Get to know the breakout stars of hip-hop before they hit the stage this weekend at Fall Fest.
1. Rae Sremmurd isn’t a single person.
It’s actually a hip-hop duo consisting of two brothers, Swae Lee, 23, and Jxmmi, 24, whose real names are Khalif and Aaquil Brown.
2. Their breakout hit was “No Flex Zone”
In 2014, Rae Sremmurd skyrocketed to fame with this lead single from their debut album entitled SremmLife.
3. Swae Lee wrote the hook for Beyonce’s hit song “Formation”
During a songwriting session at Coachella, Swae Lee came up with the central mantra that Beyonce would later incorporate into her iconic ode to women’s empowerment.
4. They’ve toured the U.S. with Nicki Minaj.
Aside from giving Rae Sremmurd their first national tour, she is featured on several of their songs.
5.They were homeless as teenagers.
In an interview, Rae Sremmurd discuss their upbringing. After bouncing around the country with their mother who was in the military, Swae Lee and Jxmmi were kicked out of the house and took up residence in an abandoned house in the small town of Tupelo, Mississippi. The only expense they were required to pay by the city was the bill to keep the electricity on, so they went without heat or hot water in the winter. Eventually it became a place to host parties and, more importantly, a platform through which to play their music to the audience it was meant for.
6. They started from the bottom.
It all began in 2013 with a trio called “Dem Outta S8 Boyz”, featuring Swae Lee, Jxmmi, and an additional member, who all performed on Wild Out Wednesday, an amateur competition segment that used to air on BET.
7. The name “Rae Sremmurd” has a meaning behind it.
It may sound like gibberish, but the name ‘Rae Sremmurd’ is actually the words Ear and Drummers backwards. Eardrummers was the name of the producing group Swae Lee and Jxmmi were apart of when they were first getting started in the music business.
8. It all started with a thrift store video camera.
While still in high school, Swae Lee and Jxmmi shot music videos on their second-hand camera, They taught themselves to shoot and edit, and started uploading their creations on Youtube.
9. They’re signed by the successful producer Mike WiLL Made-It.
He’s the same producer associated with mega-superstars such as 2 Chainz, Future, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, and Wiz Khalifa, to name a few.
10. Songs you’ve probably heard before: No Flex Zone, No Type, Come Get Her
Songs you should check out: Black Beatles, Just Like Us, By Chance
Get excited for Fall Fest! We’ll see you there.