chartsingles.net :: where the best music gets singled out

Yo, this is Sway. As his website proclaims. Sway is the pinnacle of the UK home-grown music scene right now and two weeks ago he got his first Top 40 hit with 'Little derek' and this week he released the album 'This Is My Demo'. There he is look, to the left, showing us how to fold a napkin.

Renowned for his witty lyrics and true to life tales Sway shows that it doesn't require violence, hate or guns to make it in the rap game.

So you've hit the mainstream now I guess, what's your aim for your music?
World domination. You know, it's not much.

Like the British Empire all over again...
No no no no, the Dcypha Empire.

So you lived for some time in Ghana, where your parents were born, and obviously spent time here, do you think having lived in the two different cultures they come out in the music?
Yeah definitely, it's something that I make sure comes out in my music, because it's a combination of things that make me as a person. It's what's gonna help differentiate me from other artists.

The single charted in the top 40 two weeks ago and the album is out this week, so, time to put the feet up?
No way. Never. It's actually time to put the feet down. For what I aspire to and what I want to be, I'm not successful. I'm on the road there, but it's not like I wanna put up my gloves, in my case, I've just strapped the gloves on.

As you say in the title track - This Is My Demo - you're going to do five albums. What if say, Michael Jackson came back and stole world domination from you, would you still do the five albums to prove yourself?
Of course, you know, there is always gonna be people that are like me thar are interested in doing it. the reason I have done everything independently is because I wanted to take my time and build up a core fan base that I know will be there on album five.

How long did the album take from start to finish?
It was in bits and pieces from like 2002, it wasn't like 'We're gonna start this album. Let's do it.' It was just like highlights of the last four years. It's the best representation of me, as a range, as opposed to one style. I coulda done an album where everything was more humorous, I tried to keep a healthy balance, you know.

The selection process was one where I had to think of the listener more than myself, I woulda loved to have done an album with 14 Up Your Speeds, but that won't transcend into certain crowds as well as I need it to in order for me to get to where I want to get to in my career.

Is there any track you like the most on the album?
A father should never say who his favourite child is.

OK then, so, have you drawn inspiration from anybody on the tracks?
Everybody, you know what I mean, everybody around me, everybody in the music industry, obviously from my style of music you can hear my influences, but there are times when you can't because they're a mix of may 3 or 15 different elements which make it something original, which means I'm easily comparable to other artists.

Yeah, you say on one of your songs about people comparing you to Dizzee Rascal and Eminem.
Yeah, that was me doing that as an example, showing how I don't sound like these people. Because Dizzee Rascal doesn't sound like Eminem. I used that as an example to get out of that comparison, as an artist breaking through you don't want comparisons like that because it means you're second rate.

You seem to shy away from the whole 'beef' thing. For example you don't seem to mock other artists in your songs and you don't need guns or arse shaking videos, like the American way, perfectly demonstrated in 'Hype Boys'.
Yeah, you know what, a lot of people don't live this lifestyle. When you are portraying something you don't live, you often portray it as something positive and that gets through to the kids and the kids thing it's a positive thing and it starts a wave on the streets, doing things they shouldn't be doing because they want to be like their role models.

Thinking a gun is cool, stuff like that...
Yeah yeah, thing is though, if you got a gun, you're likely to use it when you get in a spot of bother and you know police are getting good now. They'll put you in prison.

You make a thing about not being signed, you have said that you're not saying you don't ever want to get signed - what would be the ideal setup to sign on that line?
Knowing that whoever it is has total and utter belief in me and let me have 100% creative control and a platform in order to go and do things with other people, so if they were to not work with me any more I will still be able to function.

I've been offered major deals, but you know what, between me and you, and the people who will read this, I'm leaning towards more the side of staying independent.

In one of your songs you say you'd like to get into politics - what's your political game plan then?
You know what, I don't know enough about politics to criticize it, I just hear what I hear on the news and what people tell me - particualarly old people. Without saying too much it's possible I might enter that at some point in my life.

So we touched on the DIY approach - but what about your actualy DIY skills? Can you put a shelf up?
You know I just got a flat yeah and I had to get my Dad to put the blinds up, I'm not into all that drilling. I'm good at electrical stuff. I used to take apart televisions and musical equipment and try to put it back together again. The TVs never worked again.

On an ideal timescale when will we see another album from you?
Next year. Same time. This time next year we'll be having this conversation on my private jet.

Hopefully, maybe I'll have one too...
If you don't, I'll buy you one.

With that fantastic offer in mind I suppose it is only right to do as he requested and direct you all to his website.

I said I'd put it in big text so here goes:
www.swaydasafo.com