Kasseem Dean (born August 30, 1978), better known by his stage name Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer and rapper. He is the founder of the label Full Surface Records. His songs are usually very bouncy and energetic, though his early work was known to be quite minimalistic and arguably experimental—it reportedly takes him an average of only 10 to 15 minutes to complete a song. In most recent Swizz Beatz productions, (such as "Top Down") the quick uttered phrase "Swizzy" or "It's Showtime" is heard at the beginning and is accompanied by guest vocals from Swizz himself, although often uncredited.

Biography

Personal life

Swizz Beatz is of mixed ancestry. He is Latino, African-American and Indian. His father is Muslim and his mother was a Christian. He lived in the Bronx, in New York City, where he first encountered the hip-hop world. He relocated to Atlanta as a teenager due to having too many fights at Harry S. Truman High School; there he started to DJ parties. When his relatives became involved with the Ruff Ryders label, he began to produce tracks at the tender age of 16. Forgoing the practice of using samples, he used real instruments whenever possible and tried to accentuate the performance aspect of his music. The next five years would find him landing hit after hit and becoming more in demand with each production. In 2004, he married R&B singer Mashonda. A son, Kasseem Jr., was born in January 2007. In April 2008, the couple separated after four years of marriage. Rumors have since surfaced online suggesting Alicia Keys was involved in the break-upSwizz Beatz and Wife Split, but Swizz dismissed the rumors saying that that is far from the truth. Swizz Beatz Addresses Alicia Keys Rumors - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News Swizz Beatz is a paint collector and a painter himself on his own free time. He donates the money he earns from his paintings to the Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation.Swizz Beatz: Pupil of Paint