Sage the Gemini suggests Jordin Sparks romance was a publicity stunt

Singer Jordin Sparks' romance with Sage The Gemini started as a publicity stunt, according to a leaked conversation the rapper had with his ex-fiancee.

The MC's former partner, Curium Hurley, posted audio footage of the recent candid chat on YouTube.com on Monday (22Feb16), more than a week after reports first surfaced suggesting Jordin and Sage had split.

The musicians first became linked in April, 2015 and Jordin went on to gush about her new man in multiple interviews.

However, the rapper, real name Dominic Wynn Woods, has now claimed they were initially set up for the tabloid attention - and he allegedly couldn't stand her at first, reports UsMagazine.com.

"Everything was f**kin' horrible," Sage can be heard complaining to Curium in the recording. "That s**t was f**king dumb. She got on my nerves. I wanted to stab her. All of that s**t.

"Don't get me wrong, she's cool, she's level-headed, whatever, but she's not no (sic) regular person... Everybody on the outside looking in (thinks) it's hella (sic) perfect."

Sage goes on to reveal his manager was responsible for posting early photos of the pair on his Instagram page to boost interest in his last album, but when the hip-hop star deleted one of the snaps, he was scolded by his representative.

"My manager was like, 'No, bring it back. How the hell are you going to sell the album?'" he recalled.

But the romance appears to have become genuine as the couple spent more time together, with Sage claiming he received $70,000 from Jordin shortly before their split to cover the downpayment for a house.

He even shared an emotional post online on Valentine's Day (14Feb16), publicly pleading with the 26-year-old to take him back. Sage also later uploaded a song to Soundcloud.com, titled, I'll Keep Loving You.

Jordin did not respond to the plea and has not commented on the publicity claims, while Sage, 23, has yet to react to the leaked conversation, which Curium reportedly recorded earlier this month (Feb16).

The relationship hit headlines around six months after the No Air singer broke up with her longtime boyfriend, Jason Derulo.