Bladee

A key figure in the development of Swedish hip-hop, Bladee made his name alongside Yung Lean and the Sad Boys as part of Stockholm’s burgeoning cloud rap scene in the mid-2010s, quickly establishing an internet-based following in rap’s underground. Combining futuristic production, Auto-Tuned crooning, and themes of decay and depression, his unique take on the genre was consolidated in his 2016 debut Eversince. Eager to keep listeners guessing and slaked, the Drain Gang founder has incorporated styles ranging from hyperpop to trance with full-lengths such as 333 (2020), The Fool (2021), and Spiderr (2022) among his profusion of subsequent releases.
Born Benjamin Reichwald, Bladee’s career was kickstarted by his invitation to Hasch Boys, a collective formed by fellow Stockholm artists Yung Lean, Yung Gud, and Yung Sherman in 2012. Blending drowsy rap-crooning with Auto-Tuned vocals and hazy, texture-driven production, the group quickly manifested their own take on the rapidly emerging cloud rap subgenre. When Lean’s original trio broke away to form their own group, Sad Boys, Bladee followed suit, forming rap group GTB Shield Gang alongside frequent collaborators Whitearmor, Ecco2K, Thaiboy Digital, and Yung Sherman. From there, the two groups worked in tandem: Bladee debuted with Ecco2K on the 2013 single “Bleach,” which was shortly followed by two appearances on Lean’s debut mixtape, Unknown Death 2002.
Matching Lean’s work ethic, Bladee quickly released his own debut mixtape, Gluee, alongside being featured on Thaiboy Digital’s 2014 debut, Tiger. After renaming themselves Drain Gang, the collective leaned further away from the Sad Boys, opting to experiment with sci-fi influences and robotic vocal effects. This new direction was embodied in Bladee’s 2016 releases, with both debut album Eversince and collaborative mixtape AvP (with Thaiboy Digital) merging Bladee’s vocal experimentation with producer Whitearmor’s futuristic influence. As the self-proclaimed “Drain Gang CEO,” Bladee continued to push the group’s unique aesthetic, creating the artwork for their albums alongside designing the collective’s first clothing line. This combined focus culminated in the 2017 release of D&G, Drain Gang’s debut project as a collective.
Having developed the group’s collective identity, Bladee returned to his solo efforts. After ending 2017 with a tape produced by Working on Dying, Bladee ensured that 2018 would be his most prolific year yet, releasing his sophomore album Red Light alongside mixtape Icedancer and two EPs. These projects, for the most part, saw the natural evolution of Bladee’s sound, retaining his lyrical and sonic direction while incorporating greater use of textures and vocal manipulation. Closing out the year with a headline performance at Yung Lean’s Wings of Desire event, the rapper returned in early 2019 with a flurry of singles including the eclectic “Apple.”
Bladee’s high rate of output continued well into the 2020s with a series of unpredictable projects foregrounding his emotive if enigmatic character. In 2020 alone, he released three albums: Exeter, produced by Gud; 333, a hyperpop-informed set produced by Whitearmor (with no involvement from Drain Gang affiliates); and, at the end of the year, Good Luck, a collaboration with Mechatok that embraced EDM. During 2021 and 2022, Bladee was behind The Fool and Crest (co-billed with Ecco2k), trailed by Spiderr, another recording produced by Whitearmor. ~ David Crone & Andy Kellman