Jay Z Celebrates 47th Birthday With Beyonce And Friends
Rapper Jay Z celebrated his 47th birthday on Saturday at LA’s Republique restaurant. The star did his best to keep the evening a private event, with the guest list kept a secret.
ET reports that dark tarps covered the restaurant in order to maintain the privacy of guests at the birthday party. The guest of honor and his wife, Beyonce, were not seen entering or leaving the building, although a few other celebrity guests were spotted by photographers.
Beyonce’s friend and former Destiny’s Child member, Kelly Rowland, was in attendance with husband and manager Tim Witherspoon. Rowland’s presence at Jay Z’s birthday reignited rumors that the popular singing group will reunite in the near future. Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams recently got together to take part in the Mannequin Challenge, as reported by People. While rumors of a reunion are so far mere speculation, the trio recently created an Instagram page causing fans to hope that a new album is in the works.
Other guests at the star-studded birthday celebration include Beyonce’s mother, Tina Knowles, and her husband, Richard Lawson. The couple, who married last year, seemed excited to celebrate their son-in-law’s birthday.
Close family friend Gwyneth Paltrow was not seen at the party. The actress did, however, share a photo on Instagram of Jay Z with her daughter Apple and son Moses. According to the Daily Mail, the Oscar winner has been friends with the couple since 2003. The Instagram snap was captioned with “Happy birthday #unclejay!” highlighting the close relationship the rapper has with Paltrow’s children.
The party was held the day before Jay Z’s actual birthday. The rapper was born as Shawn Carter on December 4, 1969. His career, which spans three decades, has garnered 21 Grammy awards, making him one of the best-selling musical artists of all time. Superstar wife Beyonce has nearly caught up with 20 Grammy awards under her belt. With such success, it’s no surprise that these two wanted a break from the celebrity lifestyle for an evening to celebrate Jay Z’s birthday.
The couple is not always so shy of the spotlight, however. Jay Z’s low-key affair contrasted Beyonce’s recent 35th birthday celebration, a Soul Train-inspired fete with a long roster of celebrity guests. Time shared some of the photos from the birthday celebration, revealing a lavish event fit for the stars. Celebrity guests included Alicia Keys, Usher, and Kendrick Lamar.
The party comes at the end of a landmark year for the couple. Beyonce released her sixth studio album, Lemonade, earlier in the year to commercial and critical acclaim. The album caused speculation over the status of the singer’s relationship, but Jay Z and Beyonce have proven that they are a power couple in it for the long haul.
The stars have one child together, Blue Ivy, and have been together for eight years. Despite rumors of infidelity following the release of Lemonade, the pair have provided a united front and appear to be committed to making their relationship work.
The two worked together in November to endorse Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Jay Z and Beyonce performed at a hip-hop rally along with other celebrities shortly before the election in an effort to encourage black voters to support Clinton. The New York Time quoted the couple showing their support for Clinton. Beyonce spoke of her desire for a strong role model for her daughter.
“I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman leading the country,” she said.
Jay Z voiced concerns over Donald Trump saying, “I don’t have any ill will toward him, but his conversation is divisive. He cannot be my president. He cannot be our president.”
[Featured Image by Duane Prokop/Getty Images]
