Sway Calloway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sway Calloway
Calloway in 2011
Born	Jonathan Ahmad Calloway (1971-07-03) July 3, 1971 (age 54) Oakland, California, U.S.
Occupation	Journalist, radio personality, producer, rapper
Years active	1986–present
Notable credit(s)	Radio Hall of Fame, MTV, SiriusXM, VH1, Billboard Music Awards, Grammy Awards
Children	1

Jonathan Ahmad Calloway (born July 3, 1971), known as Sway, is a famous American radio host, journalist, and former rapper. He is well-known for hosting shows about music, news, and pop culture. Sway was a reporter and host for MTV News, covering many big events and red carpet shows. He also co-hosts The Wake Up Show with King Tech, which is heard across the country. Today, he hosts Sway in the Morning on SiriusXM's Shade 45 channel.

Early Career and Music

As a teenager growing up in Oakland, California, Sway became a known rapper and b-boy. He would perform on San Francisco's Pier 39. After high school, he teamed up with DJ King Tech. They performed at clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area and released their own independent albums.

They later signed a record deal with Giant Records. Their album, Concrete Jungle, came out in 1990. This success helped them get their own radio show on KMEL. In 2005, Sway and Tech released another album called Back 2 Basics. It was released on their own record label, Bolo Entertainment.

President Barack Obama adjusts Calloway's hat after a 2012 interview for a Live MTV special at the White House.

Radio Shows

Sway and King Tech's show, The Wake Up Show, became very popular. It featured music and interviews with famous hip hop artists, as well as new ones. The show started being broadcast in Los Angeles and Chicago too. Many famous rappers, like Eminem, made their first radio appearances on this show. Sway also hosted his own morning show on the station.

The popularity of The Wake Up Show helped Sway and Tech get another record deal. Their album, This or That, was very successful in 1999. It featured many well-known hip hop artists.

Sway now hosts a weekday morning show called “Sway in the Morning” on Eminem’s Shade 45 channel on SiriusXM. This show started on July 18, 2011. Famous guests, like Ludacris and Kanye West, have appeared on his show.

Television Work

In 2000, MTV asked Sway to join their network as a reporter. He became a regular host for their music video shows and news specials. These included Total Request Live and Direct Effect. Because MTV's studios are in New York City, King Tech and The Wake Up Show moved with Sway.

Sway's work on MTV made his radio show even more popular. There was even a TV version of The Wake Up Show on MTV for a short time in 2004. Sway also hosted coverage of Michael Jackson's death for the network.

Sway has also appeared in animated shows and sketch comedy. He voiced a character named "Sway" in an episode of The Boondocks in 2005. He also appeared on the MTV sketch comedy show Short Circuitz in 2007.

Discography

Filmography