British-Ghanaian Rapper Sway DaSafo Dies at 44
Sway DaSafo, the celebrated British-Ghanaian rapper, has passed away at the age of 44. His death was confirmed by friend Kash Ahmad and announced by the Mobo organization, with no details regarding the cause. Born Derek Andrew Safo in London, he gained prominence in 2002 on BBC's 1Xtra and became a significant figure in grime music. In 2005, he received a Mobo Award and made history as the first unsigned rapper to win one in 2006. After battling Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010, he returned to the music scene with hits like "Level Up." He leaves behind two sons and twin daughters, whom he was raising as a single parent. Numerous artists and organizations have paid tribute.
Key facts
- Sway DaSafo died at age 44 at his home in Ghana.
- No cause of death has been announced.
- He was the first unsigned rapper to win a Mobo Award in 2006.
- He scored a top 10 hit in 2012 with the single Level Up.
- He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 and went into remission later that year.
- His debut album This Is My Demo earned him a Mercury Prize nomination.
- He is survived by two sons, Jalil and Ammar-Joseph, and twin daughters, Queen-Inaya and Queen-Imara.
- At the time of his death, he was working on new music and raising his children as a single parent in Ghana.
Entities
Artists
- Sway DaSafo
- Derek Andrew Safo
- Kash Ahmad
- Dizzee Rascal
- Lethal Bizzle
- 50 Cent
- The Game
- Mike Skinner
- Kano
- Mark Ronson
- Ed Sheeran
- Akon
- Childish Gambino
- Tiggs Da Author
- KSI
- Jalil
- Ammar-Joseph
- Queen-Inaya
- Queen-Imara
- Kardinal Offishall
- Megaman
- Baby Blue
- Remi Burgz
Institutions
- Mobo Awards
- BBC
- BBC Radio 1Xtra
- Mercury Prize
- The Streets
- Mitchell Brothers
- Dcypha
- So Solid Crew
- HMV
- Top Boy
- The Grind
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Ghana
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands