SWAY OFFICIALLY SIGNS TO AKON'S LABEL KON LIVE

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Lets take it back to 2005. 1xtra flew me out to the Power Summit to broadcast my show live from Puerto Rico. This event is where all the hottest DJ’s and artists meet up.

I hooked up with all the biggest players in the game; Kanye West, Common, Fat Joe, DJ Khaled Bun B, Dipset, The Lox, Queen Latifah, The Game, Young Jeezy and Akon. Akon said he was looking to sign UK artists. I told him he needs to sign our very own Sway. Akon looked at me as if to say ‘Cool, whatever’ in a nice way. So I was like ‘bro you need to make this happen, he is a very very hot MC!’.

I was fully armed with copies of my latest mixtape ‘Crunk & Grime’, which Sway had laced with a few bangin’ freestyles. One of them was over ‘Soul Survivor’ by Young Jeezy and Akon.

SWAY – SOUL SURVIVOR [FREESTYLE]
[audio:http://idisk.mac.com/djsemtex/Public/AUDIO/swaysurvive.mp3]

AKON @ THE POWER SUMMIT 2005

So I made him listen to the freestyle, and Akon was like ‘yo tell him to call me’ and gave me his no. I gave Akon’s no. to Sway, Sway called him straight away. They connected, but it took a while for them to meet up. Akon is a hard guy to get hold off, he’s one of the hardest working artists in the game and at first it looked like he was being flaky.

You have to be persistent in this game, you cant take it personal if you dont get those return phone calls asap. I know a lot of artists who would have just given up on trying to meet him.

So every time I had Akon on the show, I was virtually threatening him [In a stern friendly DJ type of way], I was like ‘Make sure you sign him, dont mess him about…, etc’, he must of thought I was crazy lol!

Anyway, fast forward to 2008 for the official press release:

Sway signs to Akon’s Kon Live label
After months of rumours and speculation, Sway has now officially signed to Akon’s Kon Live label. The multi-album deal applies worldwide with the exception of Europe and the UK where Sway retains his celebrated independence and will continue to release through his own Dcypha Productions outlet. Sway is the first European artist to be signed by five time Grammy nominee Akon and joins the star’s Kon Live and Konvict Muzik roster of talent alongside the highly successful T-Pain, famed for his collaborations with Kanye West and Lil Wayne, singer songwriter Colby O’Donis and Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall who recently celebrated a Billboard Hot 100 top 10 with Dangerous.

The Signature LP release date change
In related news the release of Sway’s new album, The Signature LP, has now been moved back to 6th October. The delay is due to the late addition of Silver & Gold – a collaborative track with Akon that marks the start of Sway’s endeavours with Kon Live and Akon and which was initially held back until contracts were finalised.

Big up to Sway because he has done it. He has grafted relentlessly and it has paid off. He has officially made it and I am very very proud of him!
Big up to Akon for being true and sticking to his word.
Big up to Sway’s manager Dan Greenpeace for putting in the work over the last few years.

More classic joints from Crunk & Grime….

SWAY – IS HE SIGNED [FREESTYLE]
[audio:http://idisk.mac.com/djsemtex/Public/AUDIO/signed.mp3]

SWAY & PYRELLI – SO WOT [FREESTYLE]
[audio:http://idisk.mac.com/djsemtex/Public/AUDIO/sowot.mp3]
I played this to Young Jeezy before I spoke to Akon, and he was feeling it.

Pyrelli, what happened????

Check out shots from the Power Summit 05′ here and here.

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