Beyonce and Jay-Z in 2006
Beyonce and Jay-Z are married, according to a source quoted in People Magazine. There was some speculation that these two weren’t getting married and were just having a party, but if it wasn’t a wedding they sure went to a lot of trouble and expense, including taking out a marriage license on April Fool’s day. Here are the details that are known so far, thanks to People, E! Online, In Touch, and OK!

• The wedding is said to have taken place at Jay-Z’s Tribeca penthouse apartment last night.
  

• Guests included Beyonce’s mother and father, her sister, Solange, and her former Destiny’s Child band members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, who posted a goofy youtube video yesterday that lent some credence to the “wedding hoax” rumors.
  

• George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Chris Martin were also in attendance. (George’s attendance was reported by E! Online’s The Hum, who note that he was at the right time and place to suggest he was also going to the wedding.)
  

• Candelabras, long white candles and white orchids were seen being delivered at lunchtime. People reports that from 50,000 to 60,000 white orchids were imported from Thailand.
  

• A cake was delivered around 3 p.m., it is described by E! as “a large white cake box that was a couple of feet wide and a couple of feet deep.”
  

• A white tent was erected on the roof of Jay-Z’s apartment.
  

• Guests were instructed to wear white.
  

• Guests started arriving at 7:00 pm and the party lasted well into the early morning, with guests only starting to leave at 2:00 am.
  

• The roman numeral IV was a theme of the night, as both Beyonce and Jay-Z’s birthdays fall on the fourth. Jay-Z’s birthday is 12/4/69 and Beyonce’s is 9/4/81. They have matching ring finger tattoos of the numeral IV that they reportedly had done in France on 12/4/07. Jay-Z’s chain of clubs is called 40/40. The date yesterday was 4/4/08.
  

• Guests were told not to bring in cell phones and surrendered their phones to their drivers.
  

• DJ Cassidy provided the music for the evening.
  

• Jay-Z moved into the building last week, and a resident says he was warned that there was going to be “a large party on the roof” Friday night.
  

• In Touch says that Beyonce and Jay-Z are planning a second wedding in France on May 4.
  

• Jay-Z is on tour with Mary J. Blige and has concerts scheduled in Greensboro, NC and Washington, DC this weekend. His North American tour does not wrap until May 8, so it may be some time before these two can go on a honeymoon. That may also make the rumored second wedding in France difficult.

There is no official confirmation yet from anyone, but it seems like it’s just a matter of time. Good for Beyonce and Jay-Z for marrying sort-of under the radar while managing to have a party for their friends that was virtually press free. We’ll have to see if any wedding photos come out and if that story that Beyonce’s dad was trying to broker a deal for exclusive pictures was true.

Here’s a video of Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband Chris Martin arriving at the wedding. Gwyneth covers her face with her hand while Martin hunkers down, and the paparazzi surround and follow them like zombies hungry for brains. Thanks to OK! for posting this.

Beyonce’s sister Solange arriving at the wedding, thanks to WENN.

There are reports all over Manhattan that Beyonce and Jay-Z may be tying the knot today. A party of some sort is definitely happening at Jay-Z’s apartment – though it could be to celebrate his recent $150 million deal with Live Nation. Evidence includes a white tent that’s been set up on the roof of the building, flowers and candelabras that have been delivered (some left out on the curb, letting People magazine get quite the snapshot), and AV equipment delivery. Several of the couple’s friends are in the city, including Beyonce’s former Destiny’s Child band mates Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, who for some stupid reason mention in a YouTube video that they’re staying at the Four Seasons in Manhattan right now. Other famous friends in NYC are Jermaine Dupri, Kanye West , Diddy, and Pharrell Williams. But to be fair, it’s New York City, no podunk nowhere. It’s not exactly weird that a lot of celebrities are here this weekend.

Jay-Z is breaking out the bubbly at his place Friday night for a big celebration. The big question is whether it’s to mark his rumored wedding to Beyoncé Knowles, or his $150 million deal with Live Nation. “Jay has invited some close friends, including Diddy, to his apartment in New York,” a source told the Daily News. “He hasn’t said if it’s for his wedding.”

Several sources close to the families of Knowles, 26, and Jay-Z, 38, said they knew nothing about a ceremony. There have been several false marriage reports going back at least two years. That hasn’t stopped Beyoncé’s dad, Mathew Knowles, from stringing along at least one celebrity weekly with the offer of wedding pics for sale.

“Mathew first started talking about wedding photos on Monday,” a magazine insider told The News. “He said, ‘How much are you offering?’ There has been a back-and-forth since then, but he has not revealed the date. He is definitely talking about there being wedding pictures.”

[From the New York Daily News]

Well that’s classy. Always a good dad, and always a good manager, right? Supposedly the event will be attended by 30 guests. Which seems small for a wedding, but certainly happens – especially when you’re trying to keep things private. What does seem odd is that the guests were all told to wear ivory, according to VH1 and several other websites. I’m pretty sure that the number one etiquette rule for a wedding guest is not to wear white. In fact I think it’s one of the few rules people still pay attention to. And Beyonce doesn’t seem like the kind of girl to let anyone steal her thunder – certainly not on her wedding day. So although there’s a ton of evidence that Beyonce and Jay may be getting hitched today, that one little detail makes me think they might be pulling one over on us.

Here’s a photo of the tent erected atop of Jay-Z’s building today. Splash notes: “Amid rumors of a wedding between Jay Z and Beyonce Knowles, a tent has been erected on the roof abutting jay Z’s apartment. According to US reports, behind the tent is an all-white interior.” Thanks to Splash for the image.

Update: Us Weekly is reporting that a reverend and his wife were seen entering Jay-Z’s building. I don’t pretend to have any idea how Us Weekly knows the guy is a reverend.

Jay-Z seems to really have the world in his hands right now. The rapper/music mogul filed for a marriage license with longtime girlfriend Beyonce Knowles on Tuesday, and since then things have only gotten bigger and better for him. The Associated Press has reported that Jay is about to sign a $150 million deal with Live Nation, which will include both CDs and concerts. Jay-Z was reportedly in great spirits, celebrating at a Toronto club last night.

He was definitely in a celebratory mood before and after his show last night in Toronto. “Jay-Z was not with Beyonce but looked so happy he could have burst,” says an observer at Toronto’s popular bistro Sotto Sotto, where he ate a pre-concert dinner with a bunch of guy friends. Later, he partied well into the night at Toronto’s downtown club Lobby, where he was laughing, chatting up his guests and waving his arms to the music.

[From People]

Jay-Z isn’t just a rapper, he was also the president of Def Jam records for three years. Live Nation has also inked deals with Madonna and U2, but Jay is their first foray into hip hop. The numbers are pretty astounding, considering his last album had just so-so sales figures.

But the arrangement would also position Live Nation to participate in a range of new deals with Jay-Z, one of music’s most entrepreneurial stars, whose past ventures have included the Rocawear clothing line, which he sold last year for $204 million, and the chain of 40/40 nightclubs.

His first undertaking with Live Nation is his current 28-date tour with Mary J. Blige, his biggest live outing in more than three years. After that, Live Nation envisions integrating the marketing of all Jay-Z’s entertainment endeavors, including recordings, tours and endorsements. “I’ve turned into the Rolling Stones of hip-hop,” Jay-Z said in a recent telephone interview.

[From the New York Times]

Jay-Z definitely earns his reputation as not just a good performer but a great businessman. The Live Nation deal includes funding for Jay’s own business ventures in a company called Roc Nation, which will include music publishing, talent grooming and management, along with his own label. They’ll contribute $25 million over the course of five years to it. The timing of the wedding license is interesting, considering all these great things are happening to Jay-Z in such quick succession. Makes you wonder if he had some agreement with Beyonce, like “Once I get my next record deal figured out, we’ll get married,” or something. No matter what, it seems like congratulations are in order.

Here’s Jay-Z arriving for The Late Show with David Letterman on March 31, 2008 in New York. Images thanks to PR Photos.

People reports that sources say that Beyonce and Jay-Z registered for a marriage license on Tuesday morning in Scarsdale, NY, which would give them 60 days to get married in the state under that license. Beyonce’s rep had no comment and there is no further information about it.

Singer Beyonce, 26, and rapper and media mogul Jay-Z, 38, have been together for over five years and this isn’t the first rumor that they were about to tie the knot. In early March there was a story that Beyonce and Jay-Z were out at Butter Nightclub in NY and that Beyonce stashed what looked like a giant diamond engagement ring in her purse when witnesses spotted it.

Back in January there was a rumor that these two were secretly married at Georgio Armani’s house in Paris over the Christmas holidays. They were each seen with matching ring finger tattoos around that time that seemed to signify some kind of commitment.

The NY Daily News reports that Jay-Z was seen meeting up with Beyonce’s younger sister, Solange, in Miami recently, with a source claiming the meeting was about asking her family for permission to marry.

If this is true congratulations to Jay-Z and Beyonce. It would also be nice if they got married in a low-key ceremony without a lot of guests or a huge party. Either way is great for them, but it would be a pleasantly surprise if they got married under the radar.

Another week, another “Beyonce and Jay-Z are engaged or about to be married” story. Back in January, there was a rumor that they were secretly married at Georgio Armani’s house in Paris over the Christmas holidays. Both Jay-Z and Beyonce were sporting new matching ring-finger tattoos of the numeral IV, so people thought it must be symbolic of some kind of commitment, marriage being the logical assumption. Beyonce was rumored to be pregnant at that time, too, and that didn’t pan out. It seems like a lot of stories are spread about these two based on conjecture.

The singer and media mogul have been together for five years and despite all the rumors they haven’t split up, gotten engaged, or secretly married as far as we can tell.

Now there’s a story that Beyonce was seen out with a giant sparkling diamond ring on her left ring finger, but that she quickly stashed it in her purse when witnesses noticed it:

Beyonce, 26, and her longtime beau, Jay-Z, 38, had tongues wagging at Butter nightclub in NYC on Feb. 18. “She was wearing a huge diamong ring on her ring finger,” says an eyewitness. “When she noticed that I and some others noticed the rock, she quickly hid her hand behind her left elbow. Then she reached behind her to where her bag was, and after placing her hand in her bag, the ring disappeared!”

[From Life and Style, print edition, March 10, 2008]

Maybe she does have a big old diamond ring, but who knows if Jay-Z bought it for her or if it means that they’re engaged. JayBird noted in her post about their supposed “secret wedding” over the holidays that they’ve been in a stable relationship for a while and it seems to work well for them. If they want to get married or not that’s their decision.

Jay-Z was rumored to have had a fling with Rihanna back when she first hit the scene, but he was also mentoring her music career and those type of rumors are only natural given their working relationship. Rihanna supposedly got pissed at Jay-Z at a party after the Grammys this year and had words with him. But Jay-Z mocked Rihanna’s accent when he was presenting at the Grammys, and it seems likely that she was mad at him over that and it wasn’t a lover’s spat or anything like that. She was at the party with Chris Brown. Rihanna recently addressed the rumors that she was having an affair with Jay-Z, saying that it made her uncomfortable that people thought that, and that Jay-Z told her just to ignore the stories.

Jay-Z is about to embark on a 25-city tour with Mary J. Blige starting March 22. They will play five separate dates in NY alone. Tickets for the first four performances sold out within hours.

Beyonce is shown at the Grammy Awards and at the Sony Grammy After Party on 2/10/08, thanks to PRPhotos.

Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z have been pretty quiet about their five-year relationship from the start. It’s also been rumored for at least the last four years that the two were about to get married. Now several media outlets are reporting that they already exchanged vows at Giorgio Armani’s Paris home over the Christmas holiday. It seems that the best evidence is a lot of information from “insiders,” and the fact that they both returned home with matching tattoos on their ring fingers of the Roman numeral IV. Considering how long they’ve been together and Beyonce’s frequent statements about wanting a big family, this could very well end up being true.

She may have some of the most diva-ish demands on the circuit but friends claim Beyoncé Knowles has wed long time love, Jay Z, in a low key Paris wedding. Insiders say the couple finally tied the knot during a romantic break in the French capital, claiming they are now ‘blissfully happy’. One source says the pair both tattooed personal inscriptions on their wedding fingers to mark the ceremony.

They ‘Didn’t want all the attention that usually follows them around, they just wanted it to be intimate and romantic. It was lovely and they are both blissfully happy. They thought the tattoos would be a lovely personal touch’, the insider reveals.

[From Metro.co.uk]

I would love – just for once – if an “insider” would reveal their true identity. It really would be cause for a celebration. The “insider” was right about the tattoos, so there might be a chance they really did get married. Considering how low-key they’ve been about their relationship, it would make sense for that same mentality to apply to their wedding. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine someone with Beyonce’s diva reputation not doing it up really big and splashy.

The Sunday Mirror is reporting that Beyonce might already be pregnant. I can’t really spot a visible bump, but I don’t claim to be an expert in that department.

Since her secret wedding last month, Beyonce Knowles has been glowing even more than usual. And friends are suggesting the marriage isn’t the only thing she has kept under wraps. Sources close to the Crazy In Love singer have hinted there could be double celebrations - as she and husband Jay-Z get set to have their first baby.

A friend said: “Beyonce is giving nothing away. She’s always been close to her parents and open about wanting a large family of her own one day.” Beyonce, who starred in the 2006 hit movie Dreamgirls, once said in an interview that she wouldn’t pressure her children to become singers. She said: “We’ll let our children make their own decisions. What if they are tone deaf? You never know.”

The friend added: “Beyonce and Solange have been brought up with strong Christian beliefs. Part of that belief is to be married before having children.”

[From the Sunday Mirror]

Of course Beyonce’s rep gave the old, “We don’t comment on private stuff” line. Which always makes me wonder exactly what it is they’re paid to do. Probably just to tell the rest of us they have nothing to say. Beyonce and Jay-Z have been together for so long - and the marriage/baby rumors have been swirling for almost as long – that it’s hard to guess if/when they got married. They seem pretty happy and stable in their relationship. Jay Z recently stepped down as the president of Def Jam records. He said that he was going to focus more on his other endeavors – maybe starting a family is one of those.

Jay Z now has the top selling album in America with the soundtrack for the film American Gangster. It is his tenth number one album and he is currently tied at second with Elvis for the most albums in history at the top spot on the charts. Only the Beatles have had more number one releases.

In a new interview with Blender Magazine, Jay-Z says that seeing the film American Gangster and making the album brought him back to the time when he was a dealer on the streets working daily to elude the cops. He said he tapped into those old emotions and nervous adrenaline to help fuel the creativity that helped him put out another chart-topper:

What is it about this movie that opened the creative floodgates?
It was the emotions I remember from that time. Paranoia, excitement, addiction. It really is an addiction. After a while in the game, you become addicted to the excitement and the sense of uncertainty. Because any day could be your last. Cops are watching you, enemies are watching you — and knowing that, it’s this weird … rush.

[From Blender.com]

With a net worth estimated at $286 million, Jay-Z has experienced incredible success, but says the results aren’t as exhilarating as he hoped. He says that, like Denzel Washington’s character, he ’s had his share of letdowns after reaching the top. Still, he admits it has its perks:

On the American Gangster track “Success,” you rap about the disillusionment that can come with achieving your dream: “All I got is this big house, couple cars, I don’t bring half them shits out … How many times can I go to Mr. Chow’s?”
In the context of the album, it was that Scarface moment when Tony Montana sits in the restaurant and looks around and says, “This is all it’s about?” You get to that point where it’s like, “OK, I drove the Rolls Phantom around the corner and … nothing happened.” And you ask yourself, “That’s it? I thought blondes was gonna be jumping on my hood!”

Do you ever hang out with anyone richer than you?
I don’t know. I’m sure I do. I’ve hung out with Bill Gates, but he’s not a friend of mine. I’ve hung out with Bono. He’s gotta be way richer than me.

What’s the most expensive bottle of wine you’ve ever bought?
Oh, my goodness, I know that exactly. I had a $20,000 Petrus 1945 at a place called Graycliff in the Bahamas.

Full-bodied? Playful? Impudent?
Oh, it was definitely full-bodied. Incredible. You could almost taste the barrel. It was one of those things where you say, “Come on, how good could it be? What’s the difference?” But you really could taste the difference. It was damn near like smoking weed. It was a high.

[From Blender.com]

As for who he’s supporting in the presidential race, Jigga says that he likes Barack Obama and had a conversation with him about his career when the subject was brought up. He’s says he’s not sure who he will back though and is “gonna go down to the last day with this one.”

Jay-Z laughed and refused to comment when asked if he’s planning to marry his longterm girlfriend, singer Beyoncé. Maybe he’s still waiting for those girls to come jump on his car.

Thanks to Blender.com for the interview and photos.

A while ago Jay-Z said that he would retire… then put out two albums. Kind of a mixed message there. Now the rapper and business mogul says he wished he’d kept his mouth shut about the whole thing. In the future, he says he won’t announce he’s retiring, he’ll just stop putting out albums, and after a few years people will realize he’s retired. I guess his theory being that way, if he changes his mind before people notice, no one will call him on it. Sounds like a fine logic to me.

Wait a minute, didn’t Jay-Z say he was retiring TWO albums ago? “I want to never say that again,” the 37-year-old rap mogul says in XXL magazine’s new issue. “Just make the albums, man. And if one day people wake up and it’s four years later, and you haven’t made another, they go, ‘Wait a minute, you’re retired!’ I think that’s best for me.”

“I think I pulled the retirement ripcord too many times. People looking at me like, ‘Please shut up.’ I was looking at (his retirement movie) Fade to Black the other day. I was embarrassed. I couldn’t watch. I’m not playing with you. I had to turn it off,” he says. “I was cringing.”

[From USA Today]

I’ve found it’s generally better to just do something than to announce you’re doing it. That way, no one notices if you don’t do it. Sneaky, huh? Jay-Z also talked about rapper Lil Wayne, who declared himself the “greatest rapper alive” after Jay-Z retired. Probably not the smartest move dude.

Jay’s new project is an album about his hustling days, inspired by the upcoming film American Gangster. That places him in competition with hot rappers of the moment — like Lil Wayne, who after Jay “retired” proclaimed himself the “greatest rapper alive. I think Lil Wayne is extremely talented,” Jay says. “I think he’s one of the most talented ones out there. I mean, even more so how his delivery is than what he says. I don’t think some of the things he says sometimes are the greatest things, but the way he delivers it, that’s part of it.”

“But do I think me and Lil Wayne should be in the same sentence? Me? No,” Jay says. “I mean, hopefully one day. He has to accumulate work. Put some classics under his belt.” A superstar girlfriend like Beyonce wouldn’t hurt as an equalizer. “I think people are only interested in (a relationship) three times: When you get together, when you break up, and when you have a baby,” Jay says. “They don’t have good intentions. People just want to manipulate the situation to benefit them. I think relationships are broken up because of the media.”

[From USA Today]

I always enjoy a nice “Blame-the-media-for-whatever’s-going-wrong-in-your-life” quote. When in doubt, it’s always a failsafe, and people nod along and agree. I could maybe see blaming the paparazzi, because having 50 people following you around all day has got to put a crimp in your romance. But the media itself is a pretty broad category, and I’m sure if someday you decide to break up with Beyonce, I didn’t have anything to do with it. But I’m guessing Celebitchy did. She’s duplicitous like that.

If you’re anything like me, you were probably sitting around, looking at your wall, and thinking, “Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the richest rap mogul of them all?” If your mirror said Jay-Z, you should give it some Windex. Jay-Z was just named the richest rapper by Forbes.com. I thought they were supposed to spend their time talking about financial markets, stocks, and making people panic over real estate. But it seems that lately, Forbes is spending the majority of their time coming out with “The richest…” lists. Last week they had “The richest bald man” and “The richest one legged farmer.” Okay not really, but I would read Forbes a lot more if they did. Okay not really.

“Jay-Z wins all around, says Forbes.com. He’s got Beyonce on his arm _ and more millions than 50 Cent and Diddy. The rap icon, aka Shawn Carter, is No. 1 on the site’s list of “Hip-Hop Cash Kings,” based solely on 2006 income. He banked an estimated $34 million, Forbes.com said Thursday.

“Jay-Z, president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, released his 11th studio album, ‘Kingdom Come,’ which sold around 2 million copies. Jay-Z, 37, is also part owner of the New Jersey Nets and has endorsement deals with Budweiser, Hewlett-Packard and General Motors.”

[From Forbes.com]

It might be good to be Jay-Z – yeah you have a lot of money, and Beyonce at your beck and call singing that “Cater 2U” song (blech) – but you’d also have to deal with that crazy mother of hers, Tina Knowles. You know, that lady that’s always trying to drape people in the fur of live puppies? Well her clothing line is one of the few out there that still uses fur, and to me it’s all the same thing. Who else makes a lot of money and doesn’t come wit the bizarre mother?

“Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson ranks second with an estimated $32 million. The 31-year-old rapper-businessman oversees his G-Unit record label, clothing line, ring tones and other enterprises, and has sold more than 11 million albums. His latest record, ‘Curtis,’ is due out Sept. 11.

“Diddy (real name: Sean Combs) placed third with an estimated $28 million. A fashion plate, he has a clothing line, Sean John, and heads Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment and its record label. Diddy, 37, is also host of MTV’s ‘Making the Band’ series.

“Rounding out the top five are Timbaland ($21 million) and Dr. Dre ($20 million). They’re followed by Eminem ($18 million); Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Scott Storch (all $17 million); Ludacris and T.I. (both $16 million); Outkast and Lil Jon (both $14 million); Ice Cube ($13 million); Jermaine Dupri and Swizz Beatz (both $12 million); Chamillionaire and The Game (both $11 million); and Young Joc ($10 million).”

[From Forbes.com]

You could be at the bottom of that group and still be doing pretty well for yourself. I have no idea who Swizz Beatz (sounds like the name of a cheap watch) or any of the guys after him are, but I’m pretty sure I could learn to love them, given the chance.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Jay-Z and Beyonce at the Black and White Ball. Header image of Jay-Z at Giant Magazine’s celebration of Rihanna’s new album on June 3rd. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Update: I’m putting this update at the top. There is no affiliation between Jay-Z’s “Water for Life” campaign and this SUV he designed. I wrote that title as a joke, and hoped the text of the post would make it clear that I was trying to point out that designing an SUV is not the best way to conduct your business affairs when you’re trying to bring awareness for the need for clean water in the third world.

Jay-Z unveiled the new gas guzzler he helped design for GM, a bright blue GMC Yukon Denali. Maybe the blue helps signify his “Water for Life” campaign, since designing SUVs and bringing water to the third world is so consistent:

Jay-Z and General Motors are teaming up to bring a stylish hue to a rugged sport utility vehicle. The music mogul emerged from a concept GMC Yukon Denali SUV on stage Saturday during a celebrity-filled party thrown by General Motors Corp. on the eve of media previews for the North American International Auto Show.

Painted “Jay-Z Blue,” the SUV was developed through a partnership with the rapper during the past two years. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, worked with the company’s global color studio to create the reflective blue color for the SUV.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to drive one of them out of here tonight,” he said.

This is the guy that chartered an extra plane for his luggage when he was doing the charity circuit for “Water for Life,” so he doesn’t quite get that conservation starts with you.

It’s great that he’s doing something meaningful and all, but if he doesn’t care about the environment or doesn’t realize that he’s contributing to its demise by making SUVs glamorous, he should pick another cause.