Markoolio is the stage name of Finnish-born Swedish rapper Marko Kristian Lehtosalo (born on January 1st, 1975). Known for his comedic, often bizarre approach to hip-hop, Lehtosalo made his official debut with Sticker hårt (1998), which included the hit singles “Sommar och sol” and peaked at Number 4 on Sweden’s Sverigetopplistan. The album’s success paved the way for Tjock och lycklig (2001) and I skuggan av mig själv (2003), both of which topped the Swedish Charts and obtained platinum certification. The rapper made a triumphant comeback in 2007 with the blockbuster Värsta plattan, which featured the hit single “Värsta schlagern,” a Eurovision parody that topped Sveriges Radio’s Svensktoppen, and the massive summer hit “Ingen sommar utan reggae.” Lehtosalo remained atop the Swedish Charts during the following years with Jag är konst (2008) and Jag är Markoolio (2012), which spawned the hit “En vecka i Phuket” and took him on a Swedish tour throughout 20 cities. Subsequently, Lehtosalo won the eight season of TV dancing competition Let’s Dance in 2013, and released the singles “Bastukungen” (2017) and Modell (2019) towards the end of the decade.
