Being one of the longest-tenured and most-recognized journalists in hip hop has its perks, but MTV personality Sway has built his reputation on an easy-going demeanor and a knack for getting the biggest names to speak to him exclusively. Throughout 2011, he landed interviews with everyone from Big Sean to Eminem and Royce Da 5'9, but the year also represented big changes for the longtime hip hop newsman.

In the summer of 2011, it was announced that Sway would be taking his talents to Eminem's Shade 45 Sirius XM Radio channel. The popular personality now hosts "Sway In the Morning," and his show features song premieres, in-studio guests and music news every weekday morning.

Sway hosted The Unlikely Heroes Benefit, an intimate fundraiser for GER: To Be Separate, a new documentary tracing one man's odyssey from Sudanese child soldier to refugee.

Ever the Renaissance man, Sway co-executive produced rapper Saigon's acclaimed The Greatest Story Never Told album and contributed to the Source magazine throughout 2011. His MTV news show, "RapFix," continues to be one of the foremost names in breaking stories relevant to hip hop fans and the community.

"I like watching it {the evolution of hip hop}, I love the evolution, I liked seeing new eras move in," Sway says. "And I like the fact that after all these years, I can still be apart of it."