# Swae Lee
**Swae Lee** is the stage name of Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown (born 1993), an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from [Tupelo, Mississippi](https://www.edgepedia.org/tupelo-mississippi), best known as one half of the sibling hip-hop duo [Rae Sremmurd](https://www.edgepedia.org/rae-sremmurd) and for a string of melodic hit collaborations, including the Hot 100 number-one single "Sunflower" with [Post Malone](https://www.edgepedia.org/post-malone).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993 in Inglewood, California; raised in Tupelo, Mississippi[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography) |
| Group | Rae Sremmurd, with his older brother Slim Jxmmi (Aaquil Brown); the name is "Ear Drummers" spelled backward[2](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rae-sremmurd/biography/) • [3](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/) |
| Signature hits | "Black Beatles" (No. 1 Hot 100, 2016), "Unforgettable" with French Montana (No. 3, 2017), "Sunflower" with Post Malone (No. 1, 2018)[2](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rae-sremmurd/biography/) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography) |
| RIAA record | "Sunflower" became the first single in RIAA history to earn double-diamond certification, 20 million certified units in the United States[4](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/99462310/office-action/OfficeAction8388466.pdf) |
| Solo albums | Swaecation (2018), released as part of Rae Sremmurd's triple album SR3MM; Same Difference (2026), his first standalone solo album[2](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rae-sremmurd/biography/) • [5](https://music.apple.com/us/album/same-difference/1889635651) |
| Awards | Five Grammy nominations through the 2026 Grammys under his given name, Khalif Brown[4](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/99462310/office-action/OfficeAction8388466.pdf) |
## Early life
Swae Lee was born Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown in [Inglewood, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/inglewood-california), and moved with his family to Tupelo, Mississippi, when he and his older brother Aaquil, the future [Slim Jxmmi](https://www.edgepedia.org/slim-jxmmi), were very young[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography). The brothers grew up in the Ida Street housing projects, which were known for high crime levels, three miles from the house where [Elvis Presley](https://www.edgepedia.org/elvis-presley) was born[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography) • [6](https://mississippitoday.org/2018/01/27/homegrown-hip-hop-takes-root-mississippi/). Their mother served in the U.S. Army, and military postings took the family from California to Mississippi, Maryland, and Texas before she left the service and settled in Tupelo with a new partner[7](https://www.thefader.com/2016/06/07/rae-sremmurd-sremmlife-2-cover-story-interview).
**Music as an escape.** Around his tenth birthday, while the family lived on a Texas base, Swae taught himself to produce beats using FruityLoops software; he later handled the recording, editing, and videos for the brothers' early material[3](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/) • [7](https://www.thefader.com/2016/06/07/rae-sremmurd-sremmlife-2-cover-story-interview). He has credited his mother's record collection, particularly [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson) and Prince, as the source of his melodic instincts[3](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/). With a third member, the brothers performed as Dem Outta St8 Boyz, posting homemade videos on YouTube and scoring local success with the single "Party Animal"[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography) • [7](https://www.thefader.com/2016/06/07/rae-sremmurd-sremmlife-2-cover-story-interview).
After high school the brothers were kicked out of their mother's house and spent a stretch homeless in Tupelo, squatting in an abandoned house where they threw parties to spread their music[3](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/). A drive to Memphis to audition for BET's "Wild Out Wednesday" earned them a slot among 200 acts and a trip to perform in New York, and a connection through his DJ's cousin led them to Atlanta, where they linked with the producer Mike WiLL Made-It[3](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/).
## Rae Sremmurd
In 2013 the brothers became the first act signed to Mike WiLL's EarDrummers label and rechristened themselves Rae Sremmurd, the label's name spelled backward[3](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography). Their debut album *SremmLife* (2015) reached number five on the U.S. chart, was certified platinum by the RIAA, and produced the hit singles "No Flex Zone" and "No Type"; the duo won a BET Hip Hop Awards best group honor and was nominated for top rap artist at the [Billboard Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-music-awards)[2](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rae-sremmurd/biography/).
The 2016 follow-up *SremmLife 2* reached number four, and its single "Black Beatles" featuring [Gucci Mane](https://www.edgepedia.org/gucci-mane) topped the Billboard Hot 100, boosted by the viral #MannequinChallenge social media trend, and won top rap collaboration at the Billboard Music Awards[2](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rae-sremmurd/biography/). Within the duo, the brothers developed a complementary division of labor: Swae typically delivers the melodic hooks while Jxmmi supplies the harder rapping verses[3](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/).
## Solo career and collaborations
**Features.** Swae Lee's first solo outing was on Mike WiLL Made-It's 2015 single "Drinks on Us", followed by appearances on [Wiz Khalifa](https://www.edgepedia.org/wiz-khalifa)'s "Burn Slow" and [French Montana](https://www.edgepedia.org/french-montana)'s "Unforgettable" (2017), which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the U.S. rap and R&B/hip-hop charts, and went multi-platinum[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography). He also appeared on the Black Panther soundtrack, on "The Ways" with Khalid, and on [Nicki Minaj](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicki-minaj)'s "Chun Swae" from her 2018 album *Queen*[8](https://universalmusic.fr/artistes/31124357715) • [9](https://time.com/5364696/nicki-minaj-queen-album-review/).
**"Sunflower".** His 2018 duet with Post Malone, "Sunflower" from *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*, topped the Hot 100, and it subsequently made history as the RIAA's first single ever certified double diamond, which denotes 20 million certified units in the United States.[4](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/99462310/office-action/OfficeAction8388466.pdf) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography) The song earned Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance[4](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/99462310/office-action/OfficeAction8388466.pdf). He has earned five Grammy nominations in total through the 2026 Grammys[4](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/99462310/office-action/OfficeAction8388466.pdf).
**SR3MM and Swaecation.** In May 2018 Rae Sremmurd released *SR3MM* as a triple album: a joint Rae Sremmurd disc, Swae Lee's solo *Swaecation*, and Slim Jxmmi's *Jxmtro*, a structure reviewers compared to OutKast's *Speakerboxxx/The Love Below*[2](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rae-sremmurd/biography/) • [10](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/rae-sremmurd-swae-lee-slim-jxmmi-sr3mm/). Critics noted that *Swaecation* pushed Swae deeper into melody, transforming him from rapper into what Pitchfork called a full-on balladeer, though some reviews found the solo disc less compelling than his work within the duo[10](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/rae-sremmurd-swae-lee-slim-jxmmi-sr3mm/).
**Same Difference.** In April 2026 Swae Lee released *Same Difference*, described by Apple Music as his proper solo debut: 16 tracks applying his hooks and occasional falsetto to what the platform's editorial note calls "expensive-sounding vacation rap"[5](https://music.apple.com/us/album/same-difference/1889635651). The album reunites him with French Montana on "SUITCASE" and [Jhené Aiko](https://www.edgepedia.org/jhene-aiko) on "MURAL", and includes Slim Jxmmi on "WORKING REMOTE"[5](https://music.apple.com/us/album/same-difference/1889635651). In a 2026 SPIN interview, Swae said he had recorded as many as 10 songs a day during the pandemic and estimated his vault of unreleased material at 50,000 tracks[3](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/).
## Style and recognition
Swae Lee's vocal signature is a light, melodic tenor, often paired with [Auto-Tune](https://www.edgepedia.org/auto-tune), that has made him one of hip-hop's most in-demand hook singers; XXL observed that since emerging with Rae Sremmurd he has been at the center of many of the genre's most indelible choruses[11](https://www.xxlmag.com/swae-lee-interview-hip-hop/). AllMusic classifies his styles as contemporary rap, trap, Southern rap, and pop-rap[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography). As of early 2026 he drew roughly 38 million monthly listeners on Spotify[4](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/99462310/office-action/OfficeAction8388466.pdf).
His success has also made him a standard-bearer for [Mississippi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mississippi) hip-hop: he and his brother grew up in Tupelo's Ida Street housing projects, and Mississippi Today cites Rae Sremmurd among the artists who have made a name for Mississippi rap beyond state lines[6](https://mississippitoday.org/2018/01/27/homegrown-hip-hop-takes-root-mississippi/).
## References
1. [Swae Lee Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/swae-lee-mn0003377693/biography)
2. [Rae Sremmurd Biography, Universal Music Japan](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rae-sremmurd/biography/)
3. [Swae Lee: Irresistible Force, SPIN (September 2026)](https://www.spinmagazine.com/featured/swae-lee-interview/)
4. [USPTO Non-Final Action, Case 99462310](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/99462310/office-action/OfficeAction8388466.pdf)
5. [SAME DIFFERENCE, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/same-difference/1889635651)
6. [Homegrown hip-hop takes root in Mississippi, Mississippi Today (2018)](https://mississippitoday.org/2018/01/27/homegrown-hip-hop-takes-root-mississippi/)
7. [Rae Sremmurd's Best Life, The FADER (2016)](https://www.thefader.com/2016/06/07/rae-sremmurd-sremmlife-2-cover-story-interview)
8. [Swae Lee, Universal Music France](https://universalmusic.fr/artistes/31124357715)
9. [Nicki Minaj's Introspective New Album Queen, TIME (2018)](https://time.com/5364696/nicki-minaj-queen-album-review/)
10. [Rae Sremmurd / Swae Lee / Slim Jxmmi: SR3MM Album Review, Pitchfork (2018)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/rae-sremmurd-swae-lee-slim-jxmmi-sr3mm/)
11. [Swae Lee Gets Candid on AI, Drake's Three-Album Drop and Why Rap Groups Are No Longer The Norm, XXL (2026)](https://www.xxlmag.com/swae-lee-interview-hip-hop/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › Southern US rap (Atlanta, Memphis, Houston, New Orleans, Florida) › Gulf Coast and Florida rap*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license