India, Sept. 17 -- Derek Safo, the pioneering British rapper known professionally as Sway who redefined the contours of independent music in the UK, has died at the age of 44.

A close friend of the artist told the Guardian that Safo died at his residence in Ghana. No official cause of death has been established or announced to the public.

Bursting onto the scene in the mid-2000s, Sway became a vital architect of modern British rap. He operated outside the traditional label system for much of his early career, achieving a historic milestone in 2005 when he became the first unsigned artist to win the MOBO Award for best hip-hop act. The MoBo Awards addressed the loss in a public statement: "Proud to have him as part of our history. Our lo...