Benjamin Reichwald (born April 9, 1994) was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He is a Swedish rapper and singer. but also a record producer, designer and member of the artistic collective known as Drain Gang. He is professionally known as Bladee. Bladee's musical journey began in 2012, but he gained significant attention after collaborating with Swedish rapper Yung Lean on the track "Heal You / Bladerunner" from Lean's mixtape "Unknown Death 2002." This collaboration propelled Bladee into the underground hip-hop scene and garnered him a devoted fanbase.
Bladee's breakthrough came in 2014 when he released his debut mixtape, "GLUEE," through the Stockholm-based record label YEAR0001. Described as the "summertime anthem for a suburban generation stuck scrolling through Twitter," the mixtape gained popularity on the audio distribution platform SoundCloud, accumulating over 2 million plays. Bladee continued to build his discography with singles, features on Yung Lean's mixtapes, and collaborations with his Gravity Boys collective and Sad Boys Entertainment.
In 2016, Bladee released his debut album, "Eversince," which received mixed reviews from mainstream outlets but was highly acclaimed by underground and experimental music critics. He followed up with his second mixtape, titled "Working on Dying," in collaboration with the production group of the same name in 2017. The following year, Bladee released his second album, "Red Light."
"Icedancer," Bladee's third mixtape, arrived in December 2018. Executive produced by the Australian collective Ripsquadd and featuring production from Whitearmor and PJ Beats, the mixtape showcased Bladee's unique sound and style. In April 2020, he released "EXETER," a nine-song album recorded with Gud, marking his first project produced by Gud on the YEAR0001 label.
Continuing his prolific output, Bladee released his fourth album, "333," in July 2020. Produced primarily by Whitearmor, the album deviated from Bladee's previous work by excluding any vocal features, including his longtime collaborator and Drain Gang member, Ecco2K. Later that year, in December, Bladee joined forces with producer Mechatok for their collaborative album "Good Luck."
Bladee's solo endeavors continued in 2021 with the release of his fifth album, "The Fool," executively produced by frequent collaborator Lusi. The following year, he collaborated with Ecco2K on the project "Crest," which was recorded in Spring 2020. Most recently, in September 2022, Bladee released his album "Spiderr," and in January 2023, he featured on Skrillex's track "Real Spring."
Beyond music, Bladee is also recognized for his visual art, often creating the cover art for his releases. Additionally, he serves as the creative director for Yung Lean's clothing line, Sadboys Gear. With his unique blend of music, fashion, and artistic vision, Bladee continues to captivate audiences and push boundaries within the hip-hop and underground music scene.
