Yung Lean

Håstad was born on 18 July 1996, in Stockholm to Kristoffer Leandoer, a Swedish poet, fantasy author, and translator of French literature who owned a book publishing company and Elsa Håstad, who is a human rights activist working with LGBT groups in Russia, Vietnam, and South America and since 2019 serves as the Swedish ambassador to Albania. 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-Jewish playwright Arnold Wesker.

In 2012, Håstad met Yung Sherman and Gud in a local Stockholm park and they struck up a friendship, discovering they enjoyed much of the same music. 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. 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, where Lean began to generate a large following. Sad Boys performed their first show in Gothenburg, Sweden on 5 May 2013.

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.

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.

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

Yung Lean released his debut full-length album, titled Unknown Memory on 23 September 2014. 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.

XXL magazine included him in their 2014 list of "15 European Rappers You Should Know". 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." 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".

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 7 April 2015, Håstad overdosed and was hospitalized in Mount Sinai Medical Center & Miami Heart Institute. Håstad's overdose and subsequent hospitalization coincided with the death of his manager and close personal friend, Barron Machat. After the incident, Håstad moved back to Sweden to live with his family.

Yung Lean released his second full-length album, Warlord, on 25 February 2016; he also released a line of clothing, "Sad Boys Entertainment". Håstad modelled for Calvin Klein's July 2016, AW16 Campaign. During his Warlord American tour, his tour bus in Pennsylvania was shot at. 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.

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

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

Håstad released his third studio album Stranger on 10 November 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". 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."

On 2 November 2018, Håstad released his third mixtape Poison Ivy with the single "Happy Feet" released on 24 October 2018. The album, a collaboration with White Armor, a member of group Drain Gang with whom Håstad frequently collaborates, debuted at number 44 on the Sweden Albums Charts, the Sverigetopplistan.

On 25 January 2019, Yung Lean released his first full length album under Jonatan Leandoer96 "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.

In 2019, Yung Lean was awarded the Bram Stoker Medal of Cultural Achievement by the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College, Dublin.

Håstad has several hobbies, including reading, ceramics, painting, writing and playing piano. Håstad began painting following his release from a mental health hospital as a way to relax. In a 2019 interview, Håstad told Kaleidoscope magazine that he has bipolar disorder. He was diagnosed with it in 2016 and takes medication for his condition.

On 26 February 2020 Yung Lean released the single "Boylife in EU," produced by frequent collaborator whitearmor. On 27 March 2020 Yung Lean uploaded a 44-second teaser featuring a mix of songs from his upcoming fourth-studio album "Starz." Owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic the Starz tour which was due to begin in late March was cancelled, and on 2 April 2020 Yung Lean streamed a 45-minute concert from the back of a truck in an undisclosed location, the stream featuring a mix of songs from previous works, as well as newly-released "Boylife in EU." On 14 April 2020 the second single from Starz was released, "Violence + Pikachu." Starz was released on 15 May 2020, the album being produced by whitearmor and Yung Sherman and featuring Ariel Pink on the album's title track.