As Chris Brown and Rihanna seek to heal their relationship, ESSENCE.com rounds up other artists who have mixed business and pleasure in the music industry. Check out some of the most-famous couples
Many are still surprised that the music industry’s odd couple Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri still have it under “control.” However, Jackson, who has been married before, seems to have found her match in the So So Def music mogul. Perhaps they made a love connection while recording the remix for Jackson’s 2002 hit “Someone to Call My Lover”? Whatever the case, the two appear to still be going strong despite rumors that Ms. Jackson broke it off with Dupri in the midst of the 2008 Rock Witchu tour debacle.
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon surprised us all when they confirmed the rumors that they indeed got hitched. Who knew the two were familiar with each other, right? Apparently, Cannon and Carey were longtime friends and had a special connection while filming the video for her single “Bye Bye.” The five-octave singer had an unsuccessful industry marriage with music executive Tommy Mottola in the nineties, but her relationship with this new-school funnyman just may be a “vision of love.”
These songbirds continue to stay in tune with love as they celebrate seven years of marriage. After dating for six months, the singers got married in Jamaica on New Year’s Day in 2002. Not only did Chante and Kenny join in matrimony, but they also perform together and recorded two albums of duets.
The Whitney and Bobby Express may have come to an official stop in 2007 with divorce, but not before their whirlwind relationship had earned its place in Hollywood history. The pop sweetheart with the powerhouse voice met the New Edition bad boy at the Soul Train Awards in 1989. They dated for three years before marrying. Their 15-year marriage lasted much longer than critics predicted, as she stood my her man throughout his legal problems and publicly proclaimed him the “King of R&B.”
Their infectious 1984 single “Solid” still makes us snap our fingers. Both prolific songwriters and vocalists having penned hits for everyone from Ray Charles to Amy Winehouse, Ashford and Simpson demonstrate a sweet love for each other that is rare in the fickle music industry. Married since 1974, this musical pair prove that some things really do get better with time.
The union of rapper Nas and songtress Kelis was far from a shocker and almost seemed like a no-brainer. The two sure know how to make a bold statement and couldn’t care less if eyebrows get raised and jaws are dropped in the process. Recently the pair announced Kelis was pregnant with their first child together. Rumors have been swarming that their marriage is in trouble, but we know you can’t believe everything you hear.
Rhythm and blues just wouldn’t be the same without Ike and Tina, the talented couple that brought us smash hits like “Proud Mary.” The musical legends were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. But the southern pair also endured quite a tumultuous marriage filled with drugs, infidelity and abuse, as chronicled in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Though Ike passed away in 2007, Tina continues to electrify stages worldwide.
When rumors that the princess of R&B was hooking up with one of rap’s heavy hitters several years ago, most thought that the relationship was merely a fling. But chart-toppers Ashanti and Nelly are still photographed together at VIP events, on the red carpet and even on exotic vacations. While the Grammy winners remain coy about their relationship, Nelly’s cameo in Ashanti’s video for the 2008 single “Good Good” indicates these two are definitely still a couple to watch in 2009.
They say don’t mix business with pleasure but label mates Faith Evans and the Notorious B.I.G. did it their way. It was love at first sight, and two months after meeting, the soulful R&B singer and the Brooklyn-bred lyricist jumped the broom in 1994. Even through the heartbreaking infidelity and provocative rumors, the Bad Boy couple never gave up on love.
The Super Freak and La Dona lit up the stage with their funky music in the 80’s—and kindled a real-life romance behind the curtains. Rick James mentored Teena Marie as she began her career before things heated up. Her hit song “Casanova Brown” was rumored to be based on their affair. The two remained close until his sudden death in 2004, as he began a comeback and was in the midst of an autobiography.
Last fall, southern belle Beyoncé Knowles and Brooklyn b-boy Jay-Z aka Shawn Carter earned the coveted top spot on Forbes’s Top-Earning Couples in Hollywood list. The dynamic duo wed in a private ceremony last April but continue to be tight-lipped about their romance, making us even more intrigued. Their collaborations on tracks like “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde” and “Crazy in Love” indicate their love affair just might be here to stay.
