Move over Jay Z and Beyonce, Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill are the 2015 Bonnie and Clyde in the flesh.

Following her much-publicized split with longtime boyfriend, Safaree "Scaff Beezy" Samuels in late 2014, the rumor mill started churning, with media headlines linking Nicki to Philadelphia native Meek. The two had been spending a noticeable amount of time together following The Pinkprint creator's breakup, which was documented on social media networks like Twitter and Instagram. They seemed to have a bond that went beyond rap features and photo opps.

The romance between Nicki and Meek may be great publicity for the two and get fans excited at the thought of them becoming the new-gen hip-hop power couple, but the cute Instagram posts and public sightings only tell one story. The reality of the situation could be something else all together. After all, these artists are only sharing what they want the world to see, which leads us to a few questions.

What really happened between Nicki and Safaree? Is Meek, whom she apparently first met through Safaree, a rebound? Or is this fling truly the start of something special? These thoughts nagged us so much that we enlisted relationship expert Dr. Terri Orbuch (PhD), also known as "The Love Doctor," to get to the bottom of it.

A professor, therapist and author of the book, Finding Love Again: 6 Simple Steps to a New and Happy Relationship, Dr. Orbuch serves as a reputable guru in the matters of love and relationships. She's been in the business of practicing and studying romance for over 25 years.

According to Dr. Orbuch, the odds are not in Safaree's favor as far as the two mending their former relationship. "There have multiple rumors in the last 10 years about them splitting," says Orbuch. "It sounds like they have parted for good. Yes, she might still think about him, and yes she might still care [and] miss him, but that doesn’t mean that she would ever go back to Safaree. I’m sure her friends and family have told her what is wrong with that relationship -- her mother specifically. And, after 10 years, when you part, it is typically for good."

That means we won't hear any Safaree shout outs from Nicki anytime soon. With that chapter of her love life closed, the new one involving Meek -- who happens to be one of the most popular rappers in the game unlike Safaree -- seems to be headed down a smooth road at the moment.

Many fans may think that Nicki and Meek becoming an item came out of the blue, but the seeds for their companionship had been planted as long as five years ago. The Dreams and Nightmares creator had his eye on the "Truffle Butter" rapper long before they became a couple. In 2009, the Philly rapper was just another artist on the grind, attempting to rise from the purgatory of mixtape acclaim to mainstream success. Around the same time, Nicki was starting to put her own stamp on the game, collaborating on tracks with Lil Wayne and signing to his Young Money imprint.

Philadelphia happened to be one of the first markets to champion Nicki Minaj, especially resident DJ Diamond Kuts, one of the city's hottest radio and club DJs who would eventually go on to become Nicki's tour DJ.

Being that Meek was also a major force in the Philly scene at the time and familiar with DJ Diamond Kuts, it's possible that Meek took notice of her alliance with Nicki and was instantly smitten with the Trinidad beauty, leading to his Pepe Le Pew levels of Twitter thirst over the past five years.

Take a look below to see what we mean.

After reading the tweets above, it shouldn't be a surprise that when Meek Mill got wind that Nicki Minaj was back on the market as a single woman, he wasted no time swooping in for the kill. But on the outside looking in, some may think Nicki is rushing into a new relationship a little too soon after such a nasty and public breakup (remember that Twitter feud between her and Safaree last year?). When we brought this up to Dr. Orbuch, she begs to differ.

"Contrary to what friends or family may tell you, studies show that there is no predetermined period of time after a breakup before you are ready to start dating again," Orbuch explains. "Friends will warn you about 'rebound relationships,' as if there were some hard-and-fast truth that your first dating experience after a breakup is bound to fail. You may hear that women need to wait, take time to heal, and talk things out with their girlfriends -- and men need to get out there and start dating immediately. The truth? These are all myths. There are no facts or evidence to support any of these statements."

Dr. Orbuch also notes that with Nicki and Safaree having been together for over a decade, it's likely that the Young Money signee was already thinking about testing the waters and moving on to something new if there was trouble already brewing. "Only Nicki knows when she’s ready to get into the dating world again," says Orbuch. "Studies find that some people, most often women, emotionally separate from their partner while they are still in the relationship. When the relationship finally ends, they’re ready to find love again right away because they’ve already worked through their feelings."

"I think this is the case with Nicki Minaj," "The Love Doctor" continues. "She already tried to work things out with Safaree for 10 years, so when they separated months ago, she was ready to date again immediately. The relationship with Meek may not be the 'one' or last a long time, but that doesn’t mean it is a rebound relationship. I’m sure it is more -- and that after 10 years in a relationship she may not have been happy in or satisfied with -- she has found someone to love again."

Now that Nicki and Meek are by each other's side -- even though they've never publicly confirmed they are dating -- what does that say for their music careers? The pressures of life and an occupation can alter any relationship, let alone one involving two of the biggest names in rap today. Everything from time constraints to trust can creep in and wreak havoc if a couple falls victim to outside influences. Dr. Orbuch seems optimistic that the two can make it work, but offers a word of advice as well.

"I think a relationship between two highly successful rappers is possible," she explains. "However, the biggest factor is whether the two rappers have similar key life values. If Meek, [the] male rapper, doesn’t believe that women should work outside the home after a certain point in time in their relationship, make more money than him, or not have equal power and control -- in the relationship or in general -- then the relationship will not work."

Orbuch believes that if the pair have similar underlying values, their chances at longevity in a relationship increase significantly. "Women rappers tend to be powerful, strong women. My own research shows that similarity in key life values (e.g., importance of family, importance of religion, approach to money) is the key that keeps people together over the long haul," she discloses. "Opposites might attract for a short time, but don’t stay together over the long-haul"

"So, if two rappers have similar underlying values and attitudes (they can have different interests, hobbies, friends), even if successful, they can be together over time. Also, two successful rappers must not take each other for granted. Like all relationships, two partners need to recognize and affirm each other often."

One thing that has caught people's attention is Nicki's numerous Instagram posts showcasing herself and Meek out and about, as well as her flirty tweets directed towards the "Ice Cream Freestyle" rhymer -- both of which were virtually nonexistent during her time with Safaree. Dr. Orbuch chalks it up to an effort to strike jealousy in Nicki's former flame or a public expression of her newfound emotional freedom.

"Yes, she posts a lot [on social media]," says Dr. Orbuch. "If this is atypical (and she didn’t do it with Safaree) either No. 1, she’s advertising her relationship with Meek -- for all to see (which isn’t wrong or doesn’t negate that she might genuinely be interested in him). Either wanting the public to see, 'I’m okay and moving on' or wanting Safaree to see 'I’m okay and moving on.' Alternatively, No. 2, she probably was very unhappy and dissatisfied with Safaree for a long time, but couldn’t leave him or move forward earlier in their relationship. So, now, she is finally out of that unhappy relationship, and happy again, and has no problems telling all, I’m happy again!"

Some critics could view Nicki's incessant PDA as being nothing more than a publicity stunt for attention and feel she's using Meek as a way to stay in the headlines, as her 2014 release, The Pinkprint, missed the mark in the eyes of many. Others may look at the tabloid fodder as actually benefiting Meek's career more than Nicki's and that he may be an active participant and attempting to take advantage of the extra media coverage.

"I get the sense that they aren’t just playing it up for the cameras [or] headlines," Dr. Orbuch admits. "They genuinely have an interest in each other. They may not be the best for each other (who knows?), and they may not know each other very well to make a determination of whether they are good for each other in the long-term, but in the short-term, they seem to have a genuine interest in each other."

Listen to Nicki Minaj's "Buy A Heart" Feat. Meek Mill

When asked for her prediction on where Nicki and Meek will stand in the coming months, Dr. Orbuch looks at her past to draw a conclusion, but after the "Buy A Heart" MC had such a long relationship and provided little information on her dealings with men to the public prior to her breakup with Safaree, it's hard to give a conclusive opinion. However, if they were to call it quits, odds are it won't be an amicable split.

"I don’t know where the relationship will be a year from now," says "America's Most Trusted Relationship Expert." "Nicki stayed with Safaree for 10 years, even though there were issues, multiple possible breakups, etc [so there's no telling]. They may be together, even though not good for each other. But, as with many celebrities [and] musicians, because their lives are so public in general -- the public often weighs in on their relationships, breakups, and ups and downs -- nothing is private, and they use social media to advertise or publicize their lives, if they do break up, it most likely will be ugly and public. It is very challenging for others to weigh in on your relationships [and] breakups, within starting to be influenced by those opinions."

So there you have it. While we all can speculate about the ongoing romance between Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill, at the end of the day, the only experts that know the sincerity of their actions or what the future will bring for the two are themselves. They could become the new version of Jay Z and Beyonce, drop more duets, continue touring together and perhaps even have a little Omeeka running around one day. On the flipside, the lovebirds may end up like Kurupt and Foxy Brown and flame out with Meek putting Nicki on blast in a diss track. Only time will tell, but if Nicki's words on their 2014 collaboration, "Buy A Heart," are any indication, "I'm not even sure if this is right, but it feels good," she's doing things on her terms.

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