When Cleo released her debut album Missaoui in 2022, it was not a debut in the traditional sense of the word. It was the culmination of an entire adult life devoted to hip hop – a powerful, trembling work infused with experience, wisdom and modern women’s history. The album was universally praised, awarded multiple prices and nominations, and established Cleo as one of the most relevant voices of her generation. On stage, she quickly became known as a force of nature, with performances sometimes described as revival meetings – intense, spiritually charged gatherings where the audience is invited into something greater than a concert.
Since Missaoui, she has continued, in creative symbiosis with her long-time collaborator Academics, to push the boundaries of what Swedish hip hop can be. Together they create music that moves between the introspective and personal and the vibrant and life-affirming, a range that is clearly illustrated in the EP Vännäs Beach, released in 2025.
