As we gear up to celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop with in-person, virtual experiences, and standout performances at the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, presented by Coca-Cola™ from June 29 – July 3, we also want to acknowledge our favorite hip-hop couples and their love for one another. Deciding to commit yourself to another person is never easy. Still, most of these couples have shown their dedication to one another other for upwards of 20 plus years, proving that real love is possible even in a fickle and tainted entertainment industry. From rap legends like LL Cool J, Jay-Z, and E-40, to newer artists on the block like Gucci Mane and A$AP Rocky, these men embody a long-lasting love and respect for their partners. Check out our favorite and hottest hip-hop couples below.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky
This beautiful couple started as friends before entering a romantic love affair, as they’ve been rumored to be dating on and off since 2013. Recently the couple welcomed their first child, a son named RZA Athelston, on May 13th. Now the pair are expecting their second child.
LL Cool J and Simone Smith
LL Cool J is hip-hop royalty. The Queens, New York native, burst on the hip-hop scene with his debut album, “I Need A Beat,” in 1985 and has been notable ever since. More importantly, the rapper has honored his family, specifically his wife of 27 years, Simone Smith, their four children, and grandkids.
Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka’Oir
The Wopsters are legendary in these hip-hop streets. Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka’Oir have been inseparable since 2014. Although the couple has several children from previous relationships, they share two children as a couple, a baby girl, Iceland Davis, and a son, Ice Davis.
Cardi B and Offset
These two are arguably the most entertaining couple in hip-hop at the moment. The couple’s relationship began in early 2017, and since then, they’ve weathered cheating scandals, a secret marriage, public pregnancies, and some fire tracks. Although Offset had several children before meeting Cardi B, the husband and wife duo share two children, Kulture and Wave. Amid their ups and downs, it’s apparent that the superstars love and care for one another.
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz
Famous singer Alicia Keys and superstar producer Swizz Beats are a musically-charged duo and married couple. They two originally met in the 1990s, as they were both born and raised in NYC and were first introduced by mutual friends when they were just teenagers — Keys was 14, and Beatz was 16. In her memoir, More Myself, Keys wrote that she was uninterested in Beatz then. The two artists were brought together again years later when they collaborated on a music project in 2008, which is when Keys began to change her mind about Beatz and started a romantic relationship together. After secretly dating for nearly two years, Keys and Beatz announced in May 2010 that they were engaged and expecting their first baby together. The couple have two sons, Egypt Daoud Dean, and Genesis Ali Dean.
Beyonce and Jay-Z
Since the debut of Beyonce’s epic single, “Crazy in Love,” in 2003, the billionaire couple have been inseparable. Now the couple shares three children, everyone’s favorite, Blue Ivy Carter, and twins Rumi and Sir.
Papoose and Remy Ma
Papoose and Remy Ma are the perfect examples of Black love. Although the two met originally in 2004 through a mutual friend, in 2008, Remy Ma was sentenced to eight years in connection to the shooting of a woman. Although Remy Ma was sent away, Papoose remained committed to his partner. In May 2008, the couple married over the phone while Remy Ma was incarcerated, and they have been together since. Now the couple is raising their blended family with their four-year-old daughter.
T.I. & Tiny
T.I. and Tiny are known in Atlanta and worldwide for their musical contributions. The rapper and the songstress were married in 2010 after dating since 2001. Although they have a large blended family, they also share three children, two boys and a girl, and T.I. is stepfather to Tiny’s daughter, Zonnique, from a previous relationship.
E40 and Tracy Stevens
Bay Area rap legend, E40 doesn’t play about his wife, Tracy Stevens. The couple has been together for 38 years and married for 32 of them.
Styles P and Adjua
Styles married his wife Adjua on July 31, 1995. They have two children, Noah and Tai, whom Adjua had from a previous relationship. They recently attended the 2023 BET Awards together.