Swizz’s collaboration with Louboutin led to his partnership with Reebok. “I got inspired through working with Christian Louboutin to do something that I can relate to,” Swizz said. “I was so inspired and I was like, maybe I’ll go to Reebok and change a couple of things there and get my creativity on.” That he did! As their Global Director Swizz helped relaunch the Reebok Classics brand and in that process collaborated with the Reebok design team to release the new Kamikaze III. He also kicked off the Reebok’s Reethym of Lite campaign with a cross-collaborative campaign, where he took the song “International Party” (featuring Alicia Keys) from his upcoming LP and used that the song as the musical bed for the brand’s global campaign. With Swizz’s help, the shoe’s popularity exploded. “To find out that people were outside on Wednesday waiting for a shoe that comes out on Friday, was CRAZY! I’ve never seen nothing like that,” he said. Reebok President and CEO Uli Becker had nothing but good things to say about their collaboration. “Swizz’s influence is felt through our brand,” Becker said. “He has a great touch and feel for fashion. He collaborates with us on various products, such as our Basquiat collection as well as other classic products. He is also involved in the overall direction of our classic campaigns. He has a great feel for design and a great cultural sense. He is constantly full of ideas, never stops thinking and passionate about what we do together.” Swizz just recently added another partnership to his portfolio by teaming up with the car giant Lotus being named Vice President of Creative Design and Global Marketing for the brand.
“The amazing Lotus team [and I] sat down and decided to strategize ways to market Lotus to the United States, raising the bar,” he said. “We got things coming that people have never seen in their lives.” Stepping into the digital and technology space, Swizz is working on several technology partnerships and has launched MeetOn.com with business partner Loren Ridinger. The social streaming sight will give users a sneak peak into the lives of their favorite celebrities and gives them the opportunity to get lessons – a cooking class, a makeup lesson, even fashion advice. MeetOn.com is expected to launch soon. Swizz’s overarching success – not just in the music industry, but also in the business world, is enviable. He’s very much a Renaissance man. “I started very young, at 17 years old,” he said. “The Renaissance man [is being] able to inspire people. In order to get peoples’ attention, it has to be announcements that they would never expect, partnerships they would never expect. And if they continue seeing me do these kinds of things, they start looking at themselves and say ‘Hey, wait a minute, if Swizz can do that, I can do that too.’ I’m able to give them a blueprint to follow. Everyday I’m doing things from music to art to fashion to design to philanthropy to being a dad. All these different things you don’t really get a blueprint on. They just happen.” “Your family keeps you grounded and having a support system has been the best gift that I’ve gotten from God,” Swizz said. “You know, to have family members as well as [supportive] fans and friends, it all goes to helping you be a better person, and helping you be a better businessman, and, it just helps you take your goals to the next level.” His dedication to his family is something Keys can’t say enough about. “He’s a beautiful father, very loving and giving,” she said. “Nothing is more important than his children. He’s fun and he loves to play jokes and make them laugh, but he’s also very good at showing them how to be responsible and honest.” “I think the best gifts in the world are loving your children and your family [and] being able to give back,” Swizz said. “When you’re able to give back, one, it shows that you made it; two, it shows that you care; and three, it shows the type of person you are.” Amid his many blessings, Swizz also takes time to give back. With his work teaching at NYU at the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music as their 1st Producer-In-Residence and working with the Bronx Charter School For the Arts it keeps everything balanced for him. Even on a global front when the earthquake hit Haiti he wasted no time reaching out to his fellow artists and collaborated with U2, Jay-Z and Rihanna to record a Haiti benefit song. But Swizz gets something in return when he does charity work. “I just love seeing smiles on peoples’ faces,” he said. “I just love doing philanthropic work and helping kids in Africa all the way to my home in the South Bronx. Those smiles are endless.” When asked about his students at NYU he said, “those students, they look towards me to make decisions, to make life decisions so I can never miss a class,” he said. “I take is very seriously.” As far as Swizz’s real personality, Keys said it best. “Swizz is truly one of a kind,” she said. “You’ve never met a man like him before just when u think have him figured out, he switches gears and takes off.” With so many balls in the air, it’s amazing that Swizz is still moving, still thinking about his next venture. “Money comes and goes, history stays,” he said. “I’m addicted to trying to make history, because that stays. You leave that for generations. I think that’s the best way I can be effective on this earth. Going forward, you’ll witness me trying to make history every chance I get.” Additional reporting by Alexandra Delgado and Rachel Willis. See Haute Living’s exclusive video of the cover shoot with Swizz Beatz.
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