Sway
We say The hottest rapper on the UK hip hop block, Sway (aka Derek
Andrew Safo) pipped 50 Cent and The Game to last year’s best hip hop
MOBO despite not having released his debut album. The 23-year-old from
Hornsey grew up listening to Michael Jackson, Cameo and Madness, and
the latter’s urchin-like sense of fun is certainly recalled in Sway’s
cocksure, tight-throated rhymes, which he matches with a pleasingly
soulful warble.
He says ‘Originally, I just wanted to be a producer. I only started rapping out of not being able to find people who I thought were good enough to rap on my beats. I rapped as an example of the type of style I wanted on my production, but it ended up being better than a lot of people who tried to mimic it.
‘That’s when I started focusing on the rapping. I got to the final of
the first battle competition that I entered but I lost, which was good,
’cos it made me go away and come back stronger. After a while I was on
a winning streak; it was getting easier but I was thinking: Is this the
pinnacle? Am I just gonna be known as a battle rapper for the rest of
my life? So I quit that lifestyle and went back into the production and
making full tracks to rap over.
‘I’m very into literature. When I was six I’d go through the dictionary
every day and try to learn a new word. I’d say these long words in
class and the kids would be looking at me funny. I’m still fascinated
by words; I like to flip them about in my raps and find irony within
them.
‘2006 is shaping up to be a good year. I’ve got my album, a 22-date UK
tour and collaborations with Basement Jaxx and Akon on the way. And I
wanna get on “Top Of The Pops”, ’cos that’s a mark of success. I’m not
really concerned with that whole thing about selling out or keeping it
real. I am real.’
The Feeling
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4 comments
Dear Time out Team,
I am very glad that time out exists and find it one of the most helpful websites for going out in london. But one thing which strikes me is the fact that the ads you guys are putting on your website are more and more taking over the whole window I am looking at. that could even be acceptable. But imagine you are looking for some nice event and then around a 3sq cm patch are at least two moving images which show a TV advertisement for a beer brand or some software solutions. Frankly speaking: how the hell can I still enjoy to look at this site when constantly harrased by stuff which I dont want to see? Will your website one day end up with 80% of the screen occupied by at least 5,6 or seven or even more different advertisement clips ? I know the competition is hard but really , you dont want the time out website to end up being a pinboard with a little bit of nightlife guide at the bottom. Think about that guys...
good luck and best regards Martin
THE REAL HEAT
matt is cool and deserves the best that he can get in the charts good luck!
Glad to hear about Matt! Shame he went into rehab but glad he did too, since it was his choice and he wanted to get better! I'm going to meet and sing in a studio with Matt Willis next week and I can't wait! Wish me luck people! hehe! (love Matt Willis from the begining and further more!) eeee!!!