Music Without Borders: Drain Gang Is Taking Swedish Cloud Rap to New Heights
The polarizing Sweden-based alternative hip-hop collective Drain Gang has quickly become one of the most popular non-American rap groups on the planet.
Music has the power to transport listeners to cultures and places different from their own. In Music Without Borders, our writers introduce you to international artists, bands, and genres that explore the sounds that bring us together.
Written by Joshua Troncoso
Photos courtesy of Märta Thisner
In the past two decades, hip-hop has gradually become one of the most popular genres in the world. Despite the fact that nearly every country has a hip-hop scene, the U.S. has always been the dominant influence on the genre since its origin there. While only a few other countries' scenes have been able to challenge America’s hegemony, a small group of highly talented Swedish musicians have put themselves ahead of any other nation in terms of impact on the genre’s sound. This collective is none other than Drain Gang, comprising rappers Bladee, Thaiboy Digital, and Ecco2k, along with producers Whiteamor and Yung Sherman. With their esoteric lyrics and ethereal trap production, they have set themselves apart from their contemporaries. The members of Drain Gang have become tastemakers in the hip-hop industry with a sizable fanbase in the United States and a cutting-edge sound that is instantly recognizable.
Since the rise of cloud rap pioneer Yung Lean and visionary producer Gud in early 2014, the Swedish hip-hop scene has exploded in popularity. However, the early hits from cloud rap’s infancy were divisive to say the least. With their patented deadpan delivery and pitchy vocals, Yung Lean and Drain Gang’s style can be off-putting to listeners who are only familiar with American music. Comparing the first viral Swedish cloud rap song, Yung Lean’s 2013 track “Ginseng Strip 2002,” to recent ones is like comparing apples and oranges.
Although it was a YouTube and SoundCloud hit, “Ginseng Strip 2002” seems amateurish and closer to a parody of Swedish hip-hop than a classic of the genre. The song’s mixing is lackluster to say the least, as the volume on Yung Lean’s vocals varies drastically throughout the song. He also stretches and jams in syllables into his verses to fit his flow, making the song sound like an outtake. At the time, however, it was one of the most innovative rap songs since the early 2000s. The early-day Internet and proto-vaporwave visuals were engaging enough for listeners to take their attention away from the mediocre production. Creating the brand and look of cloud rap took priority, while the lyrical content took a backseat. Soon, American hip-hop artists like A$AP Rocky and Lil B began to take inspiration from Yung Lean and his unique brand of hip-hop, borrowing from each other’s styles. Yung Lean’s dispassionate lyrics and moody production created a more dejected and melancholic sound that changed the trajectory of the genre. However, this style-over-substance approach only lasted so long before it began to feel hollow, calling for a significant change.
The post-2015 cloud rap era saw the rise of Drain Gang, as collaborations with Yung Lean brought them major attention. This initial burst in popularity allowed the group to quickly become trailblazers in the genre. In only a few years, Bladee, Ecco2k, and Thaiboy Digital had taken cloud rap to new creative heights and completely altered its DNA from front to back. Reshaping its largely DIY lo-fi aesthetic into a more elegant, art pop take on hip-hop music, cloud-rap was transformed into the forward-thinking genre it is today. In his 2020 single “Reality Surf,” Bladee makes cryptic references to fruit and fairy tales that create an air of intrigue and otherworldly beauty. His words seemingly float above a chiptune-like beat that adds yet another layer of interpolation. Gud and Whitearmor’s cold and heavenly trap production simultaneously brings to mind the sound of The Postal Service and Playboi Carti. Even the grandfather of the genre, Yung Lean, has taken his music into a more polished and refined direction. The lyrical content from his early work has transitioned from strictly drug and party references to cryptic yet vulnerable confessions of insecurity and alienation. This shift has garnered praise from fans and critics alike, helping legitimize cloud rap as a genre worthy of attention, rather than a gimmicky fad.
Bladee (Benjamin Reichwald) is the most commercially successful member of Drain Gang, in part due to his prolific output. Releasing at least two projects every year since 2016, he has built a sizable discography that has established many staples of this new era of cloud rap. His wooden delivery is off-putting to some, but to others, it amplifies the overall futuristic and detached vibe he attempts to achieve with his music. Take, for example, “Sugar” from his 2016 release Eversince. The song begins as a delicate and cavernous declaration of love, but quickly evolves into a hard-hitting and resolute trap banger that tells a tale of rejection and betrayal. Bladee’s dejected repetition of “Your blood tastes so sweet / Like sugar baby,” sounds as if he’s weeping into a void from which nothing returns. The Ecco2k-assisted “WONDERLAND” is whimsical and elegant in its production, and the lyrics paint a similarly dainty picture, as Bladee and Ecco2k take turns playfully singing about love and fables. In his first verse, Bladee ponders, “If you were to tell a story, how would it go? / Would I be in it? Yes or no? / It feels like springtime in my mind.”
Thaiboy Digital (Khazitin Bonleunge) was born and lived in Khon Kaen, Thailand before relocating to Sweden at eight years old. He is probably the least explorative member of Drain Gang, with music that is much more reminiscent of American trap artists like Travis Scott or NAV. Still, his more aggressive, fiery sound has its niche within the genre. “Kit Kat” from his debut album, Legendary Member, brings to mind American contemporaries like Migos and Gunna, with Thaiboy rapping in triplets over a sparse and icy beat. His collaboration with Yung Lean in 2014 on the song “Diamonds” remains his most popular song, and for good reason: the rappers howl into the mix, as they sing of their success and luxuries. Whitearmor’s production is the perfect storm of thunderous bass and cascading synths that sound as if they are plunging into the center of the earth.
Just as One Direction had Harry Styles and Destiny’s Child had Beyoncé, Drain Gang has Ecco2k. Despite being the group member with the least solo material, Ecco2k (Zak Arogundade), is clearly holding the torch for cloud rap’s next artistic evolution. With Bladee and Thaiboy Digital putting out solid but not game-changing work, Ecco2k has become the lead trendsetter in the group. His 2019 release E has quickly become the group’s most critically acclaimed album. In a review for “The Quietus,” writer Zac Cazes said of Ecco2k: “His particular set of imagery, consistent throughout the LP, invites you to enter his world, a world of drug addled surrealism and original sin, and where a picture can be painted with only two or three words.” He also has a way of stealing the show whenever he appears on Drain Gang’s group projects. His intoxicating and slurred chorus on “Western Union” is easily the most memorable part of the song. His use of onomatopoeia as he stammers “One shot, click, click, click, reload, reload, reload,” never fails to elicit headbanging.
Ecco2k has also received praise for challenging gender norms with his androgynous fashion sense and falsetto singing voice. He has been interviewed by Vogue and profiled by the New York Times for his unique take on fashion. He can be spotted wearing large hoop earrings, crop tops, or even a white fishnet crocheted shirt. Combined with his heritage, his fashion style expands his reach and influence beyond music. Ecco2k’s knack for experimentation and beauty is bound to land him an influential position atop any industry he decides to dominate.
The diversity of Drain Gang is also something to note, as two of the three most popular members are people of color: Ecco2k is a Black Swede of Nigerian descent, and Thaiboy Digital is Southeast Asian. Ecco2k’s experiences with racism in Sweden have influenced his music greatly. For instance, his song “Peroxide” recalls his experience being racially profiled at a bus stop. In the track, he muses, “It's the way I look or the way I walk / Why are you scared of me when I'm not so hard? / No peroxide, I stay dark / ‘Don't go around him, you might get robbed.’” The song’s driving drums and slick synths exemplify Ecco2k’s resilience in the face of discrimination.
Drain Gang is making hip-hop like no one else, and they are constantly improving. As each member refines his niche sounds, a groundbreaking song or album will be right around the corner. There is no doubt that Drain Gang owes much of its style to Swedish rap predecessor Yung Lean. He popularized the early drowned-in-auto-tune aesthetic of songs like “Kyoto” and “Yoshi City,” and it’s his popularity in the United States that gave Sweden the chance to shine on the international stage. But the members of Drain Gang have carved their own distinct lane in cloud rap with their art pop flair, and they will continue to find new ways to push the envelope.