Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean initially embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the age of eighteen, he gained recognition in the music industry through his family's record label Ruff Ryders Entertainment, as well as his close affiliation with the label's flagship artist, Yonkers-based rapper DMX. Working with DMX as his producer, DJ and hype man helped Dean gain prominence as a high-profile personality in hip hop in the following years. Dean later found a protégé in Philadelphia-based rapper Cassidy, whose success foresaw the launch of Dean's own label imprint, Full Surface Records in 2001. He went on to sign multiple artists to the label, including Eve, Mashonda and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, among others. Dean released two albums under the label: a compilation titled Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories (2002), and his solo debut studio album, One Man Band Man (2007). In November 2018, he released his second album, Poison. Alongside fellow producer Timbaland, Dean created and hosted the music-based webcast series Verzuz in 2020. Dean has produced several hit singles for a number of prominent artists across various genres, such as hip hop, pop, soul, rock and R&B. With a career spanning over two decades, his catalog includes "Ruff Ryders' Anthem", "Party Up (Up in Here)" (DMX), "Gotta Man" (Eve), "Jigga My Nigga", "Girl's Best Friend" (Jay-Z), "Upgrade U", "Check on It", "Ring the Alarm" (Beyoncé), "Good Times" (Styles P), "Bring 'Em Out", "Swing Ya Rag" (T.I.), "Hotel", "I'm a Hustla" (Cassidy), "Touch It" (Busta Rhymes), and "Ultralight Beam" (Kanye West), among others. Dean was named the first "Producer in Residence" at New York University in 2010. About.com ranked him number 27 on its list of the "Top 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Producers", and The Source included him on its 2008 list of the "20 greatest producers" of the last 20 years. Rapper and producer Kanye West referred to Dean as "the best rap producer of all time". Aside from music, Dean has also been involved in fashion design, art collection, and board directing. He has been a member of trustees at the Brooklyn Museum since 2015, and a creative director for the companies Monster Cable and Reebok. Dean is also known for his marriage to American singer Alicia Keys, with whom he has two children. The two were featured in their first cover shoot in 2018 for Cultured Magazine. Life and career 1978–2006: Early life and career beginnings He spent much of his childhood raised by his mother in the North East Bronx, where he first encountered hip hop. After obtaining the necessary equipment from his stepfather and uncles, he began DJing as a teenager and enjoyed a modicum of success. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, due to his repeated involvement in violent behavior at Harry S. Truman High School, he started to work for his uncles, Joaquin