Jonatan Leandoer Håstad^[3] (born 18 July 1996), known professionally as Yung Lean, is a Swedish rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and fashion designer. Born in Stockholm, he rose to prominence in 2010 with his song “Ginseng Strip 2002" which became a viral success on YouTube.^[4] In 2013, Yung Lean released his debut mixtape, Unknown Death 2002, and the following year he released his debut studio album, Unknown Memory. In 2016, he released the mixtape, Frost God, and his second studio album, Warlord. Yung Lean released his third studio album, Stranger in 2017 by YEAR0001, ^[5][6] followed by his third mixtape, Poison Ivy, in November 2018.

Håstad was born on 18 July, 1996, in Stockholm, Sweden to Kristoffer Leandoer, a Swedish poet, fantasy author, and translator of French literature who owned a book publishing company^[7] and Elsa Håstad, who is a human rights activist working with LGBT groups in Russia, Vietnam, and South America.^[8] Håstad spent his early childhood in Minsk, Belarus, where his mother moved the family so Håstad could have a similar childhood to her. His maternal grandfather was British playwright Arnold Wesker.

They returned to Sweden and settled in Stockholm when Håstad was somewhere between the ages of three and five. He was raised in the city's Södermalm district. Håstad grew up speaking both Russian and Swedish.^[9] During his time in high school, Håstad often got in trouble for doing drugs or writing graffiti. He also had a job at a local McDonalds.^[8] When he was 15, he was put on probation for smoking cannabis.^[10]

In his youth, he began to develop an interest in hip hop music, mentioning 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin', The Latin Kings's Mitt Kvarter and Nas's Illmatic as his early influences.^[11][1][12]

In 2012, Håstad met Yung Sherman and Yung Gud in a local Stockholm park and they struck up a friendship, discovering they enjoyed much of the same music.^[13] Together with several other mutual friends they formed a group known as Hasch Boys. Another group of Stockholm artists who would later form the group Drain Gang were also member of Hasch Boys.

When many of the other members of Hasch Boys began to lose interest in the group, Håstad, Sherman and Gud broke off and formed the group "Sad Boys" as a trio.^[14] By 2012, Yung Gud and Yung Sherman were producing and mixing music while Håstad had begun writing lyrics and recording vocals in a makeshift studio in his basement. They shared the music they made on the platform SoundCloud and Tumblr,^[15][16][17] where Lean began to generate a large following.^[18][19] Sad Boys performed their first show in Gothenburg, Sweden on May 5, 2013.

Yung Lean became widely known when the music video for his track "Ginseng Strip 2002" went viral, exceeding 24 million views on YouTube as of July 2019.^{[20][21][22][23]} That same year, he put out his first official releases: Unknown Death 2002 and an EP titled Lavender which includes the track "Ginseng Strip 2002" along with other songs that were cut from Unknown Death 2002. Consequence of Sound placed "Ginseng Strip 2002" at number 44 on their "Top 50 Songs of 2013",^[24] while Vibe included Unknown Death 2002 in their list, "The 10 Most Overlooked Debut Rap Mixtapes of 2013", describing it as "a natural progression from the freely associative, often nonsensical rhymes of Lil' B with a keener sense of melody".^[25]

In 2013, Yung Lean and Sad Boys toured throughout Europe. Later that same year, Acclaim Magazine had Yung Lean as their guest for a Q&A "smalltalk" segment, where they asked him about a wide variety of miscellaneous things, including his favourite hangover cure and his desktop wallpaper.^[26]

In 2014, Yung Lean and Sad Boys embarked on the White Marble Tour, playing in 24 cities across Europe. Shortly after the conclusion of this tour Sad Boys announced a further Black Marble Tour, which would include several performances in cities across North America. The first of these shows took place in July at the Webster Hall in New York City, and was well received by writers for publications such as XXL, and The New York Times.^{[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]}

Yung Lean starred on Studio PSL in May 2014^[36] and was also one of five final nominees for the 2014 [P3 Guld in the Hip Hop/Soul category.^[37]

Yung Lean released his debut full-length album, titled Unknown Memory on 23 September 2014.^[31][38][39] The album was accompanied with North American and European tours, beginning on 1 December in New York with a nearly sold-out show on Webster Hall's main ballroom stage.^[40]

Yung Lean released his second full-length album, Warlord, on 25 February 2016; he also released a line of clothing, "Sad Boys Entertainment".^[41] Håstad modelled for Calvin Klein's July 2016, AW16 Campaign.^[42] During his Warlord American tour, his tour bus in Pennsylvania was shot at.^[43] Håstad was also featured on Frank Ocean's critically acclaimed Blonde where he provided backup vocals on the songs "Godspeed" and "Self Control". According to Håstad, his part on the project was recorded when he was seventeen in Ocean's apartment in London.^[44]

Yung Lean released a surprise track on 25 November 2016 titled "Hennessy & Sailor Moon (feat. Bladee)".^[45] On December 14, 2016 he released the mixtape Frost God containing eight tracks including "Hennessy & Sailor Moon" and "Crystal City" which featured A$AP Ferg.

Håstad released his third studio album Stranger on November 10, 2017, with the singles "Red Bottom Sky", "Hunting My Own Skin", and "Skimask", through Stockholm label YEAR0001.

In an interview with Complex in January 2018, Håstad announced he was writing several film scripts, including one based around Swedish serial killer John Ausonius, best known as The Laser Man.^[46] In February 2018, Yung Lean released the single "King Cobra" with Thaiboy Digital, as well as a collaboration with Converse that consisted of a shoe and several items of clothing titled "One Star Toxic."^[47]

On November 2nd 2018, Håstad released his fourth studio album Poison Ivy with the single "Happy Feet" released on October 24th, 2018.^[48] The album, a collaboration with White Armor, a member of group Drain Gang whom Håstad frequently collaborates with, debuted at number 44 on the Sweden Albums Charts, the Sverigetopplistan.^[49]

On January 25th, 2019, Yung Lean released his first full length album under Jonatan Leandoer127 "Nectar", with the singles "Wooden Girl", "Nectar" and "Tangerine Warrior". The album strays away from Leandoer's sad Hip-Hop roots and goes for a blend of Indie rock and Neofolk.

XXL magazine included him in their 2014 list of "15 European Rappers You Should Know".^[21] Fact magazine viewed the Unknown Death 2002 mixtape as "a logical continuation of Clams Casino and Beautiful Lou's innovative techniques, emerging with thick, melancholy numbers that drip with a rare and earnest allure."^[50] In 2013, Fact published another article titled "Rise of the Sad Boys: from Kompakt to Yung Lean, a history of how electronic musicians have worn their sadness on their sleeves", which claimed that "[Yung Lean]'s mixtape Unknown Death 2002 is the epitome of sad rap".^[51]

Yung Lean was described by Entertainment Weekly as "loosely affiliated" with the cloud rap movement.^[52] According to music website HighClouds, part of Yung Lean's appeal is "the production provided by Yung Gud and Yung Sherman who combine the cloud rap of Clams Casino with electronic music touches".^[53]

Yung Lean is also the vocalist for the punk band Död Mark, along with fellow Sad Boys member Gud.^[54] The duo's debut album, Drabbad av Sjukdom was released in 2016 through Stockholm label YEAR0001.

Outside of music, Håstad is writing a screenplay about a "a strange gangster drama" and a rock opera about John Ausonius, a Swedish serial killer.^[55] Håstad has aspirations to become an actor.

Håstad has several hobbies, including reading, ceramics, painting^[56] and playing piano.^[57] Håstad began to pick up painting following his release from a mental health hospital as a way to relax.^[58]

While recording his second studio album Warlord, Håstad lived in Miami Beach, Florida. During this time, Håstad became addicted to Xanax, lean and cocaine. On April 7, 2015, Håstad overdosed and was hospitalized in Mount Sinai Medical Center & Miami Heart Institute before moving back to Sweden to live with his family.^[59]