Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown (born June 7, 1993), known professionally as Swae Lee, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Known for his wide vocal range and genre-bending, Lee first saw mainstream recognition as one half of the Mississippi-based hip-hop duo

Rae Sremmurd Rae Sremmurd ( ; "Ear Drummers" Anadrome, spelled backwards) is an American hip-hop duo composed of brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi, both of whom originate from Tupelo, Mississippi. They signed with record producer Mike Will Made It's label Mike ...

, which he formed in 2010 with his brother

Slim Jxmmi Aaquil Iben Shaman Brown (born December 29, 1991), known professionally as Slim Jxmmi (pronounced Slim Jimmy), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Slim gained mainstream recognition as one half of the Mississippi-based hip-hop duo Rae ...

. They signed with

Mike Will Made It Michael Len Williams II (born March 23, 1989), known professionally as Mike Will Made It (often stylized as Mike WiLL Made-It) or simply Mike Will, is an American record producer. He is best known for producing trap beats for several Southern hi ...

's EarDrummer Records, an imprint of

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

in 2013, and released four albums that spawned hit singles including " No Flex Zone," "

No Type "No Type" is a hip hop song by American hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd. It was released on September 15, 2014, by EarDrummers Entertainment and Interscope Records, as the second single from their debut studio album '' SremmLife'' (2015). The song was p ...

," and " Black Beatles" (featuring

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...

)—the latter topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. He guest appeared on

French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...

's 2017 single "

Unforgettable Unforgettable may refer to: Film * ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta * ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film * ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film * ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...

," which peaked within the chart's top ten—becoming his first song to do so as a solo artist—and received

diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...

certification by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). Later that year, he received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination for co-writing

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

's single " Formation." In 2018, Lee released his debut solo studio album, '' Swaecation'', as part of Rae Sremmurd's third album, '' SR3MM'' (2018)—a

triple album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

. That same year, his single "

Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...

" (with

Post Malone Austin Richard Post (born July 4, 1995), known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His music blends various genres including hip-hop, Pop music, pop, Contemporary R&B, R&B, Tra ...

) was released for the accompanying soundtrack to the film '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' (2018). The song peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, received two Grammy Award nominations, and became the highest-certified song in

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

history; the first to receive double diamond (20× platinum) certification. Also in 2018, he released the single " Close to Me" (with

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...

and

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...

)—which topped the US

Adult Top 40 The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Syste ...

airplay chart—and made an uncredited guest appearance on

Travis Scott Jacques Bermon Webster III (born April 30, 1991), known professionally as Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Scott has had five number-one hits on the U.S. ''Bil ...

's single "

Sicko Mode "Sicko Mode" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Travis Scott featuring Canadian rapper Drake, with additional vocals from fellow American rappers Swae Lee and the late Big Hawk. It was originally released by Epic Records on Aug ...

", which became his second song to top the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and likewise earned two Grammy nominations. His 2020 single, " Be Like That" (with

Kane Brown Kane Allen Brown (born October 21, 1993) is an American country music singer and songwriter. First garnering a mass following on social media, he released his debut extended play (EP) ''Closer (Kane Brown EP), Closer'' in June 2015, and followe ...

and Khalid) reached the top 20 of the chart and received

quadruple platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

certification by the RIAA.

Early life

Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown was born on June 7, 1993, in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

, to a single mother from Nigeria who worked on tanks in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. Lee was raised in

Tupelo, Mississippi Tupelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1860, the population was 37,923 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, 7th-most populous ...

, and began to make music in high school with his brother

and local rapper Lil Pantz as "Dem Outta St8 Boyz". After graduating high school, Lee, alongside his brother, had a period of homelessness in which they

squatted Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...

in an abandoned house.

Career

In 2013, he and Slim Jxmmi signed to

's label EarDrummers Entertainment as

. They have since released three studio albums under EarDrummers, '' SremmLife'', '' SremmLife 2'', and '' SR3MM''. Swae Lee

In March 2015, Lee was featured on Mike Will Made It's "Drinks on Us", which also featured artists

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 ...

and

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

, and became his first single as solo artist. In September 2015, he was featured on

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...

's "Burn Slow", which peaked at number 83 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it Lee's first solo entry on the chart. In April 2017, Lee was featured on

's "

". The song peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it Lee's first top ten single on the chart as a solo artist. In September 2018,

Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer and rapper. Aiko embarked on her musical career in 2002, as a backing vocalist and music video performer for the R&B group B2K. She was signed by the ...

featured Lee on her track "Sativa". Two months later, Lee released a song titled "TR666" alongside

Trippie Redd Michael Lamar White IV (born June 18, 1999), known professionally as Trippie Redd, is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Canton, Ohio, he has contributed to the progression of emo rap and rage, a subgenre of trap music. His de ...

. 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''. In October 2018, he featured on the song " Close to Me" by

and

. Lee also collaborated on

XXXTentacion Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...

's song " Arms Around You" after his death, along with

Lil Pump Gazzy Fabio Garcia (born August 17, 2000), known professionally as Lil Pump, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as part of the SoundCloud rap scene in the late 2010s, gaining distinction for his minimalist music and rambunctious pu ...

and

Maluma Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. Arias released his debu ...

. On October 18, 2018, Lee featured on

's song "

" for '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'', which became Malone's third and Lee's first song as a soloist to top the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. He appeared on

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

's 2018 album ''

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

.'' In May 2019, he collaborated on the song " Crave" with

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

on her album ''

Madame X ''Madame X'' (original title ''La Femme X'') is a 1908 Play (theatre), play by French playwright Alexandre Bisson (1848–1912). It was novelized in English and adapted for the American stage; it was also adapted for the screen sixteen times ...

''. In August 2019, Lee released "

Won't Be Late "Won't Be Late" is a song by American rapper Swae Lee featuring Canadian rapper Drake, released as a single by EarDrummers Records on August 16, 2019. It was produced by Tekno with additional production by Mike Will Made It, and released alongsi ...

" featuring Canadian rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

, produced by Tekno and Mike Will Made It. In October 2019, he was featured on 88rising's "Walking", alongside Joji,

Jackson Wang Jackson Wang ( zh, t=王嘉爾, s=王嘉尔; born Wang Ka-yee; 28 March 1994) is a Hong Kong rapper, singer, and songwriter. After a career as a competitive fencer, he joined the South Korean boy band Got7, which debuted under JYP Entertainm ...

, and

Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was the ...

. In 2020, he released the single "Someone Said", based on his feature on

's "

". He also collaborated with

Chloe x Halle Chloe x Halle (pronounced "Chloe and Halle") is an American alternative R&B duo consisting of sisters Chloe Bailey, Chloe and Halle Bailey. At a young age, the sisters performed in minor acting roles before traveling from their hometown of Mable ...

on the Mike Will Made It-produced "Catch Up", from the former's album ''

Ungodly Hour ''Ungodly Hour'' is the second studio album by American duo Chloe x Halle. It was released on June 12, 2020, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia. Originally scheduled for release on June 5, the album's release was delayed as a gesture of s ...

''. He was featured on the remix to Arizona Zervas' hit song " Roxanne". On June 18, 2020, Lee released the single, "Reality Check". Lee invested in esports organization XSET in October 2020. Lee has been working on his upcoming album ''Human Nature'' since 2020. In the same year, he appeared on

Pop Smoke Bashar Barakah Jackson (July 20, 1999 – February 19, 2020), known professionally as Pop Smoke, was an American rapper. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, he rose to fame with the release of his 2019 singles "Welcome to the Party (P ...

’s posthumous album '' Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon''. In 2021, he collaborated with

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs at the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at 15. After d ...

on the single "

Lala ''LaLa'' is a monthly Japanese manga magazine published by Hakusensha on the 24th of each month. The magazine's bonus contents are usually calendars for New Year issues, drama CDs, and so on. In a 2006 survey conducted by Oricon, Japanese girls ...

" at the

2021 MTV Video Music Awards The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were held on September 12, 2021, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City. This marked the first time in eight years that the venue hosted the show. The show was hosted by hip-hop rapper and singer Doja ...

Artistry

Lee has become known for his hooks and melodies, as demonstrated in collaborations with the likes of

, Anitta,

, and

, among other artists. He has been described as 'the songbird of our generation', 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.

Personal life

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. Michael Sullivan pleaded guilty to second degree murder in October 2023. Lee's first child, a daughter with Brazilian model Aline Martins, was born in 2020. In 2022, he and the mother separated as he filed for

joint custody Joint custody is a form of child custody pursuant to which custody rights are awarded to both parents. Joint custody may refer to '' joint physical custody'', ''joint legal custody'', or both combined. In joint legal custody, both parents of a ...

. That same year, he had a son with girlfriend Victoria Kristine. Lee has

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...

(ADHD), and released a song as part of Rae Sremmurd in tribute to the neurotype in 2023—"ADHD Anthem (Too Many Emotions)". In July 2024, Lee expressed disapproval of

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

, and urged his fans on X to not vote for her in the

2024 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...

Discography

* '' Swaecation'' (2018) * ''Human Nature'' (TBA)

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

! , - ,

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, " Formation" (as songwriter) , Song of the Year , , style="text-align:center;", , - , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2",

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, rowspan="2", "

" (with

, and

Big Hawk John Edward Hawkins (November 15, 1969 – May 1, 2006), better known by his stage names Big Hawk and H.A.W.K., was an American rapper from Houston, Texas and a founding member of the late DJ Screw's rap group the Screwed Up Click. Life and ...

) , Best Rap Performance , , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2", , - , Best Rap Song , , - , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, rowspan="2", "

" (with

) ,

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...

, , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2", , - ,

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 63rd Grammy Awards category rules, "this categ ...

, , -

MTVU Woodie Awards

! , - , 2017 , Swae Lee , Songwriter of the Year , , style="text-align:center;",

Soul Train Music Awards

! , - ,

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

, " Formation" (as songwriter) , The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award , , style="text-align:center;",

Teen Choice Awards

! , - , rowspan="2",

, rowspan="2", "

" , Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song , , style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2", , - , Choice Song From a Movie ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Swae 1993 births Living people 21st-century American rappers 21st-century African-American male singers 21st-century American male singers African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers Interscope Records artists People from Tupelo, Mississippi Rappers from Mississippi Singer-songwriters from Mississippi Southern hip-hop musicians American hip-hop singers Actors from Inglewood, California Musicians from Inglewood, California Rappers from California Singer-songwriters from California African-American male singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters American trap musicians OnlyFans creators Pop rappers People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder