Hotly tipped U.K. rap phenom
Sway (
Derek DaSafo) signed with
Akon's Konvict Muzik label -- his first U.S. deal; in fact, his first significant label deal period -- shortly before this May 2007 release, which is amazingly not titled "This Is My EP". But American audiences would have to wait for a proper introduction, as it appeared in Britain only on
DaSafo's own DCypha imprint. Despite this, the subtle developments this self-proclaimed "prequel to the sequel" demonstrate, from the excellent
This Is My Demo album do seem potentially geared toward courting the American market. Musically at least:
True Stories is a state-of-England diatribe primarily concerned with calling out Prime Minister Blair ("What has this country become Tony?/What have you done Tony?/Why has that kid got a gun Tony?"), who would step down a month later. But the hard-hitting first two tracks, in particular, are closer to gritty, bombastic mainstream U.S. rap than anything he'd done previously. Not coincidentally, they're also among his least distinguished and engaging cuts to date -- not to say that he's unconvincing when rapping over this style of production (or that the productions are inadequate in themselves), just that it doesn't particularly play to his strengths. Things pick up later on, with a
Chamillionaire guest spot on "Up Your Speed" -- even though the song had already appeared on multiple mixtapes and the debut LP, it remains utterly compelling, and
Cham's appearance here highlights its resemblance to his own 2006 smash, the similarly slinky driving anthem "Ridin'" (for his part,
Sway appeared on a remix of "Ridin'" for a Belgian single.) Better, the half-sung R&B of "Ex-Boyfriend" and the jazzy, pensive "Every Man (For Himself)" -- featuring and produced by Ben Hudson of alternative pop band
Mr. Hudson & the Library -- revisit the slightly lighter touch of many of
Demo's best cuts. The jumpy electro breaks of the
Stanton Warriors' "Get 'Em High" (this time
Sway gets the "ft." credit) close out this respectable, if patchy collection, which definitely feels like a stop-gap -- a holding pattern at best -- but still keeps one's hopes up for his forthcoming U.S. debut.