It’s a universal truth by now that lockdowns birthed two types of people: those who made banana bread during lockdowns and those who didn’t. But Swizz Beatz proves there’s a third, unaccounted for archetype: those who buy camel-racing teams.
Yes, the Muslim American rapper and music producer and husband to Alicia Keys has taken an interest to the sport, and his team already won two races and a total of five medals in Saudi Arabia.
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This makes Swizz Beatz the first American and non-Arab to own a camel-racing team in the region, and it all happened after the producer first visited the Kingdom during MDL Beast festival back in 2019. It took a few days of travelling to various regions for the producer to fall in love with the nation; and the rest is history.
His camel-racing team now carries the name Kaseem Abu Nasser, after the music-producer’s real name, Kaseem Dean. Comprised of 12 camels, it carries through a popular tradition in Saudi that was once the desert sport of Bedouins. The Saudi Camel Racing Federation is the official authority for the sport in the nation, and it’s in the process of organizing several racing tournaments across the country.
Today, the sport has taken a modern turn, with full-on stadiums complete with modern race tracks. Swizz Beatz has taken things to the next level though.
Shortly after his team’s win, the hip-hop producer took to Instagram to announce his team’s new merchandise, a collaboration with Los Angeles-based streetwear label Chinatown Market. The merch is available for purchase exclusively on the brand’s website.
