Swizz Beatz

Jay-Z And Swizz Beatz Marvel Over Alicia Keys’ Custom ‘Keys’ Chain That Commemorates Her New Album

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Alicia Keys
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Alicia Keys has been a strong presence in pop culture for the last two decades, and deserves all the recognition she’s getting for her most recent album, Keys. And given her close relationship to the hip-hop world, it’s not surprising that she’s celebrating the release of the album in standard rapper fashion — with a massive new chain. And who better to marvel over the custom Elliot Eliante chain than her rapper/producer husband, Swizz Beatz, and one of her most high-profile collaborators, Jay-Z himself.

“Empire State Of Mind” might just be the best-known mainstream hit for both of them, and given that strong connection, Jay isn’t shy about heaping praise on Alicia’s new bling. “When we create these things, when AK comes out with Keys chain, I mean come on man, it’s just super hard first of all,” Jay-Z said in a clip about the bling. “The chain is just super hard. It comes from a different place, it’s beyond a show of wealth. People tend to identify it as [that] today, this thing comes back to… all the great kings from Ethiopia to Africa.”

That’s actually a fantastic way of identifying the piece as a celebration, and Alicia definitely deserves to be recognized as the royalty she is.

Alicia Keys Drops A Short FIlm For Her ‘Keys’ Album With Appearances From Snoop Dogg, Swae Lee, And More

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Alicia Keys 2021 Rockefeller performance
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Last week, Alicia Keys released her eighth album Keys complete with 26 songs for listeners to enjoy. The project also flaunted guest appearances from Pusha T, Lil Wayne, Swae Lee, Lucky Daye, Brandi Carlile, and Khalid. Now that people have been able to spend time with the project, Alicia Keys returns with a new short film to accompany the album. Clocking in just shy of 13 minutes, the film follows her career as a musician from her young days as a child to today as an undeniable star. Snoop Dogg, Swae Lee, Lucky Daye, and her husband and producer Swizz Beatz also make appearances in the film.

Keys arrives a little over a year after Alicia dropped her seventh album Alicia. Her eighth album is divided into two parts — side A, which features stripped-down music produced entirely by Keys herself, and side B, which leans towards a hip-hop-friendly sound thanks to production from Mike Will Made-It. It’s a solid follow-up to 2020’s Alicia, which featured appearances from Jill Scott, Khalid⁣, Miguel, Sampha, Snoh Aalegra, and Tierra Whack. Keys also serves as somewhat of a sequel to Alicia with both bodies of work do a good job of showing the full range of the singer’s artistry.

You can watch the short film for Keys in the video above.

Tierra Whack is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Alicia Keys Dances With Swizz Beatz In The Loving ‘Best Of Me’ Video

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In the video for “Best Of Me,” Alicia Keys’ new single and loving ode to her husband Swizz Beatz, the singer spends time cuddling, dancing, and posing with Swizz, as clips from various home movies featuring their whole family appear throughout. The single is the first from Alicia’s upcoming double album Keys, which will play on the two sides of the singer’s career — the laid-back, piano-driven Originals side, which will be produced by Alicia herself, and the hip-hop-friendly, upbeat Unlocked side produced by Mike Will Made-It.

In that spirit, two versions of “Best Of Me” hit Alicia’s YouTube. While the video uses the stripped-down “side A” version produced by Keys herself, the “unlocked” version adds extra instrumentation, including drums and synth. Keys’ excitement for the new project is palpable in her social media posts leading up to its release, saying the track gives her chills. The project will around just over a year removed from the singer’s last full-length album, Alicia, which contained features from Jill Scott, Khalid⁣, Miguel, Sampha, Snoh Aalegra, and Tierra Whack. Keys is due on December 10 via RCA Records. You can pre-save it here. Check out the cover below.

Watch the “Best Of Me” video above and listen to the alternate “unlocked” version below.

Nas Enjoys ‘Brunch On Sundays’ With LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Swizz Beatz, And More In A New Video

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It’s been just over a month since the release of Nas’ fourteenth album, King’s Disease II. The sequel to the rapper’s 2020 album that gifted him his long-awaited first Grammy award. King’s Disease II is executive produced by Hit-Boy and arrived with features from Eminem, Lauryn Hill, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Charlie Wilson, and more. Today Nas unveils a new star-studded visual for “Brunch On Sundays.” In it, the rapper enjoys a mid-day mealwith LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Swizz Beatz, Blxst, Hit-Boy, Cordae, and Lil Rel.

The video is the second we’ve received for King’s Disease II, the first being “Rare.” The 2021 album has received a similar, if not better, response when compared to its predecessor, with people commending he and Hit-Boy’s chemistry and asking for the possibility of third installment in the series.

“He’s like my Quincy [Jones], you know what I mean?” Nas said during an interview with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden last month. “So I feel like the next thing I do, if I was to work with Hit-Boy on the next thing I do, I think that we might do something that is going to be magical.” He added, “I think what we have is magic. I think if we do another one, I’m excited about that idea, but you know, we’re celebrating this one now.”

You can watch the video for “Brunch On Sundays” above.

King’s Disease II is out now via Mass Appeal. Get it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Swizz Beatz Responds To Drake’s Diss At Him From ‘Certified Lover Boy’

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Drake’s Certified Lover Boy garnered plenty of attention for a number of disses the Toronto rapper sent towards Kanye West. But there was someone else who Drake took issue with on the album. On “You Only Live Twice,” his track with Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, the rapper took a shot at Swizz Beatz. “Unthinkable when I think of the way these n****s been acting,” he raps. “I never did you nothing and you play like we family, huh? Next thing, you wanna shoot me down, it can’t be love / Not sure where you was trynna send it, it can’t be up / That day you sounded like a b*tch, you fancy, huh?”

During an interview on The Angie Martinez Show, Swizz Beatz addressed the disses, but didn’t return fire (yet). “I’m chilling,” he said during the sit-down. “A lot of people want to see me react and do all these things, but I’m in such a great zone. I said how I felt, he said how he felt. Hey, man I guess we even. As far as now, I’m good … and I actually like the song.”

Swizz added, “And he didn’t go too crazy in the record also, you know? He could have said many things, that man is a clever artist. He could’ve really, really, really gave me about 40 bars. He said what he said. He got it off his chest. Blessing to everybody.”

Drake’s Swizz diss came after the latter took issue with Drake after his collaboration with Busta Rhymes leaked online. “That kid is a good kid as well,” Swizz said at the time. “He’s not a bad kid, he’s a good kid. He started from different things, we made hit record together, it’s all love. I just wanna play music. Because my filter is burnt. Because at the end of the day, n****s is p*ssy for real. What’s up? Pop off. Let’s go.”

You can listen to Swizz’s response to the diss in the video above.

Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, And Swizz Beatz’s Sons Are All Starring In A Movie Together

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Dr. Dre‘s son Curtis Young has reportedly landed a role in the new film Charge It To The Game. He’ll apparently also be composing original music for the film.

According to TMZ, who spoke to Young, Charge It To The Game is a coming-of-age story about four best friends with Young playing “Kong,” one of the friend’s older brothers. And, making it a veritable who’s-who of famous rappers’ offspring, Snoop Dogg‘s son Julian Broadus is also in the movie, playing Kong’s younger brother, and Swiss Beatz‘s son is reportedly making his acting debut as one of the four friends (plus scoring the film with Young).

“This is my first movie and I wanted to get into acting… I always loved the art,” Young told TMZ. “It’s just an art form I’ve always loved. I’m playing a role, Kong, which is a gentleman named Hardtime — it’s Julian Broadus, which is Snoop’s son — I’m playing his older brother. So, I’ve been reading the script, just preparing, getting motivated, behind it and getting engaged with it.”

Talking about scoring the film, Young said, “I was asked and I’m honored to score the film and I believe they just yesterday announced that note. Swizz Beatz’s son is gonna be scoring it with me, so I’m just honored to have this opportunity.”

Young also offered an update on Dre’s health since his father suffered a brain aneurysm earlier this year. “My pops is healing,” he said. “He appreciates me for what I’m doing and doing on my own… It’s been a while since I had an opportunity like this to really step out of that shadow, but at the same time show respect and understand that people came before me.”