You’ve heard it. Even if you don’t think you have, you probably have. That high-pitched, almost toy-like synth melody that sounds like a corrupted Nintendo DS game. Then the bass hits—not a clean, studio-perfected thump, but a distorted, fuzzy rattle that feels like it’s blowing out your phone speakers on purpose. And finally, the voice. It’s Benjamin Reichwald, better known as Bladee, drenched in so much Auto-Tune he sounds more like a sentient circuit board than a Swedish man.
"Be Nice 2 Me" is weird. Honestly, the first time most people hear it, they laugh. I did. It feels like a joke you aren't in on. But then, for some reason, you play it again. And again. Suddenly, it’s three in the morning, and you’re unironically screaming about having to ice your wrist because you "broke" it (metaphorically, usually).
This isn't just a song anymore. Since it dropped on the mixtape Icedancer in late 2018, Be Nice 2 Me has become the definitive gateway drug into the "Drain Gang" universe. It’s the track that turned a niche Stockholm collective into a global cult phenomenon.
The Ripsquad Magic and the Sound of a "Crisis"
To understand why this song works, you have to look at the production. While Bladee usually works with Whitearmor—the architect of that icy, atmospheric cloud rap sound—this track was produced by Rip of the Ripsquad collective.
Ripsquad’s style is different. It’s faster. It’s "glitchier." It takes the melancholy of the early Drain Gang era and injects it with a manic, sugary energy that people now associate with hyperpop, even though Bladee was doing this years before that term became a marketing buzzword. The beat for Be Nice 2 Me is relentlessly upbeat, which creates this bizarre contrast with the lyrics.
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Bladee isn't rapping about having a great time. He's talking about hiding his feelings, going through a "crisis," and dealing with people who only like him if he's "the nicest." There’s a line that hits particularly hard: "If I get feelings, gotta hide it." It’s delivered with such robotic detachment that it feels more honest than a traditional ballad. It’s the anthem of the emotionally exhausted person who just wants to be left alone but still needs validation through Instagram likes.
Why Everyone Thought It Was Trash (At First)
Let’s be real: Bladee's vocals are an acquired taste. He’s not a "singer" in the traditional sense. In Be Nice 2 Me, he’s often flat, slightly off-beat, and the processing is so heavy it masks any natural timbre.
In the early days, music critics and "serious" hip-hop fans absolutely hated this. They saw it as the death of lyricism. But they missed the point. Bladee isn't trying to be Kendrick Lamar. He’s using his voice as an instrument—a texture. It’s about the vibe.
- The "Drain" Philosophy: Bladee calls himself the CEO of Drain Gang. "Drain" is basically the idea that "loss and gain are the same."
- Aesthetic over Accuracy: The song sounds "cheap" on purpose. It mirrors the lo-fi, DIY internet culture of the late 2010s.
- The Meme Factor: TikTok and Twitter turned the song into a meme, but that irony eventually turned into genuine fandom.
It’s a classic case of the "Bladee Pipeline." Step one: You hear it and think it’s the worst thing ever. Step two: You ironically play it for a friend to show them how bad it is. Step three: You realize the hook is stuck in your head. Step four: You are now wearing a $200 merch hoodie and praying to a Swedish flag.
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Be Nice 2 Me and the Birth of a New Genre
Is it hyperpop? Is it cloud rap? Is it "tread"?
The truth is, Be Nice 2 Me exists in a vacuum. While artists like 100 gecs or Charli XCX later popularized the maximalist, distorted pop sound, Bladee and Ripsquad were carving out this specific niche in 2018. The song has over 50 million streams on Spotify now, which is wild for something that started as a "weird" underground mixtape track.
It changed how people look at Swedish rap. Before this, you had Yung Lean—who is a legend in his own right—but Bladee took that blueprint and made it more abstract. More "alien." If Yung Lean is the sadness of a rainy day, Bladee in the Icedancer era is the jittery energy of a caffeine overdose at a computer desk.
How to Actually "Get" the Song
If you’re still struggling to enjoy it, stop trying to listen to the lyrics for deep meaning. Treat the vocals like a synthesizer. Focus on the way the melody interacts with the bass.
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It’s a "mood" song. It’s meant to be played while you’re walking through a city at night or staring at a screen for too long. The repetition of "Talk to me nice, talk to me nice" isn't just a chorus; it's a mantra. It captures that very specific Gen Z/Alpha feeling of wanting connection but being terrified of the vulnerability that comes with it.
Practical Steps for the New Listener:
- Listen with headphones: You need to hear the layering of the Ripsquad production to appreciate it.
- Watch the video: Directed by Joe Ward, it’s a chaotic mess of lens flares and editing that perfectly matches the "drained" aesthetic.
- Don't overthink it: If you don't like it today, come back in six months. It usually takes a few tries before the "click" happens.
Be Nice 2 Me remains a masterpiece of the "so bad it's actually genius" genre that eventually just became "genius." It’s the definitive moment where the underground broke through the floor and started building its own skyscraper.
To really dive deeper into this world, your next move should be listening to the full Icedancer mixtape back-to-back. Don't skip tracks. Let the repetitive, glitchy atmosphere wash over you until the "crisis" Bladee talks about starts to feel like home. Once you understand the transition from the "sad boy" era to this neon-lit digital chaos, the rest of the Drain Gang discography—from the ethereal Crest to the raw Cold Visions—will finally make sense.