Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, DJ, entrepreneur, and art collector.[1][2]
He rose to prominence in the late 1990s as a key producer for the Ruff Ryders Entertainment collective, crafting signature hip-hop tracks such as DMX's "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" through his distinctive bombastic beats and ad-lib style.[3][4]
Swizz Beatz co-created the Verzuz virtual DJ battle series with Timbaland in 2020, which gained massive popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic by pitting music legends against each other in live-streamed performances and later secured distribution partnerships including with X (formerly Twitter).[5][6]
In his entrepreneurial pursuits, he founded labels like Full Surface Records and collaborated with brands such as Reebok as creative director, while his marriage to singer Alicia Keys since 2010 has intertwined their careers, notably in curating the Dean Collection of contemporary art focused on Black artists, which has been exhibited at institutions like the Brooklyn Museum.[7][8][9]