Rapper Swae Lee has lost a hard drive containing hundreds of unreleased songs at Los Angeles International Airport's Terminal 2, prompting him to offer a $20,000 reward for its return.

The 27-year-old artist, who planned to release his album "Human Nature" in January 2021 along with two other albums, expressed urgency in recovering the device. "I GOT MY WHOLE LIFE ON THAT S--T!!!" Lee posted on social media, highlighting the drive's significance.

The lost hard drive reportedly contains several hundred unreleased tracks. Based on Swae Lee's 2020 Spotify streams alone (1.1 billion), the value of his music could be worth between $3.3 million to $5.5 million in streaming royalties.

While Delta Airlines' policy states they "will make every effort to return" lost items, no one has yet claimed the reward or returned the device.

This incident recalls similar cases in the music industry:

• Skrillex lost two hard drives in Milan (2011) containing a new album and project files
• Ryan Leslie's laptop case (2010) resulted in a $1.18 million court-ordered payment after offering a reward for its return

The situation highlights the critical importance of data backup in the music industry, where losing original recordings can have significant creative and financial implications.

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