ANTOINE VARGLAS
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the rap producer and art collector Kasseem Dean–known famously as Swizz Beatz–has been added to the board of trustees at The Brooklyn Museum, joining the philanthropist and former private equity firms partner Barbara Vogelstein as the two new appointees.
Dean is the man behind rap classics including “Ruff Ryders Anthem” by DMX and “Bring Em Out” by TI to name just two of many. More recently, he has become known as a collector, amassing works by artists like KAWS, Swoon, and Kehinde Wiley. He refers to the body of art that he has amassed as the “Dean Collection” and told WSJ that it is “this imaginary museum I had at one time in my head for my kids.”
Dean is currently enrolled in an executive-education course at Harvard Business School and has close ties to brands like Reebok and Christian Louboutin. Dean told WSJ that he wants to “be able to pull out my global Rolodex” to help the museum reach new demographics.
Below, enjoy the instrumental for “Party Up” by DMX, produced by Dean.