Bubbly and the Fuzz: It’s Showtime with Swizz Beatz

SWIZZ BEATZ WITH CARMELO ANTHONY AND GLASSES OF BUBBLY LAST NIGHT
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID X. PRUTTING/BFANYC.COM

Last evening, Dom Pérignon premiered its newest creation, “Dom Pérignon Luminous,” to a starry crowd that included Leighton Meester, Bai Ling, Brian Atwood, and Carmelo Anthony. The refreshingly seedy soiree, held at a private residence bounded by a barricade of wooden planks and emerald lighting (with a mysterious green smell to match, if you catch our drift), was akin to a secret club night, with meagerly-clothed dancers (glow sticks in hand) positioned on top of a large scaffolding at the far end of the intimate space.

While VIPs glanced down from a balcony above, downtown cool kids like Sophia Lamar, DJ Chelsea Leyland, and Brandee Brown grooved the night away with the commoners to the sounds of Swizz Beatz, who was by far the biggest star of the night—thanks in large part to his near-perfect set. What, we asked him, were his ingredients to a perfect performance on the 1s and 2s?

“Well, the majority of the people here think I’m just a rapper or something,” Swizz quipped with a smile. “But I like to pull out vintage stuff, let them know I’ve traveled a lot.  I like to speak to them through my set.”

We noticed Beatz played Rick Springfield’s hit “Jessie’s Girl,” to wild applause. Was he a fan of the track in its ’80s heyday? “No, I wasn’t,” the super-producer admitted. “But I’m a student every day, and the more you’re a student, the more you’re open to things that you would never normally play.”

A few moments before Swizz arrived at the Soho celebration, the cops came in regards to a noise complaint (we, of course, assumed it was the aforementioned aroma). Since the Bronx-born entrepreneur started to spin as early as high school, we had to wonder whether any of his past parties were put to a stop by the long arm of the law. “Absolutely. You would have to lift me off the turntables to get me to go,” Swizz said. “That’s the fun part—they shut down the party and we keep fucking playing.” A mantra true to his music.

We also couldn’t help but notice Swizz’s commitment to his newest catchphrase: “showtime,” a word sprinkled throughout his set and signature songs. What made this engaging axiom his go-to? “Showtime works for everything,” Swizz coolly explained. “Ask me anything.”

Where would he be going once this party was through? “Showtime!”