- published: 16 Jun 2009
- views: 8765457
Kasseem Dean (born September 13, 1978), better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records. He is married to R&B superstar Alicia Keys and has one child with her, as well as three other children.
Dean did not see much of his father, a postal worker, due to his parents' separation in his early life. Dean is of Puerto Rican and African American decent.[citation needed] He was raised by his mother in the South Bronx, where he spent most of his childhood. This was where he first encountered Hip hop and began deejaying. He began deejaying after he got some equipment from his stepfather and his uncles. He later relocated to Atlanta as a teenager due to having too many fights at Harry S. Truman High School; there he started to work for his uncles, Joaquin and Darrin Dean, who were co-CEOs of the Ruff Ryders label. Forgoing the practice of using samples, he mostly used the Korg Trinity and Triton Keyboards and tried to accentuate the performance aspect of his music.
Man you know I got beats
You know I got soul
A microphone theme
I'm from the ghetto
Follow the leaders... men got poor
Since 98 shit I've been paying for
Started with a double loss... the double loss
... for president thinking of a master plan
And everywhere I get them I let the rhythm hit them
I ain't no joke boy you all niggers kill
All my number ones been great long runs
I don't fear nobody competition is none
That I've been known for the lyrics of fear
I've been known for the... and cheery
The diamonds in my watch worth more than...
No judge no jury
Can' say
Threat the rap game
Like the crack game
Cause that's a rule
Nowadays move house like... movement
Being nice on a mike says...
Me and my team hit the scene
Something popping
Show me love in a club in a...
Since young I've been blinked with diamonds
Black paparazzi stay under the radar
Still caught me when I come to pay you
... said It's show time
[Chorus:]
I said one two
I said didn't you get the message
Hip hop is back
We don't know how to act
Tell the DJ to bring us back