logo
Getty Images
Getty Images

Alicia Keys Didn't like Her Husband Swizz Beatz at First and Thought He Was Too Flashy

Manuela Cardiga
Mar 31, 2020
12:30 P.M.

Not every great love happens in an instant. For Alicia Keys, it took quite a while before she recognized husband Swizz Beatz as her soul mate.

Advertisement

Musician Swizz Beatz is the love of Alicia Keys' life, but when they first met, the Grammy-Award winning singer and composer wasn't impressed with him at all.

It took years from first meeting to first date, and even then, Swizz almost blew it all by keeping the scrupulously punctual Alicia waiting.

Swizz wasn't content with being Alicia's friend and he kept asking her out on dates, and she kept refusing

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz at the 2019 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019 | Source: Getty Images

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz at the 2019 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019 | Source: Getty Images

FIRST MEETING

Alicia first met Swizz when she was 14 and he was 16, introduced by a mutual friend, but the flashy teen left the precocious singer-composer cold.

Advertisement

A year after their first meeting, Alicia signed with Columbia records, and her first album, "Songs in A Minor," cut with J Records in 2000 was a massive hit, selling over 16 million records.

Swizz Beatz (L) and Alicia Keys at "The Dean Collection x Swizz Beatz Present DELUXX FLUXX" in 2019 in New York

Swizz Beatz (L) and Alicia Keys at "The Dean Collection x Swizz Beatz Present DELUXX FLUXX" in 2019 in New York

DISLIKE

Alicia started seeing Swizz, who became a hip hop producer and artist, at music industry events and was even less impressed by his flash and attitude. She wrote in her memoir, "More Myself: A Journey":

"Honestly, I didn't really like him that much. thought he was too ostentatious. (...) I used to (...) think, 'He is so annoying.'"

Alicia Keys and husband rapper Swizz Beatz at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2019 | Source: Getty Images

Alicia Keys and husband rapper Swizz Beatz at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2019 | Source: Getty Images

Advertisement

WORKING RELATIONSHIP

Alicia's managers proposed a collaboration with Swizz several times, but the singer/songwriter resisted the idea of working with the flamboyant hip hop artist. She said:

"I fought it tooth and nail. Why should I work with him? Finally, though, we did it and we had a ball."

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the Swizz Beatz Birthday Celebration in 2018 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the Swizz Beatz Birthday Celebration in 2018 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Alicia realized that under the bling and the flashy threads was an intelligent, insightful man, a man she grew to like and who became a good friend. She wrote:

“The more we talked the more I noticed how his mind worked. Beyond the baggy jeans and arm tats there was depth. He was so aware of what was happening around the world.”

Advertisement
Alicia Keys and son Egypt perform on stage at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards | Source: Getty Images

Alicia Keys and son Egypt perform on stage at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards | Source: Getty Images

FIRST DATE

But Swizz wasn't content with being Alicia's friend and he kept asking her out on dates, and she kept refusing. He eventually wore her out and Alicia agreed to a lunch date. She recalled:

“I finally agreed to have lunch. I made a reservation for noon at an outdoor restaurant in downtown Manhattan. I arrived at twelve on the dot. (...) He finally came strutting in at 12:20."

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2018 | Source: Getty Images

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2018 | Source: Getty Images

Advertisement

His tardiness annoyed the punctual Alicia who was on the verge of leaving, but his charm, his conversation, and his humor won her over. By the time lunch was over, Alicia was smitten by Swizz, but more was to come.

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the "The Dean Collection Present: No Commission" in 2017 in Berlin | Source: Getty Images

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the "The Dean Collection Present: No Commission" in 2017 in Berlin | Source: Getty Images

After lunch when Swizz walked Alicia to her car, she saw a large canvas strapped to the roof. It depicted a painting of a grand piano with paintbrushes attached to the keys. Swizz revealed:

“That’s why I was late. When I saw this, it seemed like the perfect representation of our friendship. You’re the keys, I’m the brushes.”

Advertisement

A NIGHT OF PASSION

Swizz transformed that metaphor into a night of passion on a romantic getaway to Hawaii. He offered Alicia a box full of body paints and told her he wanted her to be his canvas. What followed, Alicia revealed, was the most sensual experience of her life. It was that night that their son Egypt was conceived.

wizz Beats and Alicia Keys at the 9th annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball in 2014 | Source: Getty Images

wizz Beats and Alicia Keys at the 9th annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball in 2014 | Source: Getty Images

The couple traveled to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and held a Zulu ceremony to bless their unborn child. Three months before Egypt's birth Swizz and Alicia married in the Mediterranean island of Corsica.

Advertisement

A DEEP AND ABIDING LOVE

The two-time Grammy host credits Swizz with teaching her to live more intensely and revealed that their relationship is strengthened by a constant dialogue. She confided:

“We can both be genuinely honest. It’s the first time I’ve ever had a relationship that has been so genuine.”

The couple welcomed their second son, Genesis, in December 2014 after much soul-searching, since Alicia didn't feel she was ready for another child.

Swizz has a son from his previous marriage to Mashonda Tifrere, Kasseem, 14; son Nasir, 20, whom he shares with Nichole Levy, and daughter Nicole, 12, with British singer Jahna Sabastian.

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

Famous Actor Thought He Fathered This Girl Whose Biological Dad Was Later Revealed via DNA Test

November 17, 2023

This Actress, Who Gave Elvis His First On-Screen Kiss, Left Hollywood for Life in Monastery When ‘God Called’

November 30, 2023

Sophia Loren & Carlo Ponti's 57-Year Love Story Began at 1st Sight Yet He Had Another Family

November 22, 2023

Matthew Perry Was Devastated as 'Friends' Cast Confronted Him in His Battle with 'Hideous Disease'

November 08, 2023

My Date Secretly Saved Me in Her Contacts as 'MONEY BAG' — But She Never Expected the Lesson I Taught Her

February 26, 2024

Matthew Perry Got Burned by Women Who Wanted His Money & He Felt He Was 'Not Enough' – Inside His Love Life

November 06, 2023

I Spotted My Husband at Lunch Instead of His Business Trip & Decided to Find Out Who He’s Waiting For

March 14, 2024

The Loneliness of Fame: Why Matthew Perry, 'Friends' Icon, Never Built a Family

November 09, 2023

Tiger Woods, 48, Was Urgently Carted Back from the Golf Course Due to Illness — Video & Details

February 21, 2024

Tiger Woods, 48, Was Urgently Carted Back from the Golf Course Due to Illness — Video & Details

February 20, 2024

Ryan O'Neal Blamed His Daughter for Farrah Fawcett's Death — They Found Strength to Reunite Before His Death

December 12, 2023

Gladys Knight's Husband William McDowell Is Her 4th Spouse

January 15, 2024

Rosalynn Carter Is Survived by 'About' 47 Descendants, Who Took Care of Former First Lady during Her Last Days

November 20, 2023

A Grocery Store Receipt Ruined My Marriage of 20 Years

February 23, 2024