Kanye West celebrated his 36th birthday without Kim Kardashian.

The rapper hosted a lavish dinner at Miss Lily's Jamaican restaurant in New York on Saturday (08.06.13), where guests included Jay-Z, Beyonce and hip-hop star Nas, while his heavily pregnant girlfriend Kim stayed behind in Los Angeles.

As well as some of the world's most popular artists, guests at Kanye's party also included magician David Blaine, Kim's best friend Jonathan Cheban and her older sister Kourtney's boyfriend, Scott Disick.

Nas shared a photo of the three rap moguls on Twitter, posting: ''Yeezus x Hov x Godson .... The 3 Gods. Happy Birthday to my brotha Kanye! (sic)''

Kim, 32, made sure she was still present in spirit, however, tweeting earlier in the day: ''Happy Birthday to my best friend, the love of my life, my soul!!!! I love you beyond words!''

The tender message was accompanied by a collage of six of the pair's happiest moments.

Kanye had to celebrate his birthday in New York because he was due to take to the stage at the Governor's Ball alongside Kings Of Leon on the Sunday (09.06.13).

The couple - who have been dating since 2012 - are expecting their first child, a baby girl, in July.