Who: Sway CallowayWhat: MTV News reporterWhere: Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse IIIWhen: 8 p.m.How much: Free

From M.C. to MTV, Sway Calloway took an interesting career path.

He’s risen from a disc jockey in Oakland, Calif., to one of the most well-recognized faces currently on the popular music channel.

MTV News reporter Calloway will discuss his accomplishments and offer his own advice on what it takes to succeed in the world of broadcast journalism during a presentation tonight at 8 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse III.

Calloway has plenty of experience in the media industry. Originally, he worked as an underground rapper in California with his partner, King Tech. Soon after, Calloway hosted his own influential radio program.

‘The Wake-Up Show’ served as one of the most popular programs in the Bay Area. Hip-hop artists such as Eminem and The Roots kicked off their careers on Calloway’s show, said Joshua Powell, president of the Syracuse Chapter of National Association of Black Journalists, the organization sponsoring Calloway’s visit to the university.

By 2000, while working for Interscope Records, MTV came calling for Calloway.

‘He’s been with the company for quite some time,’ Powell said. ‘And he’s done a lot for MTV, like pioneering coverage for hip-hop issues.’

Calloway hosted specials like MTV’s ‘Choose or Lose’ campaign in 2004, which focused on getting 18-30 year olds to register to vote. He has interviewed performers such as Diddy, Master P and Kanye West, according to MTV’s Web site.

Recently, he negotiated a new contract with MTV that allows him to create his own projects for the network.

Calloway has also been able to remain a hip-hop icon through his distinctive look, most notably the reporter’s dreadlocked hair.

‘One of the things we liked about Sway is he kept hold of his cultural and ethic roots,’ Powell said. ‘You don’t see him on television wearing a suit and tie.’

Powell hopes that since Calloway has been involved with so many aspects of the entertainment industry, he can attract students from across the campus with the range of topics he can discuss.

‘It was nice to bring in someone more broad that can appeal to more people, not only Newhouse students and communications and rhetorical studies majors,’ Powell said. ‘He’s so multifaceted.’

Published on October 17, 2007 at 12:00 pm