Grammy-Winning Producer Swizz Beatz on Disrupting the Art World and Building a Powerful Brand

The Harvard-educated musician and entrepreneur wants to give more power to artists

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Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean is sitting in his favorite spot in the house, the left corner of a soft gray sofa, flanked by a bronze Nick Cave sculpture covered in buttons. Behind him is a black-and-white photo triptych conjuring the past, present and future. In another room, his wife, the singer Alicia Keys, trades “I love yous” with their 4-year-old son as the midday California light streams in.

The present seems pretty perfect. But today, Dean is taking a moment to reflect on the past and share his dreams for the future.

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This story first appeared in the Nov. 4, 2019, issue of Brandweek.