Swizz Beatz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Swizz Beatz
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Swizz Beatz in 2014
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Kasseem Daoud Dean
September 13, 1978 The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
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| Other names | The Monster |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
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| Board member of | Brooklyn Museum Monster Cable Reebok |
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| Children | 5 |
| Awards | Full list |
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| Genres | Hip-hop |
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Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known as Swizz Beatz, is an American rapper and music producer. He was born and grew up in the Bronx, New York City. Swizz Beatz started his music journey as a DJ.
When he was 18, he became well-known through his family's music company, Ruff Ryders Entertainment. He also worked closely with rapper DMX. As DMX's producer, DJ, and hype man, Swizz Beatz became a big name in hip-hop music.
Later, Swizz Beatz helped rapper Cassidy become successful. This led him to start his own record label, Full Surface Records, in 2001. He signed many artists to his label, including Eve and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
As a recording artist, he released his album Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories in 2002. His first studio album, One Man Band Man, came out in 2007. It reached number seven on the Billboard 200 chart. He later released his second album, Poison, in 2018.
Swizz Beatz has produced songs for many famous artists in hip-hop, pop, soul, rock, and R&B. Some of his well-known productions include "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" and "Party Up (Up in Here)" by DMX. He also produced "Upgrade U" and "Check on It" for Beyoncé, and "Touch It" for Busta Rhymes.
He has won a Grammy Award and was named "Producer in Residence" at New York University in 2010. The Source magazine called him one of the "20 Greatest Producers" of the last 20 years. Famous rapper Kanye West even called him "the best rap producer of all time."
Besides music, Swizz Beatz is involved in fashion design and art collecting. He has been a trustee at the Brooklyn Museum since 2015. He also worked as a creative director for companies like Monster Cable and Reebok. In 2018, he and his wife, Alicia Keys, won an award for their "outstanding contributions to music."
Contents
Life and Music Career
Early Life and First Steps in Music (1978–2006)
Swizz Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Dean, grew up in the North East Bronx. This is where he first discovered hip hop music. As a teenager, he started DJing with equipment from his stepfather and uncles. He became quite successful as a DJ.
After moving to Atlanta, Georgia, he began working for his uncles, Joaquin and Darrin Dean. They were leaders of the Ruff Ryders record label. Swizz Beatz started producing music tracks when he was 16. He was signed to Ruff Ryders Productions as a producer and songwriter.
A year later, he sold his first beat to Ruff Ryders artist DMX. This beat became the hit song "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" in 1998. He then produced other major hip-hop songs for artists like Noreaga and Jay-Z. In 2001, Swizz Beatz started his own record label, Full Surface Records. The first artist he signed was rapper Cassidy.
In 2002, Swizz Beatz released his first album, Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories. People started to notice his unique production style. He also released two singles, "Guilty" and "Bigger Business," which became popular. He began working with artists from many different record labels, growing his career even more.
Full Surface Records and One Man Band Man (2006–2007)
In February 2007, Swizz Beatz mixed music for a fashion show by designers Heatherette. In June 2007, he produced and appeared on Cassidy's song, "My Drink n My 2 Step." This song was a big hit, reaching the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
On August 21, 2007, Swizz Beatz released his first solo album, One Man Band Man. Later that year, he signed his friends Drag-On and Eve to Full Surface Records. He also signed the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He helped produce their album Strength & Loyalty.
Monster Music Group and Poison (2008–Present)
In 2008, Swizz Beatz began working on his second album. He released promotional songs like "You Stay on My Mind" and "When I Step in the Club." He also produced many popular songs for other artists. These included "Nasty Girl" by Ludacris and "I Can Transform Ya" by Chris Brown.
In 2010, he joined 81 other artists to debut "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" at the Winter Olympics. Inspired by Kanye West's music series, Swizz Beatz started his own series called Monster Mondays. He released free songs featuring artists like Estelle, Rakim, and DMX.
His second album was renamed several times, eventually becoming Haute Living. He announced that artists like Bono, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and his wife Alicia Keys would appear on the album. In 2011, he won his first Grammy Award for the song "On to the Next One" with Jay-Z.
Swizz Beatz decided to release songs from Haute Living as singles over time, rather than all at once. He also partnered with Imagem Music USA to help new producers and writers. In 2012, he released a mixtape called Limitless, featuring artists like DMX and Nas. He also released new singles like "Everyday Birthday" and "Hands Up."
In May 2014, Swizz Beatz was honored in the Bronx. A street was named "Swizz Beatz Street" after him. In 2017, he appeared on the South Korean hip-hop TV show Show Me the Money.
In May 2018, he released the song "It's Okayyy" from his album Poison. This album featured many famous artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, and Nas.
In March 2020, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland started the very popular Verzuz Instagram webcast series. For their work on Verzuz, they were both named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2021. That same year, Swizz Beatz became the music producer for the ABC TV series Queens. In 2023, he hosted the car show Drive with Swizz Beatz on Hulu.
Other Activities
Fashion and Art
In 2003, Swizz Beatz became a partner in the clothing company Kidrobot. This company creates limited-edition art toys and clothes. In 2010, he also launched his own sneaker line with Reebok.
Swizz Beatz loves collecting art. He shares his art collection, known as The Dean Collection, on Instagram. It includes works from famous artists like KAWS and Keith Haring.
He and his wife, Alicia Keys, help lead the Gordon Parks Foundation. This foundation works to save the art of Gordon Parks, a famous photographer and filmmaker. The couple owns a large collection of Parks' images. Swizz Beatz also paints in his free time and donates the money he earns to the Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation.
Brand Partnerships
In 2010, Swizz Beatz helped design and launch the Aston Martin Rapide car. He also became the official face of Lotus cars for a time. In 2013, he invested in and joined the board of Monster Cable, a company that makes audio products. He helps promote products like Monster 24K headphones.
Currently, Swizz Beatz is a Vice President at Reebok. He works on sports style marketing, design, and brand music development for the global shoe and clothing company.
Performing Arts Center
In 2019, Swizz Beatz and his wife, Alicia Keys, announced plans to create a music center in Macedon, New York. They want to turn a large property into a performing arts center and recording studio.
Camel Racing
In October 2020, Swizz Beatz became the first American to win a camel race in Saudi Arabia. He won his first race with his team, Kaseem abu Nasser.
Personal Life
Swizz Beatz is Muslim. He has five children. His first son, Prince Nasir Dior, was born in 2000. He also has a son, Kasseem Dean Jr., born in 2006, with his former wife, Mashonda Tifrere. He has a daughter named Nicole, born in 2008.
Swizz Beatz married singer Alicia Keys on July 31, 2010. They have two sons together, born in 2010 and 2014. Swizz Beatz also helped write a book about co-parenting with his former wife and Alicia Keys.
In 2012, he was named the Global Ambassador for New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. In 2014, Swizz Beatz was accepted into Harvard Business School's executive program. He graduated in 2017, showing that it's never too late to continue your education. He encourages others to seek knowledge, saying, "Knowledge is power."
Discography
- Studio albums
- One Man Band Man (2007)
- Poison (2018)
Filmography
- I Tried (2007)
- Dumb and Dumber To (2014)
- Empire (2015)
Awards and nominations
- ASCAP Award
- 2020, ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award for VERZUZ
- BET Awards
- 2020, Honoree Recipient, "Shine A Light" Award for VERZUZ
- BET Hip Hop Awards
- 2010, Producer Of the Year (won)
- Grammy Awards
- 2018, Producers & Engineers Wing Award, for outstanding contributions to music (co-recipient, Alicia Keys)
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
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| 2011 | "Fancy" (with Drake & T.I.) | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated | |
| "On to the Next One" (with Jay Z) | Won | |||
| Best Rap Song | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | "Famous" (as songwriter) | Nominated | ||
| "Ultralight Beam" (as songwriter) | Nominated |
- Urban Music Awards
- 2009, Best Producer (won)
- Webby Award
- 2020, Category: Special Achievement - 'Break The Internet' Award, for the Instagram webcast VERZUZ, (co-recipient, Timbaland)
- 2014 Bronx Walk of Fame
See also
In Spanish: Swizz Beatz para niños
