Meetings that made entertainment history… When Beyoncé met Jay Z

The two of them hit it off straight away, thanks to their shared love of music. However, they remained deliberately coy about where and when they met, and they also denied they were dating for several years. Even today, they are vague about the early details of their relationship.

When they met in the late 1990s, Beyoncé Knowles was lead singer with the American group, Destiny’s Child. The band released their best-selling second album, The Writing’s on the Wall, in 1999, containing their two number one hit singles, Bills, Bills, Bills and Say My Name.

Born Shawn Corey Carter in New York, Jay Z went on to enjoy a massive career as a rapper, selling more than 50 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide.

Forbes estimated his net worth at the start of 2018 as $900 million and he is said to be the richest hip hop artist in the States. Between them, the golden couple of showbiz are reportedly worth $1.16 billion today.

While some reports say they met in 1997, others put their first meeting as late as 1999 – neither artist has clarified the exact date. They have always been reluctant to talk about their relationship publicly and want to concentrate on their music, keeping their private life private.

Rumours of their relationship first began to circulate in 2002, when Jay Z released his single, 03 Bonnie and Clyde, which featured Beyoncé. They looked very comfortable together in the official music video, as they were singing about being boyfriend and girlfriend. People began asking if they were actually together.

However, they neither confirmed nor denied the rumours at the time, despite being photographed together at several major events. By the time they released their summer 2003 hit, Crazy In Love, people began to wonder if this was the case. In an interview later that year, Jay Z was asked if he and Beyoncé were together.

He denied being her boyfriend, although he described her as “beautiful” and added, “Maybe one day.”

In 2004, they appeared at a red carpet event together for the first time when they arrived at the MTV Video Music Awards. However, throughout 2005 and 2006, they still remained tight-lipped about their relationship status.

By 2007, rumours were rife that Jay Z had proposed on Beyoncé’s birthday in September. Again, there was no confirmation or denial. However, the couple married at a private ceremony in New York on 4th April 2008. In the October of that year, Beyoncé spoke publicly for the first time about their relationship.

She said they had made a joint decision to keep their relationship under wraps, because it wasn’t about giving an interview, or having the right photo opportunity. She said what they had was real and that was why they had chosen to have a small, intimate and “drama-free” wedding.

They each continued with their music careers, which sometimes involved singing together. In June 2011, Beyoncé released her latest album, Four, although Jay Z didn’t appear on any of the tracks. Four months later, in August, he released his own album, Watch the Throne, with Kanye West. Beyoncé sang on one of the tracks, Lift Off.

Beyoncé revealed her baby bump on the red carpet at the 2011 MTV Awards and later that night, during her live performance of Love on Top, she told the world she was pregnant. On 7th January 2012, the couple’s first child, Blue Ivy Carter, was born in New York. They shared the first photos of their daughter online in February 2012.

They continued to work on their musical collaborations, such as their hit song, Drunk in Love, in 2013. It soon became the world’s favourite duet. Beyoncé also gave fans a rare glimpse into her private life in February 2013 with the documentary on HBO, Life is But a Dream, containing home video clips.

In June 2017, Beyoncé gave birth to twins, Rumi and Sir Carter, posting their first photo on her Instagram account in July. The couple trademarked the twins’ names, leading to media speculation as to why they had done so. It means the names can be used for a variety of products, including everything from baby teething rings to perfumes.

The couple has announced their 2018 ‘On The Run II’ world tour will be coming to the UK in June – this joint venture is also known as the Mr and Mrs Carter Tour. It is the couple’s first joint tour since 2014.

Although Mr & Mrs Carter remain tight lipped about their first meeting, we’re not afraid to shout about our superior meeting room facilities. We might not top the UK music charts, but &Meetings’ sensibly-priced, fully equipped meeting rooms are something we are very proud to share with everyone.