Swizz Beatz is an American record producer and rapper born on September 13, 1978. He started his music career as a DJ when he was 18 years old. His big break came through his family’s record label Ruff Ryders Entertainment and his work with the rapper DMX from Yonkers. Serving as DMX’s producer DJ and hype man helped Swizz Beatz become well-known in the hip-hop world.
Later on, Swizz discovered the talented rapper Cassidy from Philadelphia. This led him to establish his record label Full Surface Records in 2001. Over the years he signed artists like Eve Mashonda and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Swizz himself released albums such as “Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories” (2002) and “One Man Band Man” (2007) through his label. His second album “Poison” was released in 2018 under Epic Records.
As a producer, Swizz Beatz has left his mark on a wide range of music genres including hip hop, pop, soul, rock, and R&B. He’s credited for hits like “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”, “Party Up (Up in Here)” by DMX, “Upgrade U”, and “Check on It” by Beyoncé “Bring ‘Em Out” by T.I. and many more.
Swizz Beatz’s talent has earned him a Grammy Award and several nominations. He was recognized as the first “Producer in Residence” at New York University in 2010 and was listed among The Source magazine’s “20 Greatest Producers” of the last two decades. Kanye West has praised him as “the best rap producer of all time.”
Beyond music, Swizz Beatz has been active in fashion design art collection, and business. He’s served on the board of trustees at the Brooklyn Museum since 2015 and has worked as a creative director for companies like Monster Cable and Reebok. Alongside his wife Alicia Keys, he received the Producers & Engineers Wing Award from The Recording Academy in 2018 for their outstanding contributions to music.
| Full Name | Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) |
| Date of Birth | September 13, 1978 |
| Place of Birth | The Bronx, New York, USA |
| Occupation | Music Producer, Rapper, DJ |
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm) |
| Spouse | Alicia Keys (m. 2010) Mashonda (m. 2004–2010) |
| Children | Prince Nasir Dean Nicole Dean Kasseem Dean, Jr. |
| Net Worth | $150 million |
Swizz Beatz’s Early Life and Education
As a child, Swizz Beatz grew up with his mom in the North East Bronx where he first discovered hip hop music. His stepfather and uncles gave him the gear he needed to start DJing when he was a teenager and he found some success with it. He moved to Atlanta Georgia after getting into trouble at Harry S. Truman High School for fighting.
There he began working for his uncles Joaquin (Waah) and Darrin (Dee) Dean who ran the Ruff Ryders record label together. Early in his career, he decided not to use samples in his music. Instead, he used Korg Trinity and Triton keyboards to focus on the live performance aspect of his music.
Career
Swizz Beatz started making music with his uncles Waah & Dee and Aunt Chivon Dean at the Ruff Ryders label when he was just 16. He began producing and writing songs and soon signed with Ruff Ryders Productions. At 17 he sold his first beat to DMX for the song “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” which became a huge hit. This was featured on DMX’s debut album in 1998.
After that success, Swizz went on to produce more major hip-hop tracks like “Banned from T.V.” by Noreaga and “Money Cash Hoes” by Jay-Z in 1998. The following year he produced most of Eve’s debut album and many songs for the Ruff Ryders compilation album.
In 2001, Swizz Beatz partnered with Clive Davis to create his record label Full Surface Records which was under J Records. He signed rapper Cassidy as his first artist.
In 2002, Swizz released his first album “Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories” which showcased his unique production style. This gained attention as did Cassidy’s talent.
Over the years Swizz expanded his production to work with artists beyond Ruff Ryders and Roc-A-Fella Records collaborating with mainstream labels like Elektra Atlantic and Def Jam.
In 2007, he mixed music for Heatherette’s New York Fashion Week show and produced Cassidy’s hit single “My Drink n My 2 Step.” Swizz Beatz released his solo debut album “One Man Band Man” later that year which included successful singles like “It’s Me Bitches” and “Money in the Bank.”
He also launched a contest called “Share the Studio” and signed artists like Drag-On Eve and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to Full Surface Records.
By the end of 2007, Swizz Beatz was already planning his second album titled “Life After the Party.” His career continued to grow solidifying his influence in the hip-hop industry.
In 2008, Swizz Beatz started working on his second studio album. He had already gained recognition beyond producing thanks to his first album “One Man Band Man”. He explained, “It opened up a lot of opportunities for me beyond just making beats. I got to put my voice out there. It was like being a one-man band. Now I’m working on part two called ‘Life After the Party’.”
In March 2009, Swizz released a song titled “You Stay on My Mind”. Later that year he dropped another track “When I Step in the Club” for Hennessy Black which included a music video by Hype Williams. Throughout 2009 he produced hits like Ludacris’ “Nasty Girl” Jadakiss’ “Who’s Real” and Whitney Houston’s “Million Dollar Bill”.
On February 12, 2010, Swizz Beatz joined 81 artists to release “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” at the Winter Olympics. Inspired by Kanye West’s GOOD Fridays he launched Monster Mondays in October featuring collaborations with artists like Estelle and Rakim.
Swizz Beatz’s second album underwent several title changes before settling on “Haute Living”. It featured a star-studded lineup including Bono Kanye West and Mary J. Blige. He planned to release it on September 13, 2011, coinciding with his birthday.
In 2011, Swizz won his first Grammy for Best Rap Performance with Jay-Z. Leading up to the album release he teased tracks like “Everyday (Coolin’)” featuring Eve. He also mentioned collaborations with Kanye West and Bono on a song called “Skyscrapers”.
Throughout the years Swizz Beatz continued to evolve launching projects like the Verzuz series with Timbaland in 2020 which gained immense popularity. He also became the music producer for the TV show “Queens” in 2021 and hosted the car culture show “Drive with Swizz Beatz” on Hulu in 2023.
Net Worth
Swizz Beatz has an estimated net worth of $150 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Swizz Beatz’s net worth comes from his successful career as a music producer and artist. He has earned a lot of money from producing hit songs and albums for many famous musicians.
Personal life
Swizz Beatz who follows Islam began dating singer Mashonda Tifrere in 1998. They faced a heartbreaking loss when their first pregnancy ended in a stillbirth in 2000. Swizz has a son named Prince Nasir Dior from a previous relationship with Nicole Levy.
In 2004, Swizz Beatz and Mashonda Tifrere got married and they welcomed their son Kasseem Dean Jr. in December 2006. Swizz also has a daughter named Nicole born in May 2008 from his relationship with UK singer Jahna Sabastian although he found out about her a year after her birth. Swizz Beatz and Mashonda Tifrere separated in 2008 and finalized their divorce in May 2010 due to irreconcilable differences.
During this period Swizz Beatz began dating Alicia Keys whom he had known since they were teenagers. They announced their engagement and Alicia’s pregnancy in May 2010. They participated in a Zulu ceremony during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa to bless their unborn child. They got married on July 31, 2010, in a private ceremony near the Mediterranean Sea.
Their first son Egypt Daoud Dean was born in October 2010 followed by their second son Genesis Ali Dean born in December 2014. Swizz Beatz contributed to Mashonda Tifrere’s 2018 book about co-parenting with him and Alicia Keys.
In 2012, Swizz Beatz was appointed as the Global Ambassador for New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC).
In April 2014, Swizz enrolled in Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management executive program. He graduated in November 2017 and shared a message encouraging others to pursue education emphasizing that knowledge empowers regardless of the institution.
In March 2016, Swizz proudly announced that his son Egypt was a credited producer on Kendrick Lamar’s album Untitled Unmastered.
Swizz Beatz became associated with Malaysian businessman Jho Low in 2012 joining Low’s circle of American celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx.
Swizz attended various parties hosted by Low and received substantial payments including $800000 for attending Low’s 31st birthday bash. He also assisted Low in navigating the art and music industries in the U.S. where Low made significant investments that were later recovered by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Other ventures
In 2003, Swizz Beatz joined Kidrobot a popular company that makes limited-edition art toys and clothes as a partner.
In 2010, On Twitter Dean announced his new sneaker line with Reebok.
Dean loves collecting art and often shares his favorites on Instagram. His curated collection known as The Dean Collection debuted at the SCOPE Art Show in Miami Beach. It features works by well-known artists like KAWS, Keith Haring, Cleon Peterson, Ernest Zacharevic, and Erik Jones.
Dean and Keys serve as co-chairs of the Gordon Parks Foundation dedicated to preserving the work of Gordon Parks a famous photographer filmmaker and activist. They own the largest private collection of Parks’ images now part of The Dean Collection.
Dean also paints in his spare time donating the proceeds to the Children’s Cancer & Blood Foundation.
Dean played a role in designing and launching the Aston Martin Rapide in 2010. He later became associated with Lotus cars and then returned to Aston Martin in 2013.
In 2013, Dean invested in Monster and joined their board focusing on product management and marketing. He promoted products like the Monster GODJ and Monster 24K headphones.
Currently, Dean is Vice President at Reebok overseeing Sports Style Marketing Design and Brand Music Development.
Dean and Alicia Keys plan to transform a large property in Macedon New York into a performing arts center and recording studio. This includes 111 acres and 3 buildings from the former Jindal Films center.
In October 2020, Dean made history as the first American to win a camel race in Saudi Arabia with his team Kaseem Abu Nasser (Saudi Bronx).
