Check out profiles of the UK artists you'll be hearing across Ras' shows

Check out the following profiles of UK artists either from Africa, of African descent or simply influenced by African culture:

Sway (MC)
Sway Dasafo is a 22 year old North London MC who is merging the UK sounds of Garage, Grime and Hip Hop. He has toured with Dizzee Rascal and opened shows for Ghostface Killa, Rodney P and Klashnekoff. He has also featured on Taz'a Punjabi Hitsquad produced record 'Cow Boys & Indians'. You might have heard Sway's bootleg of J-Kwons 'Tipsy' record. His debut album called, 'This Is My Demo' and it came out in May 2005.

Skibbedee (Jungle MC)
Has been MCing since 1993 and was in a Steel Band when he was at school. He's always been into all types of music, when he was at school he used to listen to ABBA and Michael Jackson. He got into Jungle music when he started going to Jungle Raves called Roast where people like MC Det and the Ragga Twins also used to spit.

In the mid 90s he became a regular MC on Pirate Radio Station Crystal FM which he did for nine months until the station closed down. Skib then joined DJ Wildchild's radio show on drum n bass pirate Kool FM and he remains on the station. In 1997 he formed his '2x Freestyle' group with MC Det. Skibadee currently runs his own production label and is working on his debut album.

Lethal B (UK G MC/Rapper)
Lethal B used to be a member of the More Fire Crew who had a hit with 'Oi' and he hails from East London. Amongst others he's worked with the likes of Dizzee Rascal. His last tune was POW! which was backed with the 'Forward Riddim'

Ty (UK Hip Hop)
His debut album, 'Awkward' came out on Big Dada Recordings last year. He's currently working on his second album and is working with amongst others Damon Albarn and Tony Allen who was Fela Kuti's drummer. He is also featured on a forthcoming release by French production set up 'African Conscience' which also features the work of Dead Prez, Sizzla and Tony B.

Mpho Skeef (Broken Beat and Soul)
Currently working her latest release 'Comin' for Ya' Mpho has worked with Ms Dynamite, Natasha Beddingfield, Ty, Terri Walker, Skinnyman, Rodney P and Spacek, and as if that wasn't enough she is also the voice behind the massive Bugz In The Attic track, 'Booty La La'. Mpho is Zulu for 'gift'. She was born to a mixed race couple in South Africa in 1976 at the height of the struggle against apartheid.

Mixed relationships were illegal and she spent her first birthday in jail when her mother was arrested. Her dad Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse, is a giant in South African music. However, although she grew up listening to her parents' music - Donny Hathaway, Fela Kuti, Joni Mitchell and John Coltrane - she was encouraged to explore her own love of electronic music, pop, R&B and rock. In 1980 the family fled to Brixton, where Mpho still lives with her five-year-old daughter.

Eric Soul (DJ)
Eric Soul is from Rwanda via Belgium where he grew up grew up in Holland. He came to the UK in the 90's. He started DJing Hip-Hop and RnB but later discovered that people responded more to the Afrobeat tunes which he would drop in his set - he's now one of the leading Afro-centric DJ's in the UK if not the leading Afro-Centric DJ! He plays every Wednesday in the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton

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