In the ever-shifting landscape of underground hip-hop, few artists have managed to cultivate a mystique quite like Swedish rapper Benjamin Reichwald, better known by his stage name Bladee. With his ethereal vocals, genre-bending production, and enigmatic persona, the 30-year-old has spent the past decade carving out a singular space in the music world. But as Reichwald reveals in a rare interview, his journey has been far from easy.
Confronting Demons and Finding Purpose
As he approached his 30th birthday, Reichwald found himself grappling with a profound sense of uncertainty. “I was thinking a lot about my position and I felt stuck,” he confesses. “Do I have to be perceived as an artist to feel fulfilled? I’m chasing that and it doesn’t give me anything. So why am I doing this?” This existential crisis, coupled with a serious bout of depression and the lukewarm reception to his latest album, left the rapper questioning his place in the music industry.
Reichwald’s struggles with mental health are a recurring theme throughout his discography, but they reached a breaking point in the lead-up to his newest release, Cold Visions. “I was really not OK,” he admits, reflecting on a period marked by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a near-fatal incident involving his longtime collaborator Yung Lean. The experience forced Reichwald to reevaluate his priorities and confront the demons that had been haunting him for years.
A Brush with Death and a New Beginning
In a shocking revelation, Reichwald shares the story of a mysterious near-death experience that occurred during a trip to Thailand. “Either I had a random seizure from seeing the lightning or I got struck by it,” he recounts, unable to fully explain the transformative event. Whatever the cause, the incident marked a turning point in the rapper’s life and creative journey.
Something definitely changed around that time.
– Bladee, on his near-death experience
In the wake of this brush with mortality, Reichwald found himself drawn to a more introspective and spiritually-charged approach to his music. The result is Cold Visions, a 30-track opus that sees the rapper purging his innermost thoughts and anxieties over a frenetic backdrop of distorted trap beats. “It’s really honest, more like a diary,” he says of the album, which was recorded in just two weeks at his Stockholm home.
Collaborating with Charli xcx and Embracing the Future
Reichwald’s creative rebirth has not gone unnoticed by his peers in the music industry. In a surprising turn of events, pop sensation Charli xcx tapped the rapper to appear on her Brat remix album, exposing his unique sound to a whole new audience. “I have eternal respect for her,” Reichwald gushes, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to be featured alongside the likes of Ariana Grande and Lorde.
As he looks to the future, Reichwald is determined to keep pushing the boundaries of his art and personal growth. “I want to become a better person,” he declares with a laugh. “I want to have a brighter outlook and work on liking myself more.” This newfound sense of purpose is already manifesting itself in exciting ways, from experiments with songwriting in his native Swedish to a burgeoning interest in abstract painting.
A Legacy of Innovation and Inspiration
For all the darkness that has colored his past, Reichwald remains fiercely proud of the trail he and his Drain Gang collective have blazed in the world of underground hip-hop. “We still don’t feel like someone is doing what we’re doing, better,” he asserts, while expressing his hope that a new generation of artists will take their innovations even further.
As Bladee enters a new decade of his life and career, one thing is certain: his music will continue to serve as a beacon of light for those lost in the shadows. “Even in my sadder music,” he reflects, “I’m striving for joy.” It’s a sentiment that encapsulates the essence of his art—a relentless pursuit of meaning and connection in a world that often feels devoid of both.
