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— By Malikka McDuffie

In 2013, Swae Lee dove headfirst into the music scene with his brother Slim Jxmmi. At the time, they gave a new meaning to hip hop with Rae Sremmurd. Best known for their mega single “Black Beatles,” which sparked a socially viral trend (The Mannequin Challenge), Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi have since racked up a few platinum records under their belts. With timeless singles like “No Type,” “No Flex Zone,” and “Throw Sum Mo,” they have made it a point to etch themselves into music history. Although they have accomplished great feats together, it’s what they’re doing individually that continues to draw attention to their undeniable talents.

Adding to his catalog, Swae Lee has flexed his writing muscles by contributing to a few more radio-savvy singles beyond the Rae Sremmurd enterprise. In the wake of May 2017, Swae wrote another hot track, this time for French Montana. The killer track titled “Unforgettable” ranked at the number three spot on Billboard Hot 100. A few months later, Swae penned another hit titled “Sunflower.” The single was featured on the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack, which later granted him his first chart-topping single as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

It would be hard to deny that this guy is indeed a red hot, lyrical genius. He’s displayed his professional songwriting artistry so well that it got him nominated for several Grammy awards.

Here are five songs you probably did not know were written by the hip hop phenomenon.

1. “Formation” by Beyoncé

“Okay, ladies now let’s get in formation!” Swae Lee let the famous lyrics flow in 2014, while on his way to Coachella with Mike WiLL Made-It. Mike once stated in an interview that the beat was saved on his phone, the words popped into Swae’s head, and as the old saying goes, the rest was history. His penmanship got him nominated for Song of the Year at the 2017 Grammy Awards as a songwriter for Beyoncé’s number one hit single “Formation.”

2. “Unforgettable” by French Montana

Swae was a featured guest on the song and was also one of its creators. The single that was backed by Epic Records/Bad Boy Records was released in April 2017. Peaking at number three on Billboard Hot 100, “Unforgettable” was delivered right on time and set the ultimate mood for the spring/summer months. The song has since gone on to be certified diamond and multi-platinum in over 16 different countries.

3. “Arms Around You” by XXXTentacion & Lil Pump

Lending his vocal and writing abilities to the late rapper’s melodic track “Arms Around You,” Swae added yet another title to his eclectic catalog. The joint collaboration between XXXTentacion and Lil Pump also features Columbian singer-songwriter and rapper Maluma.

4. “Close to Me” by Ellie Goulding

In October 2018, Swae joined pop sensation Ellie Goulding and Diplo on the single “Close to Me.” They came up with a song that emerged as one of the hottest records in the world. The track came in at number 24 on the Hot 100 charts and has since been deemed platinum in the U.S.

5. “Sicko Mode” by Travis Scott

Travis Scott conjured up this track. But, it was Swae’s penmanship that got the Houston native his first Hot 100 single. “Sicko Mode” debuted in August 2018 on Travis’ third studio album, Astroworld. The track features Drake and was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 61st annual Grammy Awards in 2019.

There’s no way anyone could take the credibility away from Swae Lee’s talents. He’s a lyrical wordsmith and a vocal talent who’s uplifted the music industry in such a short amount of time, and deserves respect because of it.

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