It’s Official! Jay-Z and Beyonce Tie the Knot

After long days of speculation, it is finally official now. Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and his singer-actor fiancée Beyonce Knowles have finally tied the knot. A town clerk from Scarsdale, a suburb in New York City, confirmed reports of the two filing a wedding license.

Donna Conklin, the town clerk of Scarsdale Village in Westchester County, confirmed that they received the signed wedding license from the couple on Friday. She said the license confirmed the two had got married on April 4. Conklin said earlier, “The license was sent back to our office on Friday.”

According to the law, a couple must file their marriage license within five days of the actual marriage date. However, the state would not charge a penalty while processing the license in the case of Jay-Z and Beyonce, Conklin said.

There were indications galore that the wedding had actually happened, after the two threw a lavish private party on April 4 in Manhattan. The couple has, however, preferred to remain silent about the details of their marriage so far.

Others have, however, chosen not to go the silent route. Singer Mary J. Blige was one of those to congratulate the newly-wed couple when she was at Greensboro in North Carolina as part of her Heart of the City tour. Pop star Rihanna said the news of the private affair had ‘shocked’ her.

The 38-year old Jay-Z, whose actual name is Shawn Carter, is a native of Brooklyn. He was a street hustler earlier prior to his mercurial rise in the world of hip-hop. 26-year old Beyonce was born in Houston, Texas, and has been romantically involved with Jay-Z since September 2002.

Beyonce first burst into the musical firmament as part of the R&B girls act Destiny’s Child. She scaled new heights of fame with her portrayal of Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember, a comedy film released in 2002.

Later in 2003, she achieved success as a solo artist when her debut album Dangerously in Love became a smash hit and brought her five Grammys. She also starred in the 2006 movie Dreamgirls, where she played a Diana Ross kind of character, a role that also earned her a nomination for the Golden Globes.

Jay-Z has moved into business ventures as well over the years. He was president of Def Jam Records, a label promoting rap music, for a number of years until he stepped down from that role in December 2007. He is also the co-owner of the New Jersey Nets, a professional basketball team.

Currently, he is in the middle of negotiations with Live Nation, a concert promoter, for a deal that could be worth more approximately $150 million. If it comes through, this deal could be one of the biggest music contracts in history.