Einár
Born
Nils Erik Einar Grönberg

(2002-09-05)5 September 2002
Stockholm, Sweden
Died21 October 2021(2021-10-21) (aged 19)
OccupationRapper
Years active2018–2021
Musical career
GenresHip hop, Gangsta rap
LabelsNS1

Nils Kurt Erik Einar Grönberg (Swedish pronunciation: [nɪls kʉrt eːrɪk ɛɪnar]) (5 September 2002 – 21 October 2021),[1] who was commonly known as Einár (Swedish: [ɛɪnar] or [ɛɪnaːr]) was a Swedish rapper. He released four albums, two of which topped the Swedish album chart. In 2019, he won the Musikförläggarnas pris for Breakthrough of the Year and in 2020 he won two Grammis, Sweden's oldest pop music awards. Two of his singles peaked at number one on the Swedish singles chart and four have been certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association (SRIA). He is also featured on the number-one single "Gamora" by the group Hov1.

Einár was involved in several high-profile incidents, most notably his kidnap by rival rapper Yasin and a Vårby-based criminal gang in 2020. A week before he was scheduled to testify in a trial connected to his kidnapping, he was found to have been shot dead in what police described as an execution-style shooting.

Early life and career

Einár was born on 5 September 2002 to the actress Lena Nilsson.[2] He grew up in Enskededalen.[3] At the age of 17, Einár was arrested under the Swedish equivalent of Chapter 403 in Title 18 (US) or Anti-social behaviour order (UK), Lag med särskilda bestämmelser om vård av unga (LVU). He lived for several months in a locked child protection home.[4]

Einár's first solo single "Gucci / Duckar Popo" was streamed on Spotify over one million times.[5] His second single "Katten i trakten" peaked at number one on the Swedish Singles Chart in February 2019.[6] His follow-up single "Rör mig" entered the Sverigetopplistan chart at number three in its first week of release in May 2019.[7] Einár released the studio albums Första klass, Nummer 1 and Welcome to Sweden;[8] The first two albums were released in 2019 and the third on 15 May 2020. Welcome to Sweden debuted and peaked at number two on the Swedish Albums Chart.[9] Första klass and Nummer 1 peaked at number one.[9]

Einár won the Musikförläggarnas pris in 2019 in the Breakthrough of the Year category.[10] At Sveriges Radio's P3 Guld gala in 2020, which was broadcast on SVT, he won in the Song of the Year category for the song "Katten i trakten."[11] At the 2020 Grammis awards, Einár won the awards for Newcomer of the Year and Hiphop of the Year.[12]

Criminal activity

Einár was convicted for minor narcotics crime, assault and driving without a permit. In October 2021, he was arrested after a stabbing. He also socialised with known criminals.[13] There are also theories that he was behind the murder of the brother of the rival rapper Haval.

Kidnapping

In April 2020, Einár was kidnapped in a plot that was instigated by rival rapper Yasin and perpetrated by other members of the criminal gang called Vårbynätverket ("Vårby network").[14][15] He was held at gunpoint for several hours and his kidnappers took photographs of him and posted them on social media.[16] They also stole a Rolex watch worth 302,000 kr (US$35,100) and two gold chains worth a total of 163,000 kr (US$19,000).[17] Yasin was later sentenced to ten months in prison for the kidnapping.[18][16] Another rapper, Haval Khalil—known as Haval)—was sentenced to two-and-a-half years for complicity in the kidnapping and robbery. The crime and subsequent trials of the perpetrators received international attention.[19] Einár was living under death threats after his kidnapping and was using a protected identity.[20][21]

Death and subsequent events

Einár was shot dead on the evening of 21 October 2021 in Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm.[22][23] Police described his killing as an execution because he was shot from a distance of 1.5 metres (4.9 ft).[24] The shooting was part of a trend of rising gun violence in Sweden that began in the 2010s.[25]

Einár had been scheduled to testify against Vårbynätverket and Yasin in the Svea hovrätt ("Svea Court of Appeal") the week after his killing. He had previously refused to testify and was very public about the fact that he would not participate.[26][27] On the morning after his death, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Minister for Culture Amanda Lind sent their condolences to Einár's family and fans.[28]

Funeral

Einar's funeral took place on 19 November 2021, at the Katarina kyrka in Stockholm. He was buried in Katarina kyrkogård, the cemetery on the Church's grounds.[29]

Discography

  • Första klass (2019)
  • Nummer 1 (2019)
  • Welcome to Sweden (2020)
  • Unge med extra energi (2020)

See also

References

  1. "Här är allt du vill vill veta om rapparen Einár". Hänt.se (in Swedish). 16 August 2019. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  2. Oxblod, Aino (14 June 2021). "80-talsstjärnan Lena Nilsson blev mamma till Sveriges största artist". Femina. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  3. "Nils "Einár" Grönberg är död – blev bara 19 år". Aftonbladet. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  4. Gelin, Gustav (22 October 2021). "Einár gjorde raketkarriär – från stökig uppväxt till topplistorna". ETC. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  5. Musikvideon till Einars nya singel katten i trakten Archived 16 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine Kingsize magazine Retrieved 16 February 2019
  6. Sverigetopplistan – Einár Archived 3 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 16 February 2019
  7. "Einar är tillbaka efter succén med nya singeln "Rör mig"". Dopest. 25 April 2019. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  8. "Nils "Einár" Grönberg är död – blev bara 19 år". Aftonbladet. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Einár vill visa att han är störst med sitt andra album 'NUMMER 1'". Dopest. 5 September 2019. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  10. "Einár och Robyn får musikpris". Dagens Nyheter. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  11. "Här är alla vinnare". Sveriges Radio. 18 January 2020. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  12. "Erik Lundin och Einár vann på Grammis 2020". Kingsizemag.se | Svensk rap hiphop musik dans kläder artister tv. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  13. Nyheter, S. V. T.; Nilsson, Mimmi (22 October 2021). "Hade kopplingar till kriminella gäng – och levde under hot". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  14. Nyheter, S. V. T.; Salihu, Diamant; Thomsen, Dante (6 May 2020). "Uppgifter: Känd svensk artist kidnappad och misshandlad". SVT Nyheter. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  15. "Swedish rapper shot dead, stoking outrage over gang violence". Reuters. 22 October 2021. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Swedish rapper Yasin jailed over plot to kidnap rival artist". BBC News. 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  17. "Einár levde under hot – hade skyddad identitet". Aftonbladet. 22 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  18. "Swedish rapper Yasin jailed over conspiracy to kidnap rival artist". 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021 via The Local.
  19. Holroyd, Matthew (14 July 2021). "Swedish rappers jailed for kidnapping in major organised crime trial". Euronews. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  20. "Rapparen Einár ihjälskjuten i natt". Expressen. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  21. Kelly, Emma (22 October 2021). "Swedish rapper Einar shot dead aged 19". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  22. "Svenske rapparen Einár ihjälskjuten". Expressen. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  23. Swedish Teenage Rapper Einar Killed in Stockholm Shooting Archived 22 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Bloomberg. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  24. "Swedish rapper Einár, 19, shot to death". Aftonbladet. 22 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  25. "Swedish rapper Einar shot dead in suspected gang-related attack". the Guardian. 22 October 2021. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021. One of Sweden's most popular rappers has been shot and killed in Stockholm, further fuelling public anger over a deadly wave of gang-related violence that has hit the country in recent years.
  26. "Rapparen Einár skjuten till döds i Stockholm". Svenska Dagbladet. 22 October 2021. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  27. Andrén, Simon; Quintana, Mariela (22 October 2021). "Nya uppgifter: Einár skulle vittna mot Vårbynätverket". Sveriges Radio. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  28. Nyheter, S. V. T.; Storkaas, Adelina (22 October 2021). "Löfven: "Han har betytt mycket för många unga människor"". SVT Nyheter. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  29. "I dag begravdes Nils Einár Grönberg". Aftonbladet. 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
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