Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz are both undeniable forces in the music industry. The former is a world-renowned performer while the other is a critically acclaimed producer. The two married in 2010. Since then, they have achieved a title few are deigned with: power couple. Take a look back at Keys and Swizz’s relationship timeline and their many lauds along the way, below.
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Keys and Swizz Beatz meet
Keys and Swizz met when they were teenagers growing up in New York City in the ’90s. They crossed each other’s paths many times, but according to Keys, she didn’t have the same approach to life as the producer.
“We ended up in the same circles at various awards shows and industry events,” Keys once said (Per People). “He’d usually pull up in some fancy car, rolling deep with his Bronx crew and shining with diamonds. I wanted nothing to do with that scene or with Swizz.”
Both musicians were already honing their craft at this point in time. Keys, a piano prodigy, had been performing since she was four while Swizz started producing at 16. Keys shared her debut album, Songs in A Minor, in 2001. The album became a runaway success for Keys, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The whirlwind success of the album has stood the test of time. It is still regarded as a classic in the R&B space.
Swizz has been producing top rap artists since 1998. Between that year and 2001, he earned production credits on songs by Jay-Z, DMX, LL Cool J, and more.
Keys and Swizz Beatz Rekindle Their Relationship
Though they continued to see each other in passing, it wasn’t until 2009 that Keys started thinking of Swizz in relationship terms.
“The more we talked the more I noticed how his mind worked,” Keys said (per HuffPost). “Beyond the baggy jeans and arm tats there was depth. He was so aware of what was happening around the world.”
Around the same time, the pair started to work together in the studio. Swizz worked on Keys’ “Put It in a Love Song” which featured Beyoncé. They would go on to deliver a host of songs together. Their working relationship faded into a personal one with Swizz proposing to the singer-songwriter in 2010. Around the same time, they announced they would be expecting their first child together. Just a few months after their engagement, the pair married at a private ceremony.
Today
Both artists are considered the top in their fields. Swizz has worked with everyone from Beyoncé to Lil Jon. Keys has all but conquered the world with her powerful anthems. In 2018, the couple were honored together by the Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing. A joint award amongst their many solo ones.
Keys recently wrapped up a lauded summer tour. Find a behind-the-scenes look at that trek, below. Swizz recently produced projects for Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, and Kayne West.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS
