Alicia Keys has been falling even more in love with her husband, Swizz Beatz, with every decade, but she didn’t instantly connect with her partner.
Keys first crossed paths with Beatz (real name Kasseem Daoud Dean) in the ‘90s when they were both teenagers living in New York. “We talked for a minute about nothing deep, and then as I walked off, he asked if we could exchange numbers,” Keys revealed in her 2020 memoir, More Myself. “I was like, ‘Nah, I’m good. I’ll just see you when I see you.'”
By the mid-2000s, the pair had begun working on music together before connecting romantically, and in 2010, they got married. Keys and Beatz have since welcomed two sons and learned each other’s rhythm.
“We understand each other and we communicate,” Beatz exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2019 of the couple’s secret to a happy marriage. “We’re just the f–king best.”
Scroll down to see Keys and Beatz’s relationship from the beginning:
Mid-1990s
Keys revealed in her 2020 memoir, More Myself, that she met Beatz when she was 14 and he was 16. The twosome had mutual friends in the Bronx.
2008
The pair continued to run in the same circles for years before their relationship turned romantic. Keys and Beatz began dating after he split from Mashonda Tifrere in 2008. (Beatz and Tifrere, who share son Kasseem Jr., finalized their divorce in 2010. Beatz also shares son Prince with ex Nicole Levy and daughter Nicole with ex Jahna Sebastian.)
January 2009
Beatz proposed to Keys on her birthday.
July 2010
The musicians tied the knot during an intimate ceremony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Keys was pregnant with her and Beatz’s first child when they said “I do.”
October 2010
The couple welcomed their first son, Egypt.
July 2013
The “Girl on Fire” singer confessed to Marie Claire U.K. that it wasn’t love at first sight with her and Beatz. “Honestly, I didn’t really like him that much,” Keys said of their initial meeting. “I thought he was too ostentatious.”
She explained, “Swizz will have the fastest car, the biggest jewelry, the loudest jacket. Everything with him is really over the top. I used to see him and think, ‘He is so annoying.'” I
n time, she warmed up to Beatz and the pair began working together before becoming a couple.
December 2014
Keys gave birth to her and Beatz’s second son, Genesis.
August 2017
“We’ve been married for 7 years today and I’m like ????????? **SO excited!!!!!?? We’re even more in love, more full of potential and more excited about our future,” Keys wrote via Instagram, paying homage to her husband. “We look at each other with the wonder of a child and I’m in awe of us everyday!”
She continued: “I’m proud of the love we emanate and share with all we connect with and I can’t wait for every day of the rest of our lives!! Thank you for showing me what love freedom feels like. Here’s to endless blessings, growth, communication and Bliss! ??? #deananniversary #7 #love #loveuniverse.”
June 2019
“I think my wife inspired me to be a better artist just by letting me have my freedom,” Beatz gushed to Us. “We let each other have our freedom, we don’t own each other and we just let things flow. We have fun and we support each other’s passions. I think that’s the key to happiness, honestly.”
He added” “We help each other grow and that’s where people are teamed up to be. It’s to help one another grow.”
August 2020
When Keys became “the most certified female R&B artist of the millennium,” Beatz couldn’t help but gush about her accomplishment.
“This is serious! The highest selling R&B female artist of the decade, 16 million worldwide, beating everybody — everybody,” he said in an Instagram video, poking fun at how Keys was celebrating. “And you’re just going to walk around the house, wash dishes, don’t say nothing about that?” After sharing a laugh with his spouse, Beatz added, “That’s big. Congrats baby.”
October 2021
Keys dedicated her song “Best of Me” to her husband, including him in the romantic music video. “This song continues to give me chills. As do you @therealswizzz 😍😍😍,” she revealed via social media.
January 2022
When Beatz won GQ’s Man of the Year, his wife joined him at the awards ceremony for the ultimate “date night.” Keys later gushed, “He’s the MAN of EVERY YEAR 🏆🏆🏆🏆😤😤😤😤💯💯💯💯 like seriously this king is literally like no one I’ve EVER known!!! I am constantly in awe of you!! I I’ve you swizzzzyyyyyyyy!!!!!!”
September 2023
Keys toasted to her husband’s birthday by throwing a lavish party in his honor. “My love! There are no words to describe this special year and how special YOU are!! What a night,” the singer captioned an Instagram video from the affair. “What a blessing to be with our family in places none of us could’ve ever imagined.”
Keys continued: “The most amazing part about you, to me, is that you give SO much, ALL the time, to SO many. The way everyone celebrated you and shared their stories of how you have transformed and touched their lives made it the most genuine and unforgettable night!”
She thanked everyone who came to celebrate, adding that she loves Beatz with “all my heart.”
January 2024
“It’s a real Queen BDAY 🎉The 25th of Jan never felt so blessed,” Beatz wrote via his Instagram tribute to Keys. “I wish you many more blessings on your amazing journey 🤍 We love you and sending the Biggest love to you Queen AK.”
February 2024
Keys and Beatz teamed up with the Brooklyn Museum to put their private collection of art on display for a new exhibit called “Giants.” Their curated pieces feature the works of nearly 40 Black artists and will be available to see in person until July 2024.
“This is a portion of our collection that we’ve been collecting for the past 20 years,” Keys explained during a joint appearance on the Today show. Beatz added, “We collect from our heart. It’s not transactional for us. All of the artists that’s living, that’s in the show, are actually friends. They come to our house and stay at our house.”
