Swizz Beatz may be widely recognized for his music but his outside investments give a glimpse into him as an evolving businessman.

What We Know

In 2020, the producer and executive stepped into quite the unexpected venture: Camel racing.

After conducting extensive research and trusting the process, Swizz created his own camel-racing team, named Kaseem Abu Nasser, in the Middle East — making him both the first African-American and Westerner to make it happen — according to Variety.

“I had it in my mind for so long. My friends out there have teams, friends’ parents’ families in Dubai have teams,” Swizz told the outlet. “That’s how I had access to knowing what to look for, how to pick your fleet, understand the bloodline, find the best trainers. I did extensive research and was there for a month straight doing it. I had the heads-up for a while but didn’t push the button until COVID. It sounded big, amazing and a lot of work, but I just wanted to do it. It feels like it came fast, but it was a long process.”

"We Are The Champions"

Since founding Kaseem Abu Nasser, the 12-camel team has been racking up wins.

For the team’s first-ever race, the champions took home first place.

Watch a clip from the race below:

And the streak continues as, over the years, they’ve been securing Cup wins.

This year, Kaseem Abu Nasser competed in the:

  • Saudi Camel Federation Cup
  • Crown Prince Camel Festival
  • King Abdulaziz Camel Festival

For now, Swizz is leading his camel-racing team across the Middle East, but he’s not opposed to possibly bringing the idea to the U.S. 

The fact that there wasn’t anyone in the nation that set out on taking it on is what pulled him into making his ambitious idea into a reality.

“Once I knew that no one else on this side had ever done it, that we could have fun and educate people about the culture, that’s how I knew it was for me,” he expressed, according to reports. “My idea of forwarding the culture is that we can be anywhere we want. Learning about cultures and traditions other than our own can forward ours even more. It’s like liking an artist that no one knows. At first you’re afraid to admit it, then all of your friends co-sign it. You liked it all along, but you had to be cool about it. Our culture does that a lot, but that’s okay. You have to stay on the journey and look toward family and fulfillment.”