- Tonight, we had the amazing gala for foster kids,
children's rights, which is an amazing amazing charity,
which I'm happy to be a part of.
We had the plaza like we have all the time
and I'm in showtime tonight.
We're gonna do great things.
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Hard hitting beats
and top of the line music production
are surely top of mind when you hear Swizz Beatz.
The Bronx bread entrepreneur is known for his musicianship
and charismatic personality.
But there is so much more excellence
beyond what we see in music videos and social media.
Swizz is an artist, philanthropist,
businessman, educator and father.
Raised in The Bronx, Swizz made a name for himself
at a fairly young age.
As a teen working hard on trying to master
the craft of making beats,
Swizz's goal was to impress his uncles, Waah & Dee,
CEOs of Ruff Ryders Entertainment Record Label.
DMX, the label's premier artist,
recorded on a beat that young Swizz had made
after losing a bet to Swizz's uncle Dee.
The song became Ruff Ryders Anthem.
A breakout hit single off of DMX's debut album in 1998.
At first glance, one would assume
that one shot was all that Swizz needed,
but Swizz continued putting in work.
Beginning his meteoric career as a music producer.
Creating hit records for legendary artists including DMX,
Buster Rhymes, Chris brown and Drake,
his trajectory has been nothing less than inspiring.
In 2001 a few short years after his first big break,
Swizz founded his record label, Full Surface.
In 2002, he signed Cassidy,
a talented young rapper from Philadelphia,
who released two successful albums
under the tutelage of the young music producer.
As impressive as his musical credits are,
it's the work he does beyond music
that makes us love and appreciates Swizz more each day.
The star has used his platform to help facilitate
important charity work for students,
artists and the healthcare system.
The NYC Health and Hospital Corporation,
the American Cancer Society and Boost Mobile RockCorps
are amongst some of the organizations he gives to.
Swizz has contributed money to
and has held an annual charity auction
for The Bronx Charter School for the Arts.
The public school is located in the same NYC burrow
that Swizz grew up in.
The auction has featured original art by the students,
with all proceeds going back into the school.
Swizz has used his influence to
get other celebrities involved, including Carmelo Anthony,
Big Sean and Swizz's own wife,
Grammy award-winning artist, Alicia keys.
As deals and other entrepreneurial opportunities
continue to present themselves to Swizz,
he understood the importance of branding and marketing,
and decided to further his education.
In 2014, he was accepted into Harvard's Business School's,
Owner, President, Management Program.
Which has a pretty selective process
for people who wish to enter the program.
He completed the course in 2017,
receiving a degree from Harvard.
Swizz has been incredibly vocal about educating artists
and musicians on the business
of their respective industries.
In 2018, he gave out $100,000 in art grants.
He is also the creator of the No Commission Art Festival,
which allows artists to keep 100%
of the proceeds from their art sales.
Swizz and his wife Alicia, have been in talks to create
a gallery that showcases "The Dean Collection"
which is their personal collection of artworks.
In 2020 Swizz Beats partnered with friend
and mega producer Timbaland,
at the realization people needed entertainment at home.
During the height of the pandemic shutdowns.
Together they created Verzuz,
a performance platform for some of the biggest
and most respected artists in music,
to competitively display their discographies
and share their works with a new audience.
The series became so popular,
that the duo struck a deal with Triller,
to live stream Verzuz.
The "Verzuz Effect," as Swizz explains it,
is the steep rise in streams and sales
of artists who participate
right after they appear on the platform.
These days, Swizz Beats has his hands in everything.
A phenomenal father, revered music producer,
philanthropist, entrepreneur and art curator.
There's no sign of him slowing down.
Swizz Beats is a shining example
of the influence of hip-hop across the music business
and excellence within Black Culture.
(upbeat music)