Swizz Beatz says he arranged for Alicia Keys to meet Michael Jackson after hearing that the singer had a crush on her.
The visit took them to Jackson’s home, where his children were present and he showed Keys some dance moves.
On The Real Report With Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda, Swizz recalled how the news reached them: “And so I think Janet was the one that told A.K. and she was like, ‘You know, my brother always had a crush on you.’”
He welcomed the idea of getting them together. “Just for both of them to just have that moment as fans of each other,” he said.
Swizz remembered bringing gifts for Jackson’s children and hearing him talk excitedly about touring. He recalled Jackson demonstrating moves for Keys and saying, “Yo, when I do this, I’mma hit ’em with that.”
Swizz and Keys married in 2010; the story he told concerned a visit before Jackson’s death.
Janet had also publicly named Keys as someone she’d choose to date if she were to date a woman. In 2008, she said, “I think I would pick Alicia Keys. I think she’s wonderful.”
Keys later responded on social media: “I always knew I was BAE But when @janetjackson says it…”
Keys had her own musical connection to Michael long before that visit. Discussing “Fallin’” in May 2001, she explained that she’d imagined writing for a young singer like him: “Even though he was young, he was singing some deep stuff back then.”
