Jay-Z and Beyoncé have been together for practically all of her adult life. They met when she was 18 and were friends before beginning a romantic relationship. Jay-Z said he spent time learning how to date the singer. He admitted that despite all his career success, he had to be at the top of his game to impress his future wife.

Jay-Z said he had to work hard to win over Beyoncé

In 2001, Jay-Z and Beyoncé both appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair’s Music Issue. He denied that they were dating at the time, but said he was trying to get closer to the young singer.

“No, no, we weren’t [dating],” he told the outlet in 2013. “We were just beginning to try to date each other … Well, you know, you’ve got to try first. You’ve got to dazzle … wine and dine.”

His reputation might have worked in his favor in his pursuit of Beyoncé. Still, Jay-Z thought he would have had a chance with her no matter what his career was. She was looking for a personality that impressed her and, Jay-Z said he met her high expectations. 

“If I’m as cool as I am, yes, [I had a chance],” he said. “Of course. But she’s a charming southern girl, you know, she’s not impressed … But I would have definitely had to be this cool.”

Beyoncé said she was friends with Jay-Z for over a year before they started dating

According to Beyoncé, Jay-Z spent well over a year trying to impress her.

“We were friends first for a year and a half before we went on any dates,” she told Oprah Winfrey, per People. “We were on the phone for a year and a half, and that foundation is so important for a relationship. Just to have someone who you just like is so important, and someone [who] is honest.”

This helped them build a solid foundation. Jay-Z’s friend said he was head over heels for Beyoncé.

“I know the dude a long time,” his friend told Rolling Stone in 2004. “I’ve never seen him sprung like this. He cares about her, gives her great advice, he wants his woman to look right. They adore each other.”

The couple’s stories about when they met have come under scrutiny

Beyoncé said that she and Jay-Z met when she was 18 years old. Recently, though, this claim has fallen under scrutiny. In 2007, Jay-Z said he met Beyoncé “10 years ago,” which would have been when Beyoncé was 16. He was 28 at the time. He repeated this in an Instagram post.

“First time I laid eyes on her she was 16,” he wrote in an Instagram caption, per The Daily Mail. “I had thought in my head ‘she will be mine,’ became my best friend… 20 years old, it was time… before you knew it she made me swallow my pride and my own words bit me in the a**… ‘Forever mackin’ – 8 years later, married, one kid. She saved me.”

Jay-Z was also on the set of a Destiny’s Child music video in 1998. Given the recent allegations against him, some have questioned if the timeline of their relationship is truthful.