

Many rappers are known to have a tough exterior and "gangsta" persona, but some have a softer side when it comes to the leading lady in their lives. They boast about them in interviews and social media and even rap about them in songs.
And while every couple goes through ups and downs, these rappers weren't afraid to express their love and put a ring on it. Below is a list of 10 rappers who love their wives out loud.
Gucci Mane & Keyshia Ka'oir
Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka'oir
Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage
A lot of fans credit Keyshia Ka'oir for Gucci Mane's glow up. They began dating in 2010 after meeting on set of a music video and later got married in 2017. Gucci has written songs about Keyshia, such as "Mrs. Davis" where he raps.
I was at my worst, so you deserve my best (Yeah)
I treat you like a queen (A queen) 'cause you deserve the best (Best)
Said I'd get twenty years, she didn't break a sweat (Nah)
Went from kissin' in the jail (Mwah) to kissin' on a jet (Vroom)
They share two kids together.
Jay-Z & Beyoncé
Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Whether its sticking up for her when she was snubbed Album of the Year at the 2024 Grammys or rapping about her in songs, Jay-Z is always going to go up for Beyoncé. They have collaborated on many projects and even had a joint tour, but it was their first musical collab, "03' Bonnie & Clyde" that made it clear that they were locked in.
Nelly & Ashanti
Nelly & Ashanti
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
Since Nelly and Ashanti rekindled their relationship, the "Hot in Herre" rapper has been showing all 32 teeth. The couple got married in December 2023 and had their first child together in July 2024. In a recent interview, Nelly gushed over his wife Ashanti calling her a "great person and mother."
LL Cool J & Simone Smith
LL Cool J & Simone Smith
Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
The couple met in 1987 and got married in 1995. They experienced many trials and tribulations in their relationship including Simone being diagnosed with stage III chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She had to undergo reconstructive surgery on her right leg and in 2013, she was declared cancer-free.
LL Cool J talked about being by his wife's side during an interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah's Next Chapter. "You don't abandon someone in that foxhole…you gotta be there in that foxhole with them," he said. They share four children together.
Ice Cube & Kimberly Woodruff
Ice Cube & Kimberly Woodruff
Photo by Jerritt Clark/WireImage
Ice Cube and Kimberly Woodruff have been married for 32 years and have four children, including actor O'Shea Jackson Jr. who starred as his dad in the biopic Straight Outta Compton.
Last year, the Barbershop star stopped by Cam Newton's podcast Funky Friday and shared how he and Kimberly make their marriage last. “We want to be [married]. You’ve got to want it,” he said. “I don’t want nobody to have my woman. She’s mine. I’m hers,” he said.
T.I. & Tiny Harris
T.I. & Tiny Harris
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Despite their past issues, T.I. and Tiny Harris have always showed the world the true meaning of unconditional love. They share a blended family of seven kids and have collaborated on many projects including the popular reality series T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle.
During the couple's visit to Red Table Talk in 2020, T.I. revealed why they called off the divorce, which Tiny initiated in 2017. “It’s very rare where you are able to be married to the best friend you have and the best sex you’ve ever had,” he explained. “You don’t just toss that away.”
Rev Run and Justine Simmons
Rev Run and Justine Simmons
Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images
If you're a millennial like me, then you probably remember watching Run's House. The show was my first introduction to Rev Run's family and we got to see the dynamic between he and his wife Justine.
They share a blended family of six and have served as positive role models in the Black community. In their book, Old School Love, the couple opened up about their love story and shared relationship advice.
Snoop Dogg & Shante Broadus
Snoop Dogg & Shante Broadus
Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Femme It Forward
Snoop Dogg and Shante Broadus met in high school and later married in 1997. After a brief split in 2004, they renewed their vows and have been inseparable ever since. Talking to People, Snoop shared his marriage advice.
"How do I stay married for so long? I've got a strong wife with a strong backbone and a good heart — she's loving and she's caring and we are meant to be together," he said.
"When we said we'd marry, we married 'til death do us part. Ain't that what it say? Not 'til arguments do us part or fighting or finances, but till death do us part."
Ice-T & Coco Austin
Ice-T & Coco Austin
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Ice-T and Coco Austin is another celebrity couple who let the cameras into their world with their reality show Ice Loves Coco. In October, the couple dished to E! News, about having a healthy marriage.
I think Coco and I are teammates," Ice-T said. "We have to be teammates, not opponents, not assets, not liabilities. I value what she brings to me, and I think it's vice versa. We appreciate each other."
Method Man & Tamika Smith
Method Man
Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Method Man and Tamika Smith have been married for over 30 years and share three kids together. She was his personal assistant at one point and he was there for her during her bout with breast cancer. Not much else is known about their relationship, and they prefer to keep it that way.
In a Vanity Fair interview, the Power Book II: Ghost star said this about keeping his relationship private. “I’ve been married to the same woman for 30 years, and the fact that my wife and I stay out of the public eye is a blessing in itself,” he said.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Colman Domingo’s Career Advice Is A Reminder That Our Words Shape Our Reality
When it comes to life, we are always here for a good reminder to shift our mindsets, and Colman Domingo just gave us one we didn't know we needed.
In a resurfaced clip from an appearance at NewFest shared as a repost via Micheaux Film Festival, the Emmy award winner dropped a gem on how he has navigated his decades-spanning career in Hollywood. The gem in question? Well, Colman has never identified with "struggle" in his career. Let that sit.
Colman Domingo On Not Claiming Struggle
"I’ve never said that this career was tough. I’ve never said it was difficult. I’ve never said it was hard," Colman said. "Other people would say that—‘oh, you're in a very difficult industry. It's very hard to get work and book work.’ I’m like, I’ve never believed that."
Instead of allowing himself to be defined by other people's projections about their perceptions of what the industry is or was, Colman dared to believe differently even if his reality was playing catch up with his dreams:
"Like Maya Angelou said words are things. And if you believe that, then that's actually what it is. Actually I've just never believed it. Someone told me some years ago, they said, 'I remember you were, you're a struggling actor.' I'm like, 'I don't.'"
"I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living..."
He continued:
"Even when I was bartending and hustling and not having opportunities or anything, I never believed that I was struggling because I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living and creating and being curious."
Colman’s philosophy of attaching to living instead of struggle has blossomed into an enduring career. He first made his mark on stage in acclaimed Broadway productions before transitioning to the screen, where his star began to rise in the 2010s following his role as Victor Strand in Fear The Walking Dead. From there, his presence only grew, landing memorable supporting roles in If Beale Street Could Talk, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the hit series Euphoria.
In more recent years, Colman has stepped fully into the spotlight with standout leading performances in Rustin and Sing Sing, both of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
With all that said, Colman's advice is no doubt powerful, especially for those who are chasing their dreams, building something from the ground up, or have question marks about what's next in their careers. Words shape our realities, and how we speak about our journeys even in passing matters.
Words Create Our Reality & Colman Is Living Proof
"I tell young people that. To remember the words that you say about yourself and your career are true. So, I choose to make it full of light and love and it's interesting and every day I'm going to learn something new even if it looks like I don't have what I want but it's important to be in the moment... you really build on the moments moment to moment.
"And you're looking back at your career as I've been in it for what 33 years and you're like, 'Wow, that's what I've been doing.' And I've stayed strong to that so I think that is truly my advice."
Let this be your sign to give your path a reframe. When the path you're on feels uncertain, the journey is still unfolding. Like Colman said: "I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living."
That's a Black king right there.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Soul Brother/Soul B Photos/Shutterstock