The iconic British-Ghanaian rapper Sway DaSafo, born Derek Andrew Safo, has passed away at the age of 44. Sway was an inspiration to a generation of Black British musicians and the first unsigned artist to win a Mobo award in 2006.

The news of his passing was announced by the Mobo awards, whose statement read they were “Proud to have him as part of our history. Our love goes out to his family, loved ones and fans.”

No cause of death has been announced.

The independent rap artist was raised in North London and began his career on pirate radio. He credited the BBC’s radio station 1Xtra with his first break in 2002. Sway’s unique sound grew in the first wave of grime alongside artists such as Dizzee Rascal and Lethal Bizzle and stood out for his witty, genre-bending approach that meant he never fit in one specific scene.

‍

“UK garage was big at this time but I just couldn’t do it because I never felt the vibe of the scene suited me,” Sway said. “British hip-hop was just so dry and grey, hiplife was a no-no ‘cause I couldn’t rap in Twi, drum’n’bass just hurts my head sometimes and I can’t sing good so R&B was out the question! I never felt at home anywhere.”

Sway’s independence was a defining part of his career. Despite huge interest from the music industry, he remained independent and released music on his own label, selling mixtapes at markets and independent record shops.

In September 2005, he made headlines as the first independent artist to win a Mobo Award. He beat US stars 50 Cent and The Game to the Best Hip-Hop Act prize, despite having yet to release his debut album.

He released his first album This Is My Demo the following year which included the top 40 single, Little Derek which celebrated how he had "ended up in HMV instead of HMP". The album earned him a nomination for the Mercury Prize, alongside acts like Arctic Monkeys and Muse.

Throughout his career Sway cemented himself as a key figure of the UK music scene and collaborated with acts such as Mark Ronson, The Streets, Akon, Ed Sheeran and Childish Gambino.

But in 2010, DaSafo was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. "It felt like I had been dropped in the middle of the sea with no life jacket, "he later recalled. "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. He then released his biggest hits Still Speedin' (which sampled Black Box's Ride On Time) and Level Up (featuring a verse from Kano) in 2012.

‍

Safo continued releasing music through his own Dcypha Productions label, while also forming a partnership with Konvict Music, the label founded by Senegalese-American pop star Akon.

Through Dcypha, Safo also signed and helped develop artists including Tiggs Da Author and KSI who all later appeared on the 2013 single “NoSleep”. KSI would go on to achieve huge success as a YouTuber, while also pursuing a career in music. Safo also explored acting, appearing in two episodes of the hit crime drama Top Boy and the 2012 film The Grind.

Tributes to the rap icon have been pouring in from figuresin the music industry.

"This hit me like a ton of bricks," said rapper and record label executive Kardinal Offishall. "Rest in eternal peace and God cover your babies. Til we meet again my friend."

'Devastated to hear of the sad news today, the passing of a personal friend, a true legend and pioneer in the UK rap game' wrote Kreams.

KSI wrote “You believed in me when many didn’t. You gave me a chance when many didn’t. Musically people laughed me off as a joke but you saw my potential and helped me grow as an artist.” He continued: “44 is too young to leave. You still had so much to do. You were like a father figure to me. Whenever I had problems or issues, I would go to your studio in London for advice and you always knew what to say.

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".

"One of north London's finest," she said, "he was mine and many others first experience of UK rap [and] hip-hop in mainstream media".

"He was a literal example of paving the way and showing that UK rap can take up space in music.

"Rest in perfect peace to Sway."

At the time of his death, Sway was working on new music. His final Instagram post shared last week celebrated his 44th birthday.

He is survived by his two sons, Jalil and Ammar-Joseph, and twin daughters, Queen-Inaya and Queen-Imara. At the time of his death, he was raising his four children as a single parent in Ghana.

‍