Nils Erik Einar Grönberg AKA. Einár was a Swedish rapper. The 19 year old rap sensation was shot to death late Thursday night October 21, 2021. Einàr was the most played artist on Spotify in Sweden 2019. I discovered his music in the early 2019 with the track “Katten i trakten” on repeat. The track was on his debut album Forsta klass that topped the Swedish charts in 2019, without the need of any (major) record labels help.

Image of Einàr in 2020.

Press image of Einàr in 2020. Pontus Esse Carmback, CC BY 3.0

“It is a young life that has been extinguished, and I understand that he has meant a lot to many young people,” said Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

Einár’s death sent a shock wave in Scandinavia and once again has the discussion regarding violence and gang-related activity within the hip hop community emerged. Many of Einár’s songs reference a life of crime, including drugs and weapons. Sweden has seen a rise in organised crime activity in recent years and several shootings have occurred in Stockholm, Göteborg, and Malmö.

Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality and Housing Märta Stenevi twitted that “violence must be stopped”.

The motive of the shooting remains unclear but the police have not ruled out that the incident could be gang-related.

RIP Einàr you’ll always be remembered for your music and description of the contemporary criminal scene in Stockholm ❤