7, 1993 (age 32) Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | Rapper, singer |
| Works | Swae Lee discography |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Rae Sremmurd |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | swaeleeofficial |
| Signature | |
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Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown (born June 7, 1993),[1][2][3] known professionally asSwae Lee, is an American rapper and singer fromInglewood, California. Known for his wide-ranged,reverb-heavy vocals and genre-blending, Lee is one half of the Mississippi-based hip-hop duoRae Sremmurd, which he formed in 2010 with his older brotherSlim Jxmmi.
Rae Sremmurd signed withMike Will Made It's EarDrummer Records, an imprint ofInterscope Records in 2013. The duo's first three studio albums —SremmLife (2015),SremmLife 2 (2016) andSR3MM (2018) — debuted within the top ten of theBillboard 200, and spawned hit songs including "No Flex Zone," "No Type," and "Black Beatles" (featuringGucci Mane)—the latter of which topped theBillboard Hot 100. As a solo act, he guest appeared onFrench Montana's 2017 single "Unforgettable," which peaked within the latter chart's top ten—becoming his first song to do so as a solo artist—and receiveddiamond certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Later that year, he received aGrammy Award nomination for co-writingBeyoncé's single "Formation."
In 2018, Lee released his debut solo studio album,Swaecation, as part of Rae Sremmurd's third album,SR3MM (2018)—atriple album. That same year, his single "Sunflower" (withPost Malone) was released forthe accompanying soundtrack to the filmSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). The song peaked atop theBillboard Hot 100, received two Grammy Award nominations,[4] and became thehighest-certified song inRIAA history; the first to receivedouble diamond (20× platinum) certification.[5] Also in 2018, he released the single "Close to Me" (withEllie Goulding andDiplo)—a top 40 US hit withdouble platinum certification—and made an uncredited guest appearance onTravis Scott's single "Sicko Mode", which became his second song to top theBillboard Hot 100 and likewise earned two Grammy nominations. His 2020 single, "Be Like That" (withKane Brown andKhalid) reached the top 20 of the chart and receivedquadruple platinum certification by the RIAA.
Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown was born on June 7, 1993, inInglewood, California, to a single mother who worked on tanks in theUnited States Army.[6][2][7] Lee was raised inTupelo, Mississippi, and began to make music in high school with his brotherSlim Jxmmi and local rapper Lil Pantz as "Dem Outta St8 Boyz".[8] After graduating high school, Lee, alongside his brother, had a period of homelessness in which theysquatted in an abandoned house.[9][10]
In 2013, he and Slim Jxmmi signed toMike Will Made It's labelEarDrummers Entertainment asRae Sremmurd. They have since released three studio albums under EarDrummers,SremmLife,SremmLife 2, andSR3MM.
In March 2015, Lee was featured on Mike Will Made It's "Drinks on Us", which also featured artistsFuture andThe Weeknd, and became his first single as solo artist.[11] In September 2015, he was featured onWiz Khalifa's "Burn Slow",[12] which peaked at number 83 on theBillboard Hot 100, making it Lee's first solo entry on the chart.[13]
In April 2017, Lee was featured onFrench Montana's "Unforgettable".[14] The song peaked at number three on theBillboard Hot 100, making it Lee's first top ten single on the chart as a solo artist.[15] In September 2018,Jhené Aiko featured Lee on her track "Sativa".[16] Two months later, Lee released a song titled "TR666" alongsideTrippie Redd.[17] On May 4, 2018, almost two years after its initial announcement in August 2016, Lee released his debut solo album,Swaecation as a part of a triple album set, which also contained Rae Sremmurd's third studio album,SR3MM and Slim Jxmmi's debut studio album as a solo artist,Jxmtro.[18][19] In October 2018, he featured on the song "Close to Me" byEllie Goulding andDiplo.[20] Lee also collaborated onXXXTentacion's song "Arms Around You" after his death, along withLil Pump andMaluma.[21] On October 18, 2018, Lee featured onPost Malone's song "Sunflower" forSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,[22] which became Malone's third and Lee's first song as a soloist to top theBillboard Hot 100.[23] He appeared onNicki Minaj's 2018 albumQueen.[24]
In May 2019, he collaborated on the song "Crave" withMadonna on her albumMadame X.[25] In August 2019, Lee released "Won't Be Late" featuring Canadian rapperDrake, produced byTekno and Mike Will Made It. In October 2019, he was featured on88rising's "Walking", alongsideJoji,Jackson Wang, andMajor Lazer.In 2020, he released the single "Someone Said", based on his feature onTravis Scott's "Sicko Mode". He also collaborated withChloe x Halle on the Mike Will Made It-produced "Catch Up", from the former's albumUngodly Hour. He was featured on the remix toArizona Zervas' hit song "Roxanne". On June 18, 2020, Lee released the single, "Reality Check".[26]
Lee invested in esports organizationXSET in October 2020.[27] Lee has been working on his upcoming albumHuman Nature since 2020. In the same year, he appeared onPop Smoke’s posthumous albumShoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon.[28] In 2021, he collaborated withAlicia Keys on the single "Lala" at the2021 MTV Video Music Awards.[29]
Lee has become known for his hooks and melodies, as demonstrated in collaborations with the likes ofMadonna,Ellie Goulding,Anitta,French Montana, andPost Malone, among other artists. He has been described as 'the songbird of our generation',[30] with several of his peers and critics praising his vocal ability. According to a 2017 interview with A Polaroid Story, Lee describes himself more as a singer than a rapper.[31]
In April 2019, Lee's home was raided by theCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife for possession of exotic animals, during which his petspider monkey was seized.[32]
In January 2020, Lee's stepfather Floyd Sullivan was shot and killed. Michael Sullivan, Lee's half-brother, was taken into police custody as the suspected perpetrator.[33] Michael Sullivan pleaded guilty to second degree murder in October 2023.[34]
Lee's first child, a daughter with Brazilian model Aline Martins, was born in 2020. In 2022, he filed forjoint custody.[35] That same year, he had a son with girlfriend Victoria Kristine.[36][37][38][39]
Lee hasattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and released a song as part of Rae Sremmurd in tribute to theneurotype in 2023—"ADHD Anthem (Too Many Emotions)".[40]
In July 2024, Lee expressed disapproval ofVice PresidentKamala Harris, and urged his fans onX to not vote for her in the2024 United States presidential election.[41]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Formation"(as songwriter) | Song of the Year | Nominated | [42] |
| 2019 | "Sicko Mode"(withTravis Scott,Drake, andBig Hawk) | Best Rap Performance | Nominated | [43] |
| Best Rap Song | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | "Sunflower"(withPost Malone) | Record of the Year | Nominated | [44] |
| Best Pop Duo/Group Performance | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Swae Lee | Songwriter of the Year | Nominated | [45] |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | "Formation"(as songwriter) | The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award | Nominated | [46] |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "Sunflower"(withPost Malone) | Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song | Nominated | [47] |
| Choice Song From a Movie | Nominated |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
