The Graduate

DJ Swizz Beatz doesn’t like the number one. For starters, it’s an ego thing. But also because, “I don’t think I’m number one. I think I’m the one.” And in a year that promises to be his greatest yet, we couldn’t be more intrigued.

Born in 1978 as Kasseem Dean into the rough and tumble South Bronx borough of New York City, Swizz Beatz has always been around music. As an adolescent, rather than hitting the asphalt of the neighborhood basketball courts, Swizz spent time watching local DJs and rappers spinning tunes on the streets. “I remember going to the back park, and all of these famous DJs were there doing their thing, and I was inspired by that,” explains Swizz. So inspired that he grew up to become a DJ, as well as a record producer, rapper, artist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and the United Nations’ Music Ambassador for World Peace.

With a little help from his family, Swizz was able to immerse himself in music at an early age. His uncles, Dee and Waah Deen, began the Ruff Ryder’s record label, and, at just 16 years old, Swizz produced DMX’s chart-breaking hit “Stop, Drop.” It wasn’t always smooth sailing, however, for this young protégé. “I used to get into a lot of trouble. I always had music. But, you know, growing up in the Bronx, you were always faced with decisions you had to make.” And for Swizz that meant deciding whether or not to protect himself. He started slipping down the wrong road and found himself in trouble at school. Faced with possible incarceration, Swizz credits his then-stepfather for saving his life when a job transfer relocated the family to Atlanta. Leaving behind a legacy—he was the No. 1 DJ in the Bronx, No. 1 in mix tapes, and the No. 1 DJ at his school—Swizz held on to his dreams for success in the music industry.

But this story is not about his past shortcomings or unfortunate roadblocks; this is the story of his commencement. “2010, I consider it my graduation year. Because from 2009 and back you were dealing with somebody growing into a man.” And what a man he has become. With more than 250 million records sold, his own Full Surface record label, and collaborations with countless music greats including Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Eminem, Swizz is a force in the music and entertainment industries. The release of his first solo album Presents G.H.E.T.T.O Stories put him on the map, while collaborations on “On to the Next One” with Jay-Z, “Million Dollar Bill” with Whitney Houston, “Nasty Girl” with Ludacris, and “I Can Transform Ya” with Chris Brown made him a household name. These notable relationships formed with such illustrious talents reinforce Swizz’s dedication to the craft of music—whether it is hip-hop, rock ‘n’ roll, or R&B. His success is tempered by his humble approach to life. “I didn’t let my problems take over my dreams and my wishes. I just used them to accelerate to a whole new level,” says Swizz, who is quick to point out that he has never used his unfortunate upbringing as a launching pad for his career.

Talking to Swizz, you can feel his immense hunger for accomplishment and for being a trailblazer in the industry. “I’m the one that’s going to go out there and not sleep and travel across the world and produce music and art, and take the business to levels no one is thinking about.” That desire to become the very best at everything has spilled over to countless collaborations and relationships in the music, entertainment, and fashion worlds. For the last decade, Swizz has built an empire around his beats, but in this “graduation” year, he is intent on introducing the man behind the music—Kasseem Dean, his given name. And, in what he coins the official launch of the mogul, Swizz has lots of tricks up his sleeve.

Swizz has already collaborated with Paul Budnitz of Kidrobot, the world’s premier label for limited-edition art, toys, and apparel, most notably recognized for its quirky pop art and mass culture novelties. This partnership helped Swizz realize his true potential as an entrepreneur and fashion heavyweight. “I teamed up with him and they wanted me to design a doll. But, you know, my mind is a little bit bigger than just designing a ‘Swizz’ doll.” When Budnitz was not convinced of the selling power of a Kidrobot fashion line, Swizz was the one who hired designers and made it happen. Today, Kidrobot apparel is a leading brand in that genre. But Swizz is already on to the next one, intent on graduating to more high-end, luxury brands.

He is great friends with Christian Louboutin and Christophe Decarnin of Balmain, and his future projects with these fashion greats are all part of the “next” stage of his life. “It’s amazing to be in Italy at the factory with Christian [Louboutin] and just be in his world. Just as much as I want to be in fashion, he loves music and film,” explains Swizz. And it is their shared affection for each other as well as each other’s creative businesses that led them to collaborate on a short film as well as musical projects and shoes. Swizz is a big supporter of Mr. Louboutin’s crystallized sneakers, even sporting them for the Haute Living photo shoot. Of Swizz, Mr. Louboutin has the highest praise, saying, “First of all, Swizz is a great soul. The wonderful thing about collaborating with someone like him is that you have no sense of boredom, no sense of exhaustion. It’s all great energy mixed with fun ideas.”

Audemars Piguet is another luxury brand that Swizz has connected with on a personal and professional level. What started out as a very casual relationship quickly evolved into Swizz traveling from Paris to Geneva to Bahrain with the top dogs of the famed timepiece company. Of a potential collaboration, Swizz is tight-lipped, but he did say, “I connected with Olivia Audemar, and we sat there and came up with a lot of amazing concepts.”

Inspired by the “world,” Swizz attributes the countless opportunities for traveling the globe to his big hopes and aspirations. As he prepares to make his move, Swizz will always honor his past, but he will never let it hold him back. “You know if you’re just comfortable living in Beverly Hills, and your life revolves around that, your ceiling stops. But now I am extending my ceiling to space.” It would be a shame for all of this talent to be wasted on business endeavors. So with great affection for the many obstacles he faced, Swizz is involved in all types of philanthropic endeavors.

In the wake of the devastating Haitian earthquake, Swizz immediately embraced the chance to contribute his fame to the relief efforts. “I was actually working in the factory with Christian [Louboutin] in Italy when I called Bono and I called Jay[-Z]. They called me back in 15 minutes, and by the end of the night we had a chorus and vocals. So that was super amazing.” What resulted from this trans-Atlantic phone call was the hit song “Haiti Mon Amour” performed by Rihanna, Jay-Z, and Bono at the Hope for Haiti Telethon organized by George Clooney. Swizz takes a lot of pride in this collaboration, as they produced the only original song created for the Hope for Haiti event and available for purchase on iTunes, helping to contribute almost $60 million to the cause.

Swizz is also getting ready to travel to Africa in support of Keep a Child Alive and is involved in the Children’s Cancer and Blood Foundation. To support the nonprofit, Swizz donated one of his original paintings. “Contributing to the Children’s Cancer and Blood Foundation was amazing to me because I was able to auction off one of my paintings to go toward an amazing cause for these beautiful kids,” says Swizz. “I think my philanthropic endeavors are going to be growing every year.”

And while philanthropy is very important to this mix master, he is also passionate about art. Growing up in the Bronx, Swizz was influenced by all breeds of creative genius; from the rappers beat boxing on the street to the artists tagging bus stops and handball courts, ingenuity was rampant in his violent neighborhood. He remembers seeing Keith Haring paintings on crumbling buildings, as well as “a whole bunch of other greats that used to express themselves on the back of courts or the side of trains.” That resourcefulness caught on, affecting his appetite for groundbreaking success along with his own passion as an artist. “It always stuck with me and I started collecting art. But then I thought, with the prices of these pieces, I could just set up myself and get some canvases and play around,” says Swizz. Counting Eric Navaro, Peter Max, and the late Ernie Barnes as mentors, his recreation soon turned into a true passion for painting. “It really became my therapy, and I was like, wow, I am meant for this.”

His work with the United Nations as a Music Ambassador for World Peace is a fitting privilege for someone who has worked so hard to effect the cultural environment of music, art, and charity. Hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons, Swizz’s friend and collaborator, explains, “Some hip-hoppers have evolved from the leaders in the creative perspective of the street to the leaders of the progressive cultural elite in this country and the entire world. Swizz Beatz is an—if not the prime—example of that expansion. The American cultural landscape is alive because of Swizz Beatz.”

It has been a long, turbulent, and fortuitous road for DJ Swizz Beatz. With no plans to slow down, he maintains this next year as a rebirth of his old self. “Part of the graduation stage is dumbing-down the toys a little bit. You gotta understand, I was doing these things since I was 17, 18 years old, and I’m 31 now. If you are doing the same things in your 30s that you were doing in your teens, something’s not right,” says Swizz with a chuckle. And it’s clear that things have changed. Gone are the extravagant cars and necklaces decked with diamonds, and in their place is a grown man with a clear vision for the future. He is determined to put a tangible feeling back into music, and with his new album in the works, this is his moment. “Music is something that should stick with you and represent a moment in time. I need to raise the bar for that. I need to personally take the risk to make those sounds and take those elements, so when everyone is over there, Swizz is over here.” The lyrics to his hit collaboration with Jay-Z, “On to the Next One,” couldn’t be more fitting for a mogul determined for greatness: I move onward, the only direction; Can’t be scared to fail; Searchin’ perfection; Gotta keep it fresh, girl, even when we sexin’; But don’t be mad at him when it’s on to the next one.

So, we ask, what’s next? “The unexpected. That’s what’s next. What’s next is the unthinkable, the unexpected, the next level.” And with that, we can hardly wait to hear from this music mastermind.