Beauty and the Beau

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981), often referred professionally under the mononym Beyoncé , is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child. According to Sony, Knowles' record sales, combined with those of the group's, have surpassed 100 million.

During the hiatus of Destiny's Child in 2003 Knowles released her debut solo album Dangerously in Love, which spawned the hits "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy", and became one of the most successful albums of that year, earning her a then record-tying five Grammy awards.^[3] Following the group's disbandment in 2005, Knowles released B'Day in 2006, which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and included the hits "Déjà Vu" and "Irreplaceable". Her third solo album I Am… Sasha Fierce, released in November 2008, included the anthemic "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", and earned her six Grammy Awards, breaking the record for most Grammy awards won by a female artist in one night.

Knowles began her acting career in 2001, appearing in the musical film Carmen: A Hip Hopera. In 2006, she starred in the lead role in the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she earned two Golden Globe nominations. Knowles launched her family's fashion line, House of Deréon, in 2004, and has endorsed such brands as Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and L'Oréal. In 2009, Forbes listed Knowles fourth on its list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the world, third on its list of the top-grossing musicians, and number one on the list of top Best-Paid Celebs Under 30 with over $87 million dollars in earnings between 2008 and 2009.

Knowles has attained five Hot 100 number one singles, becoming one of the two female artists—joint with Rihanna—with the most number ones attained within the 2000s, excluding her three Hot 100 number one singles with Destiny's Child. On December 11, 2009 Billboard listed Knowles as the top female artist of the decade, and in February 2010, the RIAA listed her as the top certified and best-selling overall artist of the decade

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over USD$150 million, selling over 30 million copies of his albums in the United States alone and receiving ten Grammy Awards for his musical work.

Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club and the NBA's New Jersey Nets and is also the creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records and recently, the founder of his new venture Roc Nation. As an artist he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200. Jay-Z also has had 4 number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist. ("Heartbreaker" with Mariah Carey, "Crazy in Love" with Beyonce, "Umbrella" with Rihanna and "Empire State of Mind" featuring Alicia Keys.)

Along with his financial and musical success, Jay-Z is known for quarrelling with other artists in the rap industry, the most famous feud being between him and fellow New York rapper Nas, which was eventually settled in 2005

My love for you is a journey; starting at always and ending at never

Jay-Z's most public relationship has been with American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, a former member of Destiny's Child. In 2002, Jay-Z & Beyoncé collaborated for the song "Bonnie & Clyde". Jay-Z also appeared on Knowles' hit single "Crazy In Love" and as well as "That's How You Like It" from her debut Dangerously in Love. On her second album, B'Day, he made appearances on the 2006 hits, "Déjà Vu" and "Upgrade U". In the video for the latter song, she comically imitates his appearance.^[92]

The couple generally avoid discussing their relationship. Beyoncé has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z said in a People article, "We don't play with our relationship.^[93] " They keep a low public profile despite being photographed at New Jersey Nets home games and while on vacation in Cannes in 2007. The pair were listed as a power couple on Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2006.^{[citation needed]}

On April 4, 2008, it was reported by People that Knowles and Jay-Z had been married at a private ceremony in New York City.^[8] It became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008, ^[94] but Knowles did not publicly debut her $5 million Lorraine Schwartz-designed wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008 in New York City.