Swae Lee: Age, Net Worth, Sunflower, Ethnicity, Concerts & Social Media (2026)
If you’ve heard “Sunflower” at least once in the past few years — and the odds are high that you have — then you already know Swae Lee’s voice, even if you didn’t know his name. Born Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown, Swae Lee has spent over a decade building a career that sits somewhere between hip-hop, melodic pop, and R&B without fully belonging to any single box. His sound is unmistakable. His story is worth knowing.
This is a complete breakdown of who Swae Lee is in 2026 — his age, background, ethnicity, net worth, the record-breaking track “Sunflower,” his current tour, and where to find him online.
Swae Lee Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown |
| Stage Name | Swae Lee |
| Date of Birth | June 7, 1993 |
| Age (2026) | 33 years old |
| Birthplace | Inglewood, California |
| Raised In | Tupelo, Mississippi |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Height | 5’8″ (1.73 m) |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Label | EarDrummers Entertainment / Interscope Records |
| Net Worth | Approx. $9–$12 million (2026 estimate) |
| Group | Rae Sremmurd (with Slim Jxmmi) |
| Most Certified Song | “Sunflower” with Post Malone (2x Diamond, RIAA) |
| Solo Albums | Swaecation (2018), Same Difference (2026) |
| @swaelee (11M+ followers) |
Swae Lee Sunflower: The Song That Broke Records
“Sunflower” is the most certified song in RIAA history.
Released on October 19, 2018, as part of the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack, the track features both Post Malone and Swae Lee. It debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, then climbed to No. 1 on the chart dated January 19, 2019. That made it Post Malone’s third No. 1 hit and Swae Lee’s first.
The song spent 33 non-consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Hot 100 — tying records held by Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You.” It also topped Billboard’s Rhythmic and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
Then the certifications started stacking up. In November 2022, “Sunflower” surpassed Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Old Town Road” to become the highest-certified single in RIAA history at that point. On February 8, 2024, the RIAA made it official: “Sunflower” became the first-ever double-diamond certified single, meaning it surpassed 20 million equivalent sales in the United States alone. No other song in RIAA history has reached that mark.
Post Malone told TMZ that Swae Lee did the “heavy lifting” on the track.
The song has also been streamed more than 3 billion times on Spotify, and RIAA Chairman Mitch Glazier described the milestone simply: “Post Malone and Swae Lee have officially raised the bar on what creative partnerships and infectious collaborations have the power to accomplish.”
The Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse creative team described the song well when it was first released. Sony Pictures’ head of music, Spring Aspers, said Post and Swae delivered something “both heroic and emotional” — exactly what that film needed. Swae Lee later said the song is among his favorite collaborations because the main character in the film uses his vocals to calm himself down. He saw his music as therapeutic within the story, which he found meaningful. “Sunflower” was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Who Is Swae Lee?
Swae Lee is one half of the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, formed with his older brother Slim Jxmmi (Aaquil Brown). The duo signed to Mike Will Made It’s EarDrummers Entertainment in 2013, and their debut album SremmLife (2015) reached No. 1 on the US Rap and US R&B/Hip-Hop charts. That was just the beginning.
Beyond his work with Rae Sremmurd, Swae Lee has built a parallel solo career defined by his wide vocal range, melodic delivery, and ability to show up on tracks that end up changing the conversation — “Unforgettable” with French Montana, “Sicko Mode” with Travis Scott, and “Sunflower” with Post Malone are the clearest examples. He describes himself more as a singer than a rapper, and listening to his work, that tracks.
In 2026, he released his second solo album Same Difference, featuring collaborators including Post Malone, Jhené Aiko, French Montana, NAV, Rich The Kid, and his brother Slim Jxmmi. He also performed at Coachella earlier this year and announced a European tour running from July to August 2026.
Swae Lee Images
Swae Lee’s Age and Early Life
Swae Lee was born on June 7, 1993, in Inglewood, California. As of June 2026, he is 33 years old.
His mother, Bernadette Walker, was a US Army veteran who worked on tanks. Her military career meant the family moved frequently — from California to Mississippi, Maryland, and Texas before eventually settling in Tupelo, Mississippi, in the Ida Street housing projects. His biological father left the family when Swae and his brother were young. They grew up without him.
Swae Lee’s Ethnicity
Swae Lee is African-American. His nationality is American, and he was born and raised in the United States.
He actually took an AncestryDNA test and posted the results publicly. The breakdown showed his genetic ancestry is approximately 79% African and 21% European. Within the African ancestry, the largest portions trace back to Nigeria (25%), Cameroon/Congo and Western Bantu Peoples (19%), Mali (14%), Benin and Togo (9%), Ivory Coast and Ghana (7%), and Senegal (5%). The European portion includes Germanic Europe, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Wales, and England.
His maternal grandfather, James Thurman Henry, was notably the first Black mayor of Xenia, Ohio.
Swae Lee on Social Media
Swae Lee is most active on Instagram. His official handle is @swaelee, where he has crossed 11 million followers as of 2026. He uses the platform to announce new music, share personal moments, and promote his tours.
He is also on TikTok, where he had around 3.7 million followers as of mid-2024, and the number has likely grown since. On X (formerly Twitter), his handle is @SwaeLee. His Facebook page under the same name has several million followers as well, though Instagram and TikTok are where his audience is most engaged.
Swae Lee made headlines in July 2024 when he posted political commentary on X urging his followers not to vote for Kamala Harris, drawing significant attention to his platform. He described his reasoning in terms of specific policy disagreements. Whether you agree with him or not, it showed the reach his social media presence genuinely has.
His YouTube channel carries official music videos, lyric videos, and collaborative content spanning his full career. “Sunflower” alone has accumulated billions of streams across platforms.
Swae Lee’s Discography at a Glance
Rae Sremmurd Albums
- SremmLife (2015) — debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200
- SremmLife 2 (2016) — No. 4 on the Billboard 200; included “Black Beatles” (No. 1 on Hot 100)
- SR3MM (2018) — triple album set; included Swaecation as Swae’s solo disc
Solo Albums
- Swaecation (2018) — featured “Sunflower” with Post Malone
- Same Difference (April 4, 2026) — 16 tracks; features Post Malone, Jhené Aiko, French Montana, NAV, Slim Jxmmi, and Rich The Kid
Notable Collaborations
- “Unforgettable” — French Montana (2017), peaked at No. 3 on Hot 100
- “Sicko Mode” — Travis Scott, uncredited (2018), No. 1 on Hot 100
- “Close to Me” — Ellie Goulding and Diplo (2018), double platinum
- “Be Like That” — Kane Brown and Khalid (2020), quadruple platinum
- “Lala” — Alicia Keys (performed at 2021 MTV VMAs)
- “Crave” — Madonna (2019, Madame X album)
Grammy Nominations (5 total) Swae Lee has received Grammy nominations for his contributions to “Sunflower” (Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance) and “Sicko Mode” (Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song), among others.
Frequently Asked Questions About Swae Lee
How old is Swae Lee? Swae Lee turned 33 on June 7, 2026. He was born on June 7, 1993, in Inglewood, California.
What is Swae Lee’s real name? His legal name is Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown.
What is Swae Lee’s net worth? Estimates vary between $9 million and $12 million as of 2026, depending on the source. His earnings come from music, touring, songwriting royalties, and real estate.
What ethnicity is Swae Lee? He is African-American. An AncestryDNA test he shared publicly revealed approximately 79% African ancestry (with the highest percentages tracing to Nigeria, Cameroon/Congo, and Mali) and 21% European ancestry.
Who sang “Sunflower”? “Sunflower” is a collaboration between Post Malone and Swae Lee. It was released in October 2018 for the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack and became the first-ever RIAA double-diamond certified single in February 2024.
Is Swae Lee going on tour in 2026? Yes. He announced the Same Difference European Tour, running from July 10 to August 29, 2026, covering 16 cities across Poland, Spain, Germany, Romania, Czech Republic, Iceland, Denmark, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria. He also performed at Coachella 2026 earlier in the year.
What is Swae Lee’s latest album? His latest solo album is Same Difference, released on April 4, 2026. It has 16 tracks and features Post Malone, Jhené Aiko, French Montana, NAV, Rich The Kid, and his brother Slim Jxmmi.
Is Swae Lee still part of Rae Sremmurd? Yes. While he has been actively pursuing his solo career, he has not left Rae Sremmurd. His brother Slim Jxmmi even appears on the Same Difference album. The duo’s “Black Beatles” also received diamond certification recently.
Where is Swae Lee from? He was born in Inglewood, California, but grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi. He lived for a period in Atlanta, and he currently lives in Miami, Florida.
What is Swae Lee’s Instagram? His official Instagram handle is @swaelee. He has over 11 million followers.
All information in this article is based on publicly available, verified sources as of June 2026. For live tour updates and new music releases, follow Swae Lee on Instagram at @swaelee.
