Source: Cindy Ord / Getty
Verzuz cofounder, Swizz Beatz, has found his next competitive hustle, and it’s something no one really was expecting.
Speaking with Variety, the super-producer/mogul who has season 2 of his online DJ battle situation ready for liftoff with Atlanta’s Hip-Hop elite, Jeezy and T.I., revealed to the publication that he is all in on camel racing. Swizz Beatz born Kaseem Dean is now the first African American and westerner to own a competitive camel racing team in the Middle East.
Beatz’s racing team, Kaseem Abu Nasser, has 12 fast camels in his stables, and he has already won his first race on Thursday (Oct.22), in Saudi Arabia. His team also won another race on the same day he dropped Kaseem Abu Nasser merch with Chinatown Market, the LA streetwear brand.
When asked what made him get into camel racing, Beatz revealed he’s been thinking about making a move into the sport for a long time.
“I had it in my mind for so long. My friends out there have teams, friends’ parents’ families in Dubai have teams. 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.”
When asked to share some tips on picking winning camels, the One Man Band Man gave some great insight.
“Before you buy camels, you get to observe them. There’s test races where you can get to understand the attitude of the camels. Say, for instance, you’re seeing a camel suddenly go from the right lane to all the way across to the left — you can tell that that camel has a bad attitude. That might not be your best camel out of the gate. You want a camel that is focused, that listens to commands. You want camels from great homes and breeders. They get treated very well — amazing food, massages. Camels have to feel the love to give the love. You can’t have stressed-out camels in a race. Camels are sacred over there.”
Beatz revealed his family has not met his camels yet due to COVID-19, BUT he has named all of the camels after his family members, including his mother, grandmother, children, and wife. He even named one Bronx paying homage to the borough he was born in.
Swizzy even shared that JAY-Z and Nas already congratulated him on his victory. Could we see a wave of other Hip-Hop acts getting into the camel racing game? We wouldn’t be shocked at this point.
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Photo: Cindy Ord / Getty
