Back in 2005, UK hip-hop wasn't achieving the kind of international success and revery that we see today. People like Klashnekoff, Skinnyman and Blak Twang were, of course, making serious moves, but for the most part the mainstream wasn't really paying attention. One of the few UK rappers to make serious inroads into the public conscious was North London UK hip-hop legend Sway.

In 2005, Sway picked up Best Hip-Hop at the MOBO Awards on the back of his first two full-length projects, This Is My Promo Volume 1 and 2. The CDs were sold outside gigs, on the streets and often personally delivered to record shops by Sway himself. He really was the king of the hustle. In a post-awards interview with The Guardian, Sway said: "I don't think I've ever been so surprised. I thought I might be hearing things. A lot of people must be wondering how I got nominated in the first place if I haven't even got an album out. What they don't know is that I've already released two albums on the street."

The following year, following the release of This Is My Demo, Sway returned to the MOBOs with rapper Pyrelli and a huge stageshow that included singers, dancers and an F1 car. Because, why not? He may not have won anything that time around, but this was a triumphant and unforgettable moment for UK hip-hop.