With so much success being celebrated, the night belonged Philanthropist/Producer
Swizz Beatz. Swizz, now 31 years old, has maintained his relevance in an industry
that often ‘On To The Next One’ like the single he produced for Shawn
“Jay-Z” Carter. On this night, he would be given the SESAC
“Inspiration” award in recognition of his philanthropic work over the
years. And who was more qualified to present him with this prestigious award
than Hip-Hop Trailblazer, Russell Simmons?
AllHipHop.com was given the
exclusive access to sit down and break bread with Swizz Beatz as he
received his award.
AllHipHop.com: First of all,
congratulations on all of your accomplishments over the years. Millions of
people volunteer their time to help others. However, only a few contribute at
the level you have. Talk about your roots in giving back.
Swizz Beatz: It started very young for me, being raised by my
grandparents. While living in the South Bronx, my grandmother was in Tenant
Patrol. The Tenant Patrol was given duties to handle in our building; my
grandmother was the head of that. When I would come home from school, she would
have me help the older ladies with bags. When anybody needed help, I was always
on deck. From then, this just comes naturally.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s do some more “Then and
Now”. Talk about the man you were coming into this industry as well as the
man you are now, looking towards the future.
Swizz Beatz: The Swizz Beatz I am now is actually Kaseem Dean. 2010 is
what I consider my graduation. Who I was before now was young, a student (which
I still am) in the beginner stage, and I’ve been through a lot. And what I’ve
been through helped me to graduate. I don’t regret anything. So gathering
everything up, I am in my thirties now. I came into this when I was 17. So 2010
is my graduation where I take everything I’ve learned and I apply that to
educating and giving back. I am helping in the Art community. I am raising the
bar in the music community by traveling around the world. I’m a messenger that
stands strong nomatter what.
AllHipHop.com: You and I sat
down a few years back before the release of “One Man Band Man” and
talked about how Hip-Hop fans would receive you as a solo artist. You brought
the fact that songs like ‘I’m a Hustla’ ‘New York Sh*t’ ‘Bring’em Out’ and most
of DMX hits were actually your songs before other artists ask to use them. Is
‘On To The Next One’ another example?
Swizz Beatz: ‘On To The Next
One’ was definitely for my album. It was the last song on Jay’s album. He’s
JAY-Z, so I don’t mind falling back and playing the producer role. That also
happened with the ‘Iron Man’ song for Busta. My three son came up with the
concept for the song simply by playing with his Iron Man toy, in the studio.
Now they are playing that song on the radio. I respect Busta. He is a great
friend beyond the music, so I let him have it.
AllHipHop.com: What’s next for your career?
Swizz Beatz: Great music. The
unexpected. I want to do what’s fun for me. I don’t mind taking the risk. I don’t play it safe. I don’t
care what people think. I am an artist. It’s similar to painting on canvas. It
is my interpretation of my life. You can see that in my hard work, in
everything that I do. Even in being a great father, this is how I live. Some
people won’t like it, some will; that’s just the balance of the world.
Russell Simmons presenting Swizz Beatz with the “Inspiration Award” at The 2010 SESAC Awards in New York CitySongwriter of the Year, Nate “Danja” Hills & Swizz Beatz at The 2010 SESAC Awards