Alicia Keys Hopes to Raise a Musician, Philanthropist
People will naturally expect big things from the son of Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys and her husband, mega-producer Swizz Beatz, but none more than the new parents themselves. Keys and Beatz are already raising their one-year-old Egypt Daoud in their own image.
“He’s on the drums,” Swizz told People at Thursday's Keep a Child Alive's Black Ball, hosted by Keys, who is the organization’s global ambassador. “He’s messing with the piano — [Alicia's] practicing and he comes in and adds a couple keys, it’s fun.”
Although there's a natural gleam in Swizz's eyes at the thought of Egypt pursuing music, the proud parents insist they'll be supportive of any aspirations, so long as they include some philanthropy.
“For him to be able to see what happens in the world and be able to see different cultures and people and happenings — I think it opens your mind wide up,” says Keys.
“While I was [in Africa] shooting [a documentary for World AIDS Day], I was pregnant. It was so powerful being there…I thought to myself, ‘Wow, here he is experiencing this and he’s not even here yet,’” she recalls.
Like his career choice, Keys is ready to support whatever charitable endeavor Egypt chooses. “I think as a compassionate person, which I really want to teach him to be, you naturally want to lend and be a part of change,” Keys explains. “I know that naturally he’ll find the thing that he’s passionate about and wants to change.”
But, for now, charitable behavior begins at home. “His birthday came [last month] and there are like a hundred, billion, trillion thousand gifts,” she laughs. “That can’t happen for Christmas. I need to figure this out now because he’s not going to be this terror five-year-old child [shouting], ‘Give me!’”