Most sources agree that Beyoncé and Jay‑Z first met around the late 1990s, but the exact year isn’t confirmed by the couple themselves.

Quick Scoop

  • Beyoncé has said she was 18 when she first met Jay‑Z, which places their first meeting around 1999–2000.
  • A widely cited timeline notes they met at an MTV Spring Break event in Cancún sometime between late 1999 and mid‑2000.
  • Some interviews and retrospectives suggest they may have first crossed paths as early as 1997 , but this is less certain and has never been nailed down publicly.
  • They stayed friends for about a year and a half before dating, then began publicly hinting at their relationship with the 2002 track “’03 Bonnie & Clyde.”

So, what’s the best answer?

Because neither Beyoncé nor Jay‑Z has given a precise date, the most accurate, fan‑forum‑friendly answer is:

They met in the late ’90s , most likely around 1999–2000 when Beyoncé was about 18, but the exact year has never been officially confirmed.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.