The Most Famous Couples In Rap History
When it comes to powerhouse rap and hip hop couples, there are quite a few names to toss into the ring. These days, just about everyone knows about Beyoncé and Jay-Z but might not remember all of the major couples from years before. Though many of the relationships haven't ended well, there has been real love shared between some of the biggest names in the industry.
Like fans of just about any genre of entertainment, rap fans love to know the details of the lives of their favorite stars — especially when those details are about their relationships. The advent of social media has meant fans have been able to watch many of these relationships play out online or on reality television, which makes them even more interesting.
Here are some of the biggest couples in rap history — including where they've been, where they are now, and where some of them are going.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z met in 2000
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are one of the most famous couples in the world, and interest in the pairing has been ripe since the beginning of their relationship. Per Brides, the two began dating about a year after first meeting on a plane back in 2000; they began collaborating on work in October 2002, when Beyoncé appeared on Jay-Z's song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" but didn't get married until April 4, 2008 (per People).
In recent years, both Beyoncé and Jay-Z have opened up about what makes their marriage work — and what has challenged it. After years of speculation that dated back to 2005 (per Cosmopolitan), Jay-Z confirmed he cheated on Beyoncé in an 2017 interview with The New York Times. The twosome were able to work through his reported infidelity, and are the proud parents to three children: Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir.
In 2008, Beyoncé told Seventeen (via PopSugar) that if there's one thing she's learned from her husband, it's "you have to find a person you can make it through the tough times with." While it's tough to know if she had any idea what fate had in store for her, it definitely seems like the two have made it through thick and thin.
Kelis and Nas had major ups and downs
Kelis and Nas had a four-year marriage that ended in 2009. In 2018, Kelis gave an interview to Hollywood Unlocked in which she claimed Nas was mentally and physically abusive throughout their marriage. After telling the publication that their relationship was never typical, she explained that part of the problem was that she was young when they met. "We had really intense highs and really intense lows. ... An intense high would be when money was rolling in," she said. "But I was 22 when I met him. We were drinking a lot, getting high a lot. So when that comes down, it was bad."
Kelis added that her son, Knight – whom she welcomed in July 2009 (per MTV) – is the reason why she finally walked away, noting that even though there was "a lot" of abuse, she could have stayed in the relationship. "I was pregnant and it was a mess and I felt like I wasn't going to bring a child into this."
Nas later denied the allegations in a seven-part Instagram story update (per People). In his posts, Nas alleged that Kelis was the one who was abusive, writing, "Luckily for you our assistants all signed NDA's or you would have a list of men and women who would happily talk about how verbally abusive and evil you are."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Cardi B says Offset pursued her
Parents of two, Cardi B and Offset met back in 2016. Per Harper's Bazaar, while they've been coy about exactly when and where that meeting took place, Cardi has explained that, while at an "industry event," Offset made it clear he was interested: "He was very consistent. He really wanted to talk to me." The two eventually went on their first date in February 2017, though they both told interested fans and the media alike they were just friends at the time (per Rolling Stone).
Later in 2017, the pair must have decided enough was enough, and Cardi referenced Offset in an interview with Fader. While speaking about Offset and his friends, Cardi revealed that they inspired her to keep working and to push herself. "I see how hard they work. And that motivated me to work even harder," she said.
In October 2017, Offset made a huge public gesture when he proposed to Cardi onstage (though they were secretly married at the time). Unfortunately, rumors that Offset had cheated on Cardi began the following January, and as reported by E!, the "WAP" artist was weighing her options. Ultimately, the two have made things work, and are mom and dad to a daughter and a son.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian filed for divorce after six years of marriage
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian met back in 2002 or 2003. As Kardashian recounted on her family's reality show, she was introduced to West after he collaborated with her friend, singer Brandy (via PopSugar). However, it took several years for the two to get close to even hinting at a relationship. Per "Today," in April 2012, West released the song "Theraflu" (later changed to "Cold") in which he raps, "And I'll admit, I fell in love with Kim / around the same time she had fell in love with him" and Kardashian told "Today," "You know, you never know what the future holds or where my life will take me."
Things between the pair escalated fairly quickly from there, with West announcing he and Kardashian were expecting their first child together in December 2012. Daughter North was born in June 2013 (per Us Weekly), and West and Kardashian got engaged in October of the same year. After getting married in 2014, the two welcomed three more children: Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.
In February 2021, multiple outlets reported that Kardashian had filed for divorce from West. Though rumors that the two were getting back together surfaced after West hosted an album listen party in August 2021, sources close to the pair have since told People in August 2021 that divorce is still on.
Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner have been growing their family
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott made their relationship official in April 2017, when they attended Coachella together. The pair soon welcomed their first child, Stormi, in April 2018 (per Us Weekly). However, sources close to the couple have told Us Weekly that they don't have a "traditional relationship" which has meant that, despite loving one another, they have taken breaks and reunited several times throughout the years they've been linked.
In September 2021, the two revealed they are expecting their second child together. After Jenner shared a sweet video to Instagram confirming the news, a friend told People that both Jenner and Scott are really looking forward to welcoming their new addition. The friend also explained to the publication that not defining their relationship might be what has really brought Jenner and Scott back together again. "Kylie and Travis are very close again. ... They never put any pressure on their relationship. The focus was always on being the best co-parents."
Saweetie and Quavo met after DMing
Quavo and Saweetie have been upfront about how they met: through Instagram! Quavo revealed to GQ in July 2020 that after Saweetie showed up on his Instagram explore page, he decided to take the plunge and chat her up. "I was like, 'Damn! Who is this?'" Quavo recalled. "So I did my research and I DM her. ... So I slid in her DM. I told her, 'You an icy girl, you need a glacier boy.'"
The two then spent months flirting back and forth on Instagram and talking on the phone before they actually met. Eventually they went on their first date and things began progressing. As Saweetie told GQ at the time, "I don't know how I would be as a person if I would have never met him." The sentiment was echoed by Quavo, who explained to the publication that he has learned what love can truly be through the relationship.
Sadly, it seems the relationship between the two ran its course. In April 2021, Saweetie addressed rumors that Quavo cheated on Twitter. She wrote, "I'm single. I've endured too much betrayal and hurt behind the scenes for a false narrative to be circulating that degrades my character. Presents don't band aid scars and the love isn't real when the intimacy is given to other women."
G Herbo and Taina have weathered some drama
When G Herbo confirmed his relationship with Taina Williams in 2019, fans had mixed reactions. As XXL Magazine noted, a few people were concerned that Herbo had cheated on Ariana Fletcher, the mother of his son, with Williams. That was in part because Fletcher herself flat-out accused Herbo of cheating, writing on Instagram that he wasn't helpful as she recovered from giving birth: "You wanted to be like the rest of these rappers so bad and jagged your family while your son was 4 months cause you couldn't handle me going through my postpartum."
Whatever happened between Herbo and Fletcher, he and Williams are still going strong. News that he and Williams were engaged and expecting their first child together was revealed during proceedings pertaining to Herbo's federal fraud case (per AceShowbiz). Herbo and Williams welcomed their first child together in May 2021.
While speaking on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast in April 2021, Herbo explained why the relationship works: "I really feel like opposites attract in a way ... She just pure, through and through."
Keyshia Ka'oir has stuck by Gucci Mane's side
Keyshia Ka'oir and Gucci Mane got married in 2017 after going through a lot together. That year, Ka'oir gave an interview to The Fader about how they met, sharing that Gucci was in jail in 2010 when he spotter her photo in a magazine. "He called [his manager] Amina from jail, and he was like, 'Who is Keyshia Ka'oir? I want to meet this girl.' He was like, 'I'm getting out soon, I need her for my next video, you have to find her!'" One thing led to another, and Ka'oir eventually starred in Gucci's "911 Emergency" video.
Gucci was arrested again in 2013 and served another three years (per Billboard). Ka'oir told The Fader that the two made things work by synchronizing their schedules. Speaking "five to six times a day" helped, and they planned out everything between phone calls and emails: when to wake up, when to eat, when to work out, and so on.
She also told the publication that because they survived so much in the beginning, their days together now are easy: "We really have a very loving, honest relationship. Nothing is for the media, nothing is fabricated."
DJ Mustard and Chanel Dijon met when they were 16
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, aka DJ Mustard, and his wife, Chanel MacFarlane, met when they were only 16 years old. Though things between the two didn't progress until a few years later, Chanel later shared on Instagram that she knew all the way back then he was the one. In a post written on Instagram to celebrate their 2018 engagement, Chanel let her fans in on the story of how the two really met. "I knew when I met you at 16, it was something about you about us, I didn't want to mess up. You stayed my friend even tho we both wanted to be more ... We was scared."
As shared by HipHopDX, the pair got married in October 2020, and the two are mom and dad to three kids: Kylan, Kauner, and Kody. While there have been whispers of rumors that DJ Mustard cheated back in 2016 (per MTO News), nothing was ever substantiated and the two appear to be going strong.
Lil' Kim and Biggie were together even though he was married
Lil' Kim met Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie, when she was 17 years old (per Biography). She would go on to become the only female member of Biggie's rap group, Junior MAFIA, and the pair had a relationship that was described to be "violent" at times. While speaking to HOT 97 in 2017, Lil' Kim explained the situation. "We did have a very violent relationship. I hate that, for a while, that was all I attracted: violent guys," she said (via BET).
However, Lil' Kim has also shared that not everything between the two was dark. She recounted a memory she shared with Biggie to People, revealing that when the two were just starting out, neither of them had any idea how big things would become. The two were in California when she noticed that people were recognizing Biggie as they were out and about. "I was like, 'You don't see all these people looking at you and screaming your name?' And he was just talking to me very humbly still." She added that, much to Biggie's annoyance, she snapped a photo of the rapper.
However, things weren't all rosy between the two. Biggie was married to Faith Evans at the same time he was with Lil' Kim, and his infidelity was a big problem (per Blast). However, after Biggie's death in 1997, Evans told Vibe that the two women had put their negative feelings about one another aside.
Kanye West dated Amber Rose before Kim Kardashian
Before everyone was talking about Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, everyone was talking about Kanye West and Amber Rose. The latter pair dated for two years from 2008 to 2010, but Rose later revealed that everything wasn't great between the two of them. On top of that, she's outright claimed that West has "bullied" her for 10 years, telling the "No Jumper" podcast in 2020 that she left the relationship because she wasn't comfortable with how they were living their lives. "I opted out. I don't want my life to be like that. I'm not that type of person," she said (via Us Weekly).
Rose has also claimed that she and West are essentially different types of people: "I'm a compassionate person. I have empathy. I'm a good person. That's why people love me."
For his part, West has seemed to tear down Rose, telling "The Breakfast Club" (via ET), "It's very hard for a woman to want to be with someone that's with Amber Rose ... I had to take 30 showers before I got with Kim."
Nelly and Ashanti were together for 9 years
Ashanti and Nelly were in a relationship for quite some time — Essence noted that the two dated for nearly 10 years before they broke up in 2014. Ashanti told to address rumors about what went wrong the following year while speaking on "The Meredith Vieira Show," explaining that betrayal is ultimately what led to the pair's end. "I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities it allows them to act out of character. I've been betrayed," she said (via Us Weekly).
Fans were in a tizzy when the two ran into each other in September 2021 while attending a Verzuz event. While speaking to Ja Rule and Fat Joe, Ashanti addressed the big question: would she consider getting back together with Nelly after seeing him again? The answer: nope. She explained that, though it was unexpected to see him, she isn't single and was unconcerned about Nelly's status (via HotNewHipHop).
Neither Ashanti nor Nelly have ever offered specific details for why they ended things. As Ashanti told Meredith Vieira, it might just have come down to being adults: "Again, you just have to grow. You have to grow up and accept responsibilities for the things that you do."
Andre 3000 and Erykah Badu have a child named Seven
Erykah Badu and Andre 3000 dated throughout the 1990s, a fact that the two don't speak about too often. Some might be surprised to learn they have a child named Seven together — and that Seven is well into his 20s. For Rolling Stone in 2020, Badu told singer Summer Walker that, because she and Andre 3000 weren't friends first, they have continued to learn a lot about each other over time (even though they are no longer romantically involved). "We had stuff in common, but we didn't learn all of that until over the years. We have a 23-year-old son," she shared. "Over these years, we've just become closer and closer as friends, as humans, as man, as woman."
Badu also elaborated on what their relationship is like now, calling Andre 3000 one of her closest friends. She even said that the two have a relationship that grows and changes over time, noting that they have been "brother and sister, it's grandmother and grandson, it's father and daughter."