Snook

Swedish rap duo Snook broke through to mainstream success in 2004 with the smash hit single "Mister Cool," which established them as one of the country's most promising hip-hop talents. Founded in 2000 in Stockholm, the duo is comprised of Daniel Adams-Ray (born on August 18, 1983, in Nairobi, Kenya) and Kihlen (born Oskar Linnros on August 15, 1983, in Sundbyberg, Sweden). Snook got their start in the early 2000s in affiliation with Uppsala-based rap duo Afasi & Filthy, who featured them as guests on their 2003 underground hit "1990Nånting." Snook's guest feature on Afasi & Filthy's breakout hit set the stage for their own, "Mister Cool." Originally released on the ten-track version of their independently released debut album, Vi Vet Inte Vart Vi Ska Men Vi Ska Komma Dit, "Mister Cool" first entered the Swedish singles charts in July 2004, a couple months after the 12-track version of Vi Vet Inte Vart Vi Ska Men Vi Ska Komma Dit was released. "Mister Cool" inched up the singles chart for a couple months, ultimately peaking at number two for a couple weeks in September 2004 and spending 12 weeks overall in the Top Ten. A couple years later Snook released their second album, Är (2006), on the Playground Music label. An alternative rap effort acclaimed for its bold approach, Är was produced by Kihlen in collaboration with Salem al Fakir and features live instrumentation. The album spawned the singles "Snook, Svett & Tårar," "Längst Fram I Taxin," "Kommer Ifrån," and "Inga Problem," plus a hit remix of the latter. Moreover, Snook won a 2006 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Swedish Act. In subsequent years Kihlen branched out on his own as a producer, working with veteran rapper Petter in 2007 on the hit single "God Damn It!" and soul-pop singer Veronica Maggio in 2008 on the bulk of her second album, Och Vinnaren Är..., most notably the international smash hit "Måndagsbarn." ~ Jason Birchmeier