Swizz Beatz: “Producing a beat is the same feeling as painting. They come from the same part of your heart.”

Outside of his career as a prolific rapper and producer—during which he’s collaborated with everyone from Beyoncé and Jay-Z to DMX and Kendrick Lamar—Dean is a passionate artist, having painted for over 25 years. “I paint in my free time as therapy,” he says, adding that large-scale abstract works are his style of choice and that he enjoys gifting his works to family and friends. “Everybody should grab a paintbrush and a canvas, even if you don’t have a trained skill,” he continues. “Paint what comes from your heart, your mind, what you’re feeling; it's a great exercise.” 

Alongside his wife, Alicia Keys, Dean—who is on the Brooklyn Museum’s board of trustees—has also amassed an expansive personal collection of art that includes works by Nina Chanel Abney, Jordan Casteel, and Kehinde Wiley. “We want to encourage our culture to collect the culture,” he explains. For this issue, Dean curated a playlist of songs that he hopes will “put people into an artistic mood.” Along with multi-instrumentalist and singer St. Panther’s “These Days” and Cleo Soul’s “When I’m in Your Arms,” he included Texas trio Khruangbin’s “Summer Madness.” “That song is the ultimate cleanse,” Dean says of the latter. “It’s like taking your shoes off at the front door and getting comfortable.”

Featured Tracks

1. Summer Madness - Khruangbin

2. When I’m In Your Arms” - Cleo Soul

3. So Simple - Alicia Keys Feat. Lellow

4. No Work No Job No Money” - Femi Kuti

5. These Days - St. Panther

6. Everybody Loves The Sunshine - Kiefer Feat. Theo Croker

7. Slowdance - Mndsgn

8. Seems Like - Thee Sinseers

9. Please Say It Isn’t So - Lee Williams And The Cymbals

10. Bling - Blaqbonez Feat. Amaarae And Buju

11. Blessings - Nikø.

12. Roll (Burbank Funk) - The Internet (Kaytranada Remix)

13. It’s My Time - Mansur Brown

14. Power - Temani Hill

15. Sincerity - Mary J. Blige Feat. Nas And Dmx

16. It’s Not You, It’s Here - Alekesam (Dj Honda Remix)

17. Oliver Kahn - Ckay Feat. Boj

Feature Image: @therealswizz/Instagram

Image: Pinterest

This piece originally appeared in the December 2023/Jan 2024 print edition of Harper's Bazaar USA