British rapper Sway dies aged 44

British rapper Sway dies aged 44. Image source, Getty ImagesByMark SavageMusic correspondentPublished4 hours agoThe award-winning British-Ghanaian rap artist Sway DaSafo has died at the age of 44.

What happened

"Rapper Baby Blue posted on Instagram: "In my heart I worried this day was coming but I wasn't prepared for the reality of losing Sway. "Breaking the news to her listeners on BBC Radio 1Xtra, broadcaster Remi Burgz said it was a "sad day for British music" and called Sway a "UK Rap pioneer". Sway, whose hits included Still Speedin' and Level Up, was living in Ghana at the time of his death. He was the first unsigned rapper to win a Mobo Award in 2006, and scored a top 10 hit in 2012 with the single Level Up.

Sway was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 and went into remission later that year. 'Positive person'Sway was born Derek Andrew Safo in London, albeit accidentally, while his mother was on a stop-over between Amsterdam and her native Ghana. Other tributes came from the Mitchell Brothers, who wrote: "We were privileged to have worked with you", and praised Sway's "true penmanship level and delivery". Image source, PA MediaImage caption, The musician was nominated for the Mercury Prize for his debut album, This Is My Demo"This hit me like a ton of bricks," said rapper and record label executive Kardinal Offishall.

The wider picture

Image source, Getty ImagesByPaul GlynnCulture reporterPublished18 September 2026, 15:48 BSTUpdated 9 minutes agoActress Stephanie Cole, known for roles in Tenko, Open All Hours and Doc Martin, has died aged 84. The series chronicled the lives of British women in Singapore after the Japanese invasion and their consequent confinement in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. "She also appeared in Coronation Street as Roy Cropper's mother Sylvia Goodwin, which won her another comedy prize, in her 70s, at the 2012 British Soap Awards.

The news was first shared online by the Mobo organisation, and confirmed to the BBC by the musician's friend Kash Ahmad, who said he died at his home in Ghana. After a brief period in her homeland, he was raised in north London and honed his craft on pirate radio. He credited the BBC's radio station 1Xtra with providing him with his first break in 2002. Emerging during the first wave of grime, alongside artists such as Dizzee Rascal and Lethal Bizzle, he stood apart for his witty, literate style.

The positivity comes out in my music," he told the Guardian as his career took off.

What has been reported

"I don't go round holding guns to people's heads so I won't rap about holding guns to people's heads. "Despite widespread interest from the music industry, he remained independent – releasing music on his own label, and selling mixtapes at markets and independent record shops. He made headlines in September 2005 when he was named best hip-hop act at the Mobo awards – defeating US heavyweights such as 50 Cent and the Game. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, In his early years, the musician often kept his identity hiddenThe following year, he released his debut album This Is My Demo, accompanied by the top 40 single, Little Derek, which celebrated how he had "ended up in HMV instead of HMP".

Although the album stalled at number 78 in the charts, it earned him a nomination for the Mercury Prize, alongside acts like Arctic Monkeys and Muse. In 2006, he supported The Streets on a UK tour and appeared alongside frontman Mike Skinner on the Mitchell Brothers' single Harvey Nicks. Cancer diagnosisBut in 2010, DaSafo was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. "It felt like I had been dropped in the middle of the sea with no lifejacket," he later recalled.

What happens next

"I didn't have time to think about how I was going to get to the other side, I just had to deal with it. "After receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he went into remission, releasing his biggest hits Still Speedin' (which sampled Black Box's Ride On Time) and Level Up (featuring a verse from Kano) in 2012. He enjoyed further critical and commercial success with albums including Deliverance, and Verses from the Vault; and collaborated with artists like Mark Ronson, Ed Sheeran, Akon and Childish Gambino.

Through his record label Dcypha, he also signed and developed artists including Tiggs Da Author and KSI. All three appeared on the 2013 single No Sleep, and KSI went on to become a hugely successful YouTuber, with a sideline in music. DaSafo also dabbled with an acting career, appearing in two episodes of the crime drama Top Boy and the 2012 film The Grind. At the time of his death, he was working on new music.

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.