Jay-Z, Beyonce have likely wed

NEW YORK – It appears that Jay-Z and Beyonce have finally tied the knot.

There was a swirl of activity Friday at the rap mogul’s Tribeca apartment. Delivery trucks funneled in and out of the building, dropping off silver candelabras and white flowers. A white tent was set up on the roof, and stars including Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce’s former Destiny’s Child bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, were spotted arriving.

A swarm of media camped outside the building was in a state of frenzy, snapping and shouting at any sport-utility vehicle that drove down the cobblestone street.

The Web sites of celebrity magazines People and Us Weekly reported the couple married and threw a lavish but small party at the apartment Friday, citing unnamed sources who are friends with the pair.

Rumors circulated all week about the event after a report that the couple had taken out a marriage license in Scarsdale, N.Y. Representatives for Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z declined to comment on reports ahead of the event. Jay-Z’s publicist had no comment Saturday.

The couple have apparently been dating for six years. Knowles, 26, and Jay-Z, 38, whose real name is Shawn Carter, have collaborated on the songs “03 Bonnie and Clyde” and “Crazy In Love.”

It’s been a big week for the hip-hop mogul. On Thursday, concert promoter Live Nation Inc. said it was in talks with Jay-Z over a potential business deal. The Los Angeles-based company stopped short of confirming published reports that the deal would give Live Nation a stake in virtually every aspect of Jay-Z’s career and land him a potential windfall in excess of $100 million.