Sway Dasafo recently told me that his drive was to be a musician, not just a rapper. It's fair to say he's come closer than most to achieving his goal. Whether he's got the crowd chanting along to the lyrics of Blur's 'Parklife' or he's spitting rhymes fast enough to make Twista blush, the man is a musical chameleon. I arrived at Islington's XOYO venue with pretty high expectations. I'd been a fan of his since I was eleven and, at the time, was convinced I was the only kid in my town to have even heard of him. Now here I was, stood in a crowd amongst my fellow 'Dcyples' (an affectionate nickname for Sway's loyal fan base) waiting for the man himself.
After enjoying an impressive starter set from Sway's protégé Raptor and afrobeat duo Fokn Bois, the audience was raving for the main course. Sway's loyal companion DJ Turkish was positioned on the decks, while his live band set themselves up. The anticipation reached a high-pitched surge of energy, as the keyboardist played an orchestral melody than signalled Sway's arrival.
He swooped on stage, reciting lyrics from beneath the shadow of his hood. The music intensified to a window-shattering crescendo as he revealed his face and urged the crowd to bounce along with him - they were more than happy to oblige. In between providing playful banter around the audience and his backing crew, older fans were treated to tastes of classic Sway, such as Up Your Speed, Flo Fashion and Little Derek, while debuting new tracks from upcoming album The Deliverance, including:
Wannabe
A track that skillfully takes all supposed aspiring fashion and music stars down a notch. He was careful to add that he meant no offence "Everyone's a wannabe, man. I wanna be a rapper, you know."
Level One
A nintendo-inspired tune that talks about the struggles of the rap game and its parallels with computer games - some inspired lyrics combined with slick production.
Still Speedin'
Sequel to fan favourite Up Your Speed which boasted a special guest appearance from none other than Kano himself. A sure-fire street hit.
Over the years Sway has toured with the likes of Mike Skinner and The Mitchell Brothers, he's collaborated with US heavyweights like Lupe Fiasco and Chamillionaire. Now that he's signed to Akon's Konvict Music record label (home to the likes of T-Pain and Travis McCoy), it's clear to see that it won't be too long before Sway is filling arenas with his eclectic style.
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