Yung Lean & Sad Boys

Yung Lean, the 21-year-old Swedish rapper born Jonatan Leander Hadstad, has come a long way since reiterating hip-hop cliches in a bucket hat. Lean was 16 when he first broke into the scene with his extremely meme-able video for “Ginseng Strip 2002” in 2013. Hip-hop fans weren’t sure whether to be appalled, amused, or impressed by the polarizing track. Since his viral moment, Lean has released three studio albums, growing as a songwriter with each one. His latest release, Stranger, sees Lean as an old soul embracing his Swedish roots. Lean trades in predictable hip-hop tropes for deeply personal anecdotes and gorgeous, genre bending production, courtesy of GUD, Yung Sherman, and White Armor.