Admit it! You want a peek into the lives of your favorite celebrities – starting from their career journey to their family life. There is an innate pleasure in gathering such details and understanding how the other half of the world lives.

Tom Ford /Getty Images: Jay-Z and Beyoncé  

Without a doubt, we love a star-couple more than just a single celebrity – be it Brangelina, Jelena, or Bennifer. But no one has stood the test of time like Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The powerhouse duo has been in the limelight for quite some time, and the romance seems to be never-ending. Here’s all you want to and need to know about them.

 1997 – 2000

Getty Images: The initial years of Jay-Z and Beyoncé together

As the ‘90s were coming to an end, Jay-Z and Beyoncé ruled the roost with many chartbusters but hadn’t collaborated until that point. They did encounter each other a few times, though there was no talk of a relationship being forged.

During this period, both dominated the music world with numerous tunes. In 2000, they crossed paths when Beyoncé featured with Amil in the popular song I Got That.

Jay-Z had taken Amil under his wings by signing him onto his record label around the same time, and it didn’t take long for fans to put two and two together.

2001 – 2003

Jay-Z and Beyoncé took a trip to Vanity Fair’s offices to be a part of their special music issue. Both joined the likes of David Bowie, Gwen Stefani, and many other stalwarts.

When the couple was interviewed by the magazine after a decade, Jay-Z mentioned that they were already ‘hanging out’ with each other when the photoshoot happened. Considering the fact that both were trying to woo each other since late 2001, the duo did a great job of keeping their affair a secret.

Despite many attempts to conceal it, the secret spread like wildfire in 2002 when Jay-Z and Beyoncé joined hands for their hit song Bonnie & Clyde. The passionate video of the song was more than enough to spark rumors.

2004 – 2006

The tabloids had the time of their lives for this period. Although there was ample evidence regarding their relationship, the couple never publicly admitted that they were dating.

Both did place a hint or two in many of their songs, but elsewhere there was no real admission. The media went into a frenzy when Jay-Z was rumored to be dating the then-newbie, Rihanna. It is safe to say that no one knew what was actually going on!

2006

The gossips took a complete U-turn in 2006 when reports surfaced that Jay-Z and Beyoncé were engaged, and still, they continued to deny the stories. As time passed by, the couple continued with their little game of song tributes and references, but things stayed blurry for the rest of us!

 2006 – Present

Mark Davis/Getty Images: Jay-Z and Beyoncé married with three kids

Finally, it happened! Even before they cleared the air regarding their relationship, the couple took off and got hitched discreetly. Needless to say, this elicited a wild response, but at least we knew that they were husband and wife for real.

In what came as a surprise, during an edition of the MTV VMA, Beyoncé disclosed that they were expecting a baby. The pair welcomed Blue Ivy Carter on January 7, 2012, and sent the media on a whirlwind ride once again!

With two more children running around the house now, the power couple is undoubtedly the real deal.