Beyonce Gives Birth To a Baby Girl

by Billboard Staff  |   January 08, 2012 1:55 EST

Beyonce Knowles and Shawn " Jay-Z" Carter, two of America's biggest musical artists, have welcomed their first child together.

The 30-year-old pop singer gave birth to a baby girl late last night (Jan. 7) in NYC, according to The Houston Chronicle. According to reports, the baby girl's name is Ivy Blue Carter; E! Online News writes that the name is Blue Ivy Carter, although #ivyblue became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter immediately after the news broke. E! also reports that, although "the couple's reps have not immediately responded to calls seeking comment," the proud dad is telling his friends the name of their baby girl.

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Rumors that Beyonce and Jay-Z were ready to welcome their first child swarmed the Internet on Wednesday, Dec. 28, after reports ran that a celebrity patient was about to check in at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

According to MediaTakeOut, a "celebrity VIP" had reserved half of the labor and delivery floor at the hospital on Wednesday. Beyonce's pal Alicia Keys reportedly gave birth to her first son, Egypt, at the same hospital last year.

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Beyonce announced her pregnancy on Aug. 28 on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards, hours before performing her joyful single, "Love on Top." The announcement came exactly two months after the release of "4," Beyonce's fourth solo album, which has sold 1.04 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Earlier that month, Jay-Z released "Watch The Throne," a collaborative album with Kanye West.

Following the pregnancy announcement, Beyonce released a series of music videos supporting "4," including clips for "Countdown," "Party" and "Love on Top," as well as a DVD showcasing her four performances at New York's Roseland Ballroom in August. Jay-Z and Beyonce were originally believed to be expecting their first child in February 2012, but a behind-the-scenes clip from the "Countdown" video shoot in September suggests that Beyonce was six months pregnant at the time of filming, and that the couple was expecting a December arrival.

The best-selling rapper and former Destiny's Child leader began dating in 2002, and have collaborated on hit singles like "Crazy in Love," "'03 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Deja Vu." The couple married in April 2008.

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