Leila K. (born September 6, 1971 in Gothenburg, Sweden) is a Swedish singer and rapper who is considered one of the defining figures of the European Eurodance and hip-hop scene of the late 1980s and 1990s. Her real name is Laila El Khalifi. She began her first musical activities at the end of the 1980s in the Swedish dance and hip-hop scene. Her international career began in 1989 with a collaboration with DJ Rob'n'Raz. This resulted in the song "Got to Get", which achieved high chart positions in several European countries in 1990 and reached number 1 in Sweden. In 1990, Leila K. released her debut album Rob'n'Raz featuring Leila K (1990), which was heavily influenced by dance and hip-hop elements. Her first solo album Carousel followed in 1993, which further developed her independent style between Eurodance, rap and pop. It produced successful singles such as "Open Sesame" and "Slow Motion". In 1995, she released her second studio album Manic Panic, which was stylistically rougher and incorporated more electronic club music. After that, she only released a few singles, including "Electric" and later collaborations without any long-term chart presence.
