Sway

There are at least 5 artists with the name Sway:

1. Back in 2004, 22 year old Derek Safo (aka Sway) devised a master plan for success in
setting up his own totally self-run label, Dcypha Productions, as the outlet for his initial trilogy
of releases; This Is My Promo, Volume 1, This Is My Promo, Volume 2, and This Is My
Demo. The aim of this initial hat-trick of records was to express and establish himself as an
artist independently without the help of a label. The two This Is My Promo volumes exhibit
Sway’s all round natural abilities in a traditional hip-hop mixtape setting: collections of rough
tracks, radio appearances, skits and bootlegs all combine to form two electrifying
demonstrations of his raw talent and ability. Originally intended as small scale precursors to
his fully-formed This Is My Demo debut album, the mixtapes grew bigger and more
successful than Sway ever imagined, propelling him into pole position as the country’s
biggest mixtape artist. As well as shuttling between clubs, shows and independent record
shops to personally sell his mixtapes, Sway found time to tour with Dizzee Rascal and bring
his inimitable style to a raft of releases as a guest artist – his cheeky chappie chat-up lines
shone through on Terri Walker’s Whoopsie Daisy; he rode roughshod through Taz’s Cowboy
Film remix, and cash-backed in style with the Mitchell Brothers and Mike Skinner on Harvey
Nicks.
A rash of awards quickly followed: Sway walked away with Best Newcomer at the Urban
Music Awards; Best of British from the Channel U Award and – most memorably – Best Hip-
Hop Artist at the MOBOs despite still being unsigned, having not yet released an album, and
going up against global rap heavyweights 50 Cent and The Game. By the close of 2005 all
eyes were on Sway.
Sway’s This Is My Demo had become one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2006.
A triumphant and truly British cross-pollination of influences, the record lived up to
expectations drawing upon a broad range of musical styles including hip-hop, grime, soul
and pop creating a sound to match it’s lyrical originality and the freshness. Sway produced
half of the 14 tracks himself, proving his enthusiasm for production, as well as his natural
abilities in the vocal booth. The witty flows and distinctive rhymes cover subjects as diverse
as credit card debt, Flo Fashion; downloading music, Download; a child’s imagination Sick
World; and city living, Products. The autobiographical Little Derek details how the North
Londoner “ended up in HMV, instead of HMP” breaking Sway into the top 40 of the charts
when released as a single – an amazing achievement, especially considering Sway’s
unsigned status. Sway’s This Is My Demo debut album has increasingly become considered
as a landmark moment for British “urban” and hip-hop music, and caused widespread
acclaim, with one quality newspaper describing it as; “not just the best British rap albums in
years, but simply the best rap album in years, full stop.” The record received further
mainstream endorsement when it was selected as one of the Mercury Music Prize’s ‘Albums
Of The Year’ – one of the most respected accolades in UK music which honours only 12
albums a year.
Since This Is My Demo’s release, Sway’s world has been an accelerating blur of activity, with
highlights including multi-platinum selling US rapper David Banner supporting Sway on his
debut UK tour; televised performances broadcast to audiences across the country live from
the MOBO and Mercury Prize ceremonies; and collaborations with chart topper Craig David,
rising US hip-hop star Lupe Fiasco, RnB princess Jamelia, rising US star Chamillionaire, and
sharing stages with The Streets and Hard Fi on their headline tours. The ripples of attention
generated by Sway’s impact have now also crossed the Atlantic reaching the shores of
America. Sway was confirmed as the winner of a coveted BET [Black Entertainment
Television] Award with the public voting for Sway ahead of fellow nominees Kano, Plan B
and Dizzee Rascal, in the first ever “Best UK Artist” category. As well as travelling out to
Atlanta to receive the award, Sway’s performance with Remy Ma, Rhymefest and Saigon
was broadcast internationally to an audience of millions as part of the ceremony in November
2007. In other US related endeavours, Sway has forged strong links with Akon and his
Konvict Muzik family - a relationship which promises to produce collaborations and further
projects between the two.
Fast forward to the present day and we find Sway stood on the cusp of his much-anticipated,
now overdue second album release, The Signature LP. The record’s title refers to both
Sway’s ongoing independence and commitment to his own Dcypha Productions label, and
reflects his conviction that this is his most personal and definitive work to date. The
Signature LP sees Sway surpassing the sky high standards set by his electrifying mixtapes
and Mercury-nominated This Is My Demo debut with his most exciting and accomplished
offering yet. This scorching second album – encompassing a 22 piece orchestra, several live
musicians and guest appearances from Lemar, Sting’s daughter Coco, and more – shows
Sway’s progression and growth as an artist, fuelled by his tireless ongoing mission to
creatively reach higher than ever before. Sway’s signature style of witty-wordplay delivered
via a razor-sharp flow is present throughout, as are the lyrical role-playing performances and
rib-tickling showmanship fans and followers have come to expect. However, much of the
record is born out of the tougher times leading up to it’s release – consequently Sway
explores deeper darker waters, and The Signature LP is dedicated to the memory of the
loved ones who passed away during it’s creation.
The Saturday Night Hustle single featuring Lemar is released on 15th September, Sway then
signs in with sizzling second album, The Signature LP, on 29th September. Further release,
live dates are planned for 2008 and 2009…
http://www.myspace.com/swaydasafo

2. Sway was the artist name of Norwegian artist Espen Lind when he released his first album "Mmm...Prepare To Be Swayed" in 1995.

3. Sway was also a shoegaze, blisspop, dream pop, etc four piece band from Ventura, CA. They released the fabulous "The Millia Pink and Green EP" in 2004 and "Winter Heart" EP in March 2007, plus a very early self titled EP. They renamed themselves Keepee several years ago to avoid confusion with this hip hop artist, but have switched back to Sway.

4. Sway is also a group out of the Boston area, in Massachusetts: http://www.myspace.com/swaymusicforever

5. Sway is also the name of a shoegaze band from Sydney, Australia.
www.myspace.com/dreamitdown