Swae Lee

Born in Inglewood, California and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, Swae Lee — real name Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown — operates at the intersection of rap, trap and very melodic urban pop. He emerged in the early 2010s with his brother Slim Jxmmi as the duo Rae Sremmurd, originally called Dem Outta St8 Boyz, before signing with EarDrummers in 2013. With Rae Sremmurd he contributed to the albums SremmLife (2015), SremmLife 2 (2016) and SR3MM (2018), which display a balance between Southern hip‑hop energy and sung hooks. At the same time Swae Lee developed a solo and collaborative profile, driven by a supple voice and a strong sense for melodic hooks, heard on “Unforgettable” with French Montana, “Sunflower” with Post Malone and “Close to Me” with Ellie Goulding and Diplo. He also helped write Beyoncé’s “Formation.” His solo side took shape with Swaecation in 2018 — part of the triple project SR3MM — and later with Same Difference in 2026. In the American hip‑hop and pop landscape, Swae Lee cultivates a style where singing is central and rap and melody continuously interact.