Back in 2006, in the magazine’s “Reasons to Love New York†Issue, Emily Nussbaum said this about Nas and Kelis: “And at this moment, in New York, the pair are in that sweet spot where a famous couple is also a kind of royalty — turning the city into their own personal romantic backdrop.†Well, that didn’t last: The two divorced earlier this year, and have been battling it out in court over alimony payments ever since. The latest news is particularly depressing, especially if you happen to be personally invested in the reputation of legendary recording artists (with all due respect to “Milkshake,†we’re just referring to Nas here). The actual settlement handed down by the L.A. Superior Court Judge — Nas was ordered to increase his payment to Kelis and their son from $40,000 to $51,101 a month — is par for the course, but we’re a little thrown by this bit: “after two days of testimony about the musicians…both were portrayed as cash-strapped.†Apparently Nas owes his manager $700,000 and “millions†to the IRS. How the hell did that happen, dude? On the plus side, even though he suggested otherwise in court, we can’t imagine we’ll have to wait long for a new, cash-grab-y Nas album.
Nas Ordered To Pay Kelis $51,000 A Month [Billboard]