There are at least six artists using the name Sway:
(1) A rapper from th… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least six artists using the name Sway:
(1) A rapper from the United Kingdom
(2) A shoegaze band from the United States
(3) A musician from Norway
(4) An indie rock band from Czech Republic
(5) A Dutch pop group
(6) A Japanese rapper
(7) A shoegaze band from Costa Rica

1.) Derek Andrew Safo (born 5 September 1982) is a English hip hop artist of Ghanaian origins, who uses the stage names Sway DaSafo or simply Sway; he is also a full-time producer, establishing DCypha Productions. According to the Still Speedin Songfacts he is the cousin of former Arsenal Ghanian international footballer Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and grime MC Lethal Bizzle.

Sway was born to a Muslim father and to a Christian mother. Sway attended Redlands Primary School where he spent most of his
time experimenting with music, rewriting the lyrics of his favorite artists. He attended Highgate Wood Secondary School in North London where he spent his spare time using the school equipment for musical production. Producing tracks for local artists,
he was told to use his personality to write songs by adding his humor with his lyrical talent. At the age of 16. Sway had a place in the grand final
of an open mic session at Dingwalls in London. He lost to Chester P of Task Force while Sway was a member of Tottenham-based hip hop trio Phynix Crew. Sway produced many solo singles despite being in a rap group and his first break was under the name 'Sway DaSafo' on the track "On My Own" which reached the A-list of BBC Radio 1Xtra when the station was launched.In 2003, Sway started to pursue a solo career in the British music scene. He was invited by his cousin, DJ Ink, to feature on some of his drum and bass tracks and he became a member of the group Fifth Element.[1] In 2004, Sway established DCypha Productions to enable him to release his mixtapes and debut solo album, This Is My Demo. At DCypha, Sway produces his beats and songs alongside his long-time friend Bigz.
Sway launched his solo career upon the disbanding of his group One by releasing two independent mixtapes, called This Is My Promo Volumes 1 and 2. They were underground successes, and his debut LP This Is My Demo was released on 6 February 2006. Its second single, "Little Derek", headed
in at #38 on the UK national charts. His song "Hype Boys" is used in the video game Need for Speed: Carbon, and the song "Flo Fashion" is used in the video game FIFA Street 2.
Following the release and critical acclaim of his debut album, Sway started recording his second album which he had been planning from the This Is My Promo mixtape series. In the run up to the album's release, Sway featured on numerous songs and signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik record label in 2007, becoming the only UK artist to be signed to the label. Sway released the One for the
Journey EP on May 14, 2007 on his DCypha Productions label which featured an appearance from Chamillionaire on a Part 2 version of "Up Your Speed". Following this, Sway released two mixtapes: The Dotted Lines and The Signature mixtape. The Dotted Lines mixtape was released in early 2008 and announced the recording of his second album. It was released to coincide
with the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, which was hosted in Ghana and to which the song "Black Stars", a remix of "Black Boys" by Bashy, is dedicated.In December 2009, Sway announced that he was working on a new mixtape, and unveiling two tracks in the process:
"Payback" and "The Watcher". Sway then released a download-only single on iTunes named "Everyday Valentine" to coincide withValentine's Day in 2010. He offered those who were able to provide evidence for purchasing the single the opportunity to receive his mixtape prior to its release for free. The mixtape was due to be released on February 14, 2010, however this was pushed back due to continued work by Akon on the final song. The mixtape was released on February 26, 2010 from his website, to the public for free. It has been described online as 'better than most people's albums' and will feature Akon, Styles P, Kardinal Offishall, Giggs, Bigz and Mr Hudson. The Mixtape has been a smash hit online, boasting over 10,000 downloads in 10 days, both with the fans, other artists and critics and was reviewed by British Newspaper Metro who picked up on Sway's "trademark sharp
humor and quirky observations" going on to say that Sway "will reign over British rap sooner rather than later." His reputation rose from underground to mainstream after coming into the public eye by winning a MOBO award in September 2005 for Best Hip Hop Act, defeating heavyweight hip hop artists 50 Cent
and The Game to collect the award. He was also nominated for the second year running in the Best Hip Hop category and Best UK Male for the MOBO awards held at the end of September 2006[3] and in September 2008 for Best UK Male.[4] In July 2006, Sway's album This Is My Demo was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize but the award was won by the Arctic Monkeys at the ceremony on September 6.[5] In 2008, Sway was nominated for two awards at the Urban Music Awards. In November 2006, Sway won a BET Hip-Hop Award for "Best UK Hip-Hop Act", beating Blak Twang, Plan B, Dizzee Rascal and Kano. By being nominated and winning the BET for "BEST UK Hip-Hop Act", Sway appeared in a video showing himself in a cipher with Saigon, Remy Ma, and Rhymefest free-styling on a rooftop in New York. The freestyle was featured on The Dotted Lines mixtape.

2.) Sway is a shoegaze group founded in Ventura, California, United Sates in 1999. The band was founded by Andrew Saks and also included Amber Carlson, Seth Eubanks, and Vince Alatorre; however, the other members have since left the band, and Saks is now the sole member.

Sway has released several albums, including 2000's self-titled Sway, 2003's The Millia Pink and Green EP, 2006's Winter Heart EP, and 2011's This Was Tomorrow. Saks is currently writing material for a 2013 release on Saint Marie Records.

3.) Sway was the artist name of Norwegian artist Espen Lind when he released his first album “Mmm…
Prepare To Be Swayed” in 1995.

4.) Sway is also Czech indie band.

5.) A Ducth group, with influences of swing, Motown and Big Band with a modern twist. Netherlands, X Factor 2011, Single 'Stop And Stare'

6.) Sway is a Japanese rapper, actor, and model. https://twitter.com/sway_official

7.) Sway is a shoegaze band from San José, Costa Rica formed in 2017 by Kevyn Quiros. The band has been through several lineups that have included musicians from bands such as Dylan Thomas. andThe Hills.

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Sway Lyrics

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Yo, sway, uh ha
Shout out to the whole after shock cru.
And this one here is for the kids (OK) (desafo)
You know how we rep
Dont play around
(terrah danja)
Stop the download

People don't wanna pay for CDs
Now every other house holds got PCs
They download on MP3s,
People please be reasonable (yeah)
How am I gonna make my g's,
If you got my album before the release,
The quality's rubbish and there ain't no sleaves,
Do you deem that feesable?

Warning who on the world wide web
there's a new craze that's sweepin the flo',
I heard they play me on the radio every day
so I hope that I go platinum or gold,
I'm almost f-a-mous, r-a's know that my n-a-me is
sway 'cause there saying it every where,
On the week of my release I'm looking at the charts,
I'm looking for my name but I can't see it anywhere,
Now I'm on the phone all angry and that there must be something wrong,
All the record shops say I ain't sold one record but every body knows my song,
I'm all confused and blaming everyone,
On the dog and bone and I'm naming everyone,
Deep breath, tablets, glass of Evian,
What went wrong? I'm asking everyone.

People don't wanna pay for CDs
Now every other house holds got PCs
They download on MP3s,
People please be reasonable (yeah)
How am I gonna make my g's,
If you got my album before the release,
The quality's rubbish and there ain't no sleaves,
Do you deem that feesable?

I need to get to the bottom of this,
Whoever's at the bottoms at the top of my list,
All this downloading's flopping my shhh
I ain't gonna swear not even a whisper,
I'm tryna be on top of the pops in this bi-I-I,
With a big ben look-a-like watch on my wrist,
If I catch whose at the bottom of this,
I'ma pesh per pesh to the top of my list,
Excuse me bro I don't mean to brown,
But I couldn't help notice you having my outros,
He turns around like bla bla bla,
Bla bla bla some bloke called Kazaa,(whatever)
That must be the guy that's stealing,
Everyone's music I'ma go see him,
Eye for an eye if he keeps on stealing ill start releasing weak LPs then,
So I walks into this internet caf',
Has any body seen Kazaa,
But everybody looks bizarre,
And they act like I'm invisible,
Don't make me get physical,
'Cause if I catch kazaa,
I'ma go bezerk til they put in a prison like Mystikal.

People don't wanna pay for CDs
Now every other house holds got PCs
They download on MP3s,
People please be reasonable (yeah)
How am I gonna make my g's,
If you got my album before the release,
The quality's rubbish and there ain't no sleaves,
Do you deem that feesable?

I just found out that Kazaas not a man,
Its you, the listener, you are but a man,
Don't worry bout me I'm a star in the making,
Watch this space, I aint half got a plan,
People steal faster now they got broadband,
All these websites thats my main threat,
Now they got broadband people steal faster,
You can get songs that aint even made yet,
Keep it on the downlow I download too,
Im a big hipocrit and ill download you,
But I dont want you to download me,
Cuz I work very hard and the downloads free,
The industrys sick and it needs a surgeon,
All these major labels are merging,
All these independants imerging,
In HMV, Tower Records or Virgin.

People don't wanna pay for CDs
Now every other house holds got PCs
They download on MP3s,
People please be reasonable (yeah)
How am I gonna make my g's,
If you got my album before the release,
The quality's rubbish and there ain't no sleaves,
Do you deem that feesable?

UK all the way,
You know how we do,
Download if you want,

Its not a problem,
'Cause I'm already a millionaire in Ghana.

Overall Meaning

The song Download by Sway, featuring his signature South London accent, was released in 2006 and is a commentary on the effects of music piracy on the music industry. The lyrics describe the negative impact that downloading music for free has on artists and their ability to make a living. Sway talks about how music listeners are downloading music from the internet rather than buying CDs, making it hard for him and other artists to earn money from their music. He emphasizes that downloading music hurts artists' efforts to showcase their talents, resulting in poor quality music and a frustrating release strategy. Sway claims that music piracy is not only robbing artists of income but also ruining the experiences of music listeners who are receiving poor quality tracks that are often incomplete without album sleeves.

The song has a light-hearted tone, but it carries a very serious message about the detrimental effects of music piracy on both artists and the music industry. Sway urges listeners to think about the consequences of their actions and how downloading can harm the artists who create the music they love. Furthermore, he aims to educate people about the benefits of buying music, such as supporting artists and enjoying high-quality tracks.

Line by Line Meaning

People don't wanna pay for CDs
People are no longer interested in buying physical CDs.

Now every other house holds got PCs
Most homes now have personal computers that can be used to download music.

They download on MP3s,
People use MP3 to download music online.

People please be reasonable (yeah)
People should be reasonable and pay for music they download.

How am I gonna make my g's,
How will I make my money?

If you got my album before the release,
If you get my album before its release date.

The quality's rubbish and there ain't no sleaves,
The quality of the downloaded album is poor and it has no album sleeves or artwork.

Do you deem that feesable?
Is that approach reasonable?

I'm almost f-a-mous, r-a's know that my n-a-me is sway 'cause there saying it every where,
I'm becoming famous because people are talking about me everywhere.

Now I'm on the phone all angry and that there must be something wrong,
I'm on the phone angry thinking that something is wrong.

All the record shops say I ain't sold one record but every body knows my song,
All the record stores say they haven't sold any of my records, but people know my music.

I'm all confused and blaming everyone,
I'm frustrated and blaming everyone for my lack of record sales.

Deep breath, tablets, glass of Evian,
I'm taking a deep breath and trying to calm down by taking tablets and drinking water.

What went wrong? I'm asking everyone.
I'm wondering what went wrong and asking everyone for answers.

I need to get to the bottom of this,
I need to find the root cause of my lack of record sales.

Whoever's at the bottoms at the top of my list,
Whoever is responsible for this issue is at the top of my list of priorities to deal with.

All this downloading's flopping my shhh
All this downloading is affecting my record sales negatively.

I ain't gonna swear not even a whisper,
I won't even swear, not even a little.

I'm tryna be on top of the pops in this bi-I-I,
I'm trying to be on top of the charts.

With a big ben look-a-like watch on my wrist,
I want to be on top of the charts while wearing a watch that looks like Big Ben.

Eye for an eye if he keeps on stealing ill start releasing weak LPs then,
If someone continues to steal my music, I will release low-quality albums as revenge.

So I walks into this internet caf',
I walk into an internet cafe.

Has any body seen Kazaa,
Has anyone seen Kazaa (the music downloading software)?

But everybody looks bizarre,
Everyone looks strange.

And they act like I'm invisible,
People in the internet cafe are ignoring me like I'm invisible.

Don't make me get physical,
Don't make me become aggressive.

If I catch kazaa,
If I catch the person who is downloading my music using Kazaa.

I'ma go bezerk til they put in a prison like Mystikal.
I will go crazy until they're put in prison like Mystikal.

I just found out that Kazaas not a man,
I just found out that Kazaa is not a person.

Its you, the listener, you are but a man,
Kazaa is the software that people use to download music; it's the listener who is downloading, not Kazaa.

All these websites thats my main threat,
All these music downloading websites are the biggest threat to my sales.

Now they got broadband people steal faster,
With the introduction of broadband, people download music at a faster rate.

You can get songs that aint even made yet,
You can download songs that haven't even been released yet.

Keep it on the downlow I download too,
I also download music, but I keep it a secret.

Im a big hipocrit and ill download you,
I'm a big hypocrite and I'll download your music.

But I dont want you to download me,
But I don't want you to download my music.

Cuz I work very hard and the downloads free,
I work hard on my music, but people are downloading it for free.

The industrys sick and it needs a surgeon,
The music industry is unwell and needs help.

All these major labels are merging,
Many big record labels are merging to stay competitive.

All these independants imerging,
Many independent record labels are coming up.

In HMV, Tower Records or Virgin.
You can find music in stores such as HMV, Tower Records or Virgin.

UK all the way,
Representing the UK.

Download if you want,
You can download music if you like.

Its not a problem,
Downloading music is not a problem.

'Cause I'm already a millionaire in Ghana.
Because I am already a millionaire in Ghana, I don't necessarily need music sales to survive.

Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: DEREK ANDREW SAFO, R. PRYCE, TERROR DANJAH, Derek Safo, R Pryce

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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