If you’re from the UK then more or likely heard the cheeky lad called Sway. Sway lately has been making big moves for a UK hip hop artist and getting respect from critics and fans alike. His way for words and the way he can be advance as many backpack emcees and still appeal to the masses is one thing to respect.
Sway has released a lot of this material (About half of it matter of fact) on his two highly acclaimed mixtapes so that’s why a lot of people may be slightly disappointed with this attempt of marketing at its best. “Little Derek” his latest single, has a nice melodic beat but is wasted on the way sway delivers with his very repetitive delivery style by making the last bit of each line very animated. “Flo’ Fashion” is the next single which has been hanging about for the last 2 years. The beat created by himself is very different and obvious that it was one of his. The song’s lyrics are funny and clever about Sway following fashion and how it gets him into trouble with him having his stuff reposed. In a subliminal way it’s a lesson to kids which a lot do these day. “Up your speed” was his next hit with a beat good enough for any Southend-on-sea boy racer to ride along with as he rides down the sea front picking up schoolgirls. Sway incidentally shot his video down here and why I notice this a lot Again he drops a few quotables which is expected from him.“Download” is my favourite song from his early archive of earlier songs. The content is fresh and original and again like a lesson to the kids. Sway puts himself his shoes after he just released a banger (many say like this) and his going mad due to the amount of people knowing his song and not one sell. What’s the root to all this evil? Downloading! Glad someone addressed this and only Sway could make this as highly entertaining like him with dropping quotables. It’s a funny and realistic song.
There has been some more songs previously released on the mixtapes but not as singles. “On my own” is another favourite of mine. Covered by a slow simple piano by DJ Shux, Sway looks deeply at his struggle in life by his own.“Slow Down” was on one of the mixtapes and also a snippet of it appears it in the middle of up your speed (that was my favourite part due to my favourite group Iron Bridge appearing the video). The beat again is simple but great and the lyrics about fighting clubs again are funny and brilliant with the few quotables with are mandatory with sway.“Month of the summer” also appears on the mixtapes. Its beat again Is very warm and nice making it perfect for the love song. Lyrically this is one of the strongest songs with a lot of wordplay. Sway pulls it off without being too corny.
The other half has new songs and out of the other 7 only 3 really shines out to me to be honest. They are my favourite tracks. The intro “This is my demo” is great looks and looks at his life before while playing with his words like a beautiful words while also playing with his flow and delivery over the brilliant bassline. In all one of the best intros I have heard in a while. “Hype boys” looks at the fake gangster images in a humorous way with even more quotables the usual for Sway. The beat can be heard on why and sounds quite grime like (that and his delivery has a lot similar to a grime artists) and a lot of the lyrics are compiled from a lot of other songs. “Pretty Ugly husband” is easily the albums highlight! Sway looks at domestic abuse and how the husband acts. The beat changes depending on what the mans mood is like. Even though it’s a serious look at it I did chuckle when I heard the loo line to be honest and the way he perfectly matched the husband’s behaviour so its self is like a black comedy.
Apart from the triumphs of them, two other songs not bad but I don’t see my self always going back. “Products”even though it has a nice bass I can’t get into it. The topic isn’t about anything in particular but looks at quite interesting stuff though the hook is off putting. “Sick World” sounds too much like what he tried with Products but with funnier and clever outcome. Again the beat is lively, energetic and warm but the hook in the singing really off putting. Sway looks at how the world perceives England and how the world sees the rest of the world with racial stereotypes.
The only obvious fillers are “Loose Woose” and “Back for you”. Loose woose sounds like he just wanted to get as many features as many possible to show who’s he still friends with. The topic is the love story one with a beat which I don’t approve with at all. Back for you is another love song which could have been done without. The beat sound like it made for an rnb artist. The lyrics are by far his worst ones on the album.
In all the album gets a 3 out of 5 . I suppose it will have to grow on me a bit disappointed due it being full of skits and old songs.
The beats are 90% but they type of beats don’t really vary enough with a lot of them sounding the same. The lyrics are clever, witty, funny and appealing to most. He hasn’t really used his lyricial skill to the max but I have heard him on songs like “One Day” and here and there on songs which is good enough for me. His delivery pisses me off due to how much he animates it and has a fluent flow. The topics do vary though once and a while they are similar.
Recommendation: Definitely worth the look in. Though if you’re a big fan of his may feel a little bit disappointed.