Published 17 December 2022 at 11.35
Cultural news. Gangster rapper “Ille Freeway” had enough of gang violence in Sweden. He deleted his songs and moved home to Somalia to work at the family's restaurant.
– I took my pick and pack and tagged, he says to SVT's “Uppdrag granskning”.
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– Twelve-year-olds have come up to me and rapped lyrics when I talk about guzz, drugs, crime. They recite my texts as if it were something religious. When I saw it, I thought: No, this doesn't work, brother, says Ille Freeway to SVT.
Ille Freeway, whose real name is Ilias Elmi, was one of those who started the new wave of so called Swedish gangster rap.
He has since been horrified by the social development where murder, weapons and drugs have become normalized among young people. He himself has seen the violence up close and lost friends.
– That is what is in 2022. That you are a murderer, a shooter, says Ille Freeway.
In February this year he had enough and deleted all his songs from the streaming services.
– I had enough. I didn't want anything to do with that anymore, says the ex-rapper.
– Friends dying, people getting shot left and right. The environment was depressing for me.
Now Ille Freeway has moved back home to Somalia, where he is building a new life and working at the family restaurant.
By all accounts, he is enjoying himself there very well .
– It's a good difference in life. From the gangster rap in Sweden out in the million programs to being a business owner. It's a big change, says Ille Freeway to SVT.
Another popular Somali gangster rapper, robbery Dree Low, also chose at the beginning of the year to drop out and delete his music catalog.