It appears that Nas has had enough. Today (September 6th), the Rap legend took to Instagram to sound off about his son’s mother Kelis, not only giving his side of a recent Kelis revelation, but also going into depth about, well, what went wrong and how he really feels about his former love today. It gets deep, so mentally prepare yourself for the long read below.

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PART 1. The Price i Pay To See My Son. And apologies in advance for the typos as I am speaking from the heart as a man who has had enough. Today i got a call from essence about my ex wife doing another sad fictitious story. Nothing surprises me anymore, including this. This is what your life has come to sis? Exploiting some people’s Real struggle and pain…just to get at me….to get attention ? Fame? Another fight against men? We are a human family and we should be better examples for our son. Why is there even a issue for me to have time with my son. A son needs his father. So many absentee fathers out here and here i am being attacked by your accusations simply because i got us in court to help fix this the custody matter? Why did i have to take you to court to see our son? Why when i win the joint custody ( which is a win for both of us and our son, it helps us with both our schedules) why do you feel thats an attack on you? Is it control ? Why do you need to have control over my life? because we’re not together? Then why? Is this being rewarded and praised by people who are being taken advantage of by you and your lies? To all separated couples out there who are cordial and co parent nicely GOOD FOR YOU. I wish that was me. I’m the most chill cool parent there is. Who has time to argue ? About what? It’s about our little guy. You haven’t had to deal with what I’ve been dealing with. Trust me. I’m a mild mannered god fearing very fair human being who tries his hardest to please everyone. It’s my nature. I’ve seen this too many times before And there was times i thought Kelis my ex wife was not this type. This is the type of antics that deceive people and people mistakenly call it strong. Seems I always had more belief in you than you do for yourself. I instilled strength in my daughter who you were already so jealous of and treated poorly. Being jealous & verbally abusive to a Little girl.

A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas) on Sep 6, 2018 at 4:54pm PDT

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PART 2. In life you have to work hard to be successful, not try to tear someone down for that’s the most coward way. Women are the essence of life. I cherish them. My strength is given to me from my mother. I am everything she taught me to be. I was raised in a single home by a single woman. I am a very proud black man. I shouldn’t have ignored the signs from your your first song and video I HATE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW. But I thought you was beautiful. You came into my life at a time i was grieving from my moms passing. You was a friend. Because of that i wanted to marry you. And i did. And we had a big lavish wedding. Overall there was too many good times. I have to say i wasn’t the most faithful husband. I was immature. I’m sorry about that. But you bumped your own head sis. Why do i have to live thru a constant divorce? It didn’t work out. Life goes on. I’m not coming back to you. Your married and im happy for you and I’m a extremely happy black brother out here trying to make a difference for my kids and the next generation of young people who see me as huge inspiration in music, art,business, education and so on. After 10 years of keeping my silence during a decade of dealing with very hostile behavior and verbal abuse and even your stepfather holding you back from one of your physical violent Attacks on me right outside your house THIS YEAR while trying to pick up our son while he watched from the window, it was my weekend and you denied me that because your parents were in town. I just went home. This has been my life for my son’s entire life. Even our son wonders why you treat me the way you do?

A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas) on Sep 6, 2018 at 4:55pm PDT

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PART 3. There’s some seriously crazy things i won’t i disclose for our son’s sake. Because you keep my son from me ive been going thru lawyers to stop you from this bullshit I’m tired of it. I’m tired of you painting a bad picture of me. I’ve been tired of it but you never seem to get tired. I even had to be in a relationship with you AGAIN after we separated just so i could see my son & I AM JUST TIRED. Back then you asked me why didn’t i stop the divorce from happening. I tried! We are too different. Some things aren’t meant to be. We were meant to be so that we could have our son. Nothing more. You didn’t like that. I prayed for your peace of mind for years because of your uneasy soul. I still do. I guess some things take time. You definitely don’t know me now and probably never knew me. You make up this image of me that’s not true but it’s funny because it’s really you describing yourself. You made up stories about me and claimed i did things that YOU DID. I hate all this, but you were a very jealous wife, and i had to deal with that and that’s the worst feeling. How much heat i had to take from producers, writers, music attorneys and record execs etc who felt your mean spirited wrath and dropped you from labels, from startrack to them all. I stopped talking to jungle & steve stoute because of you & almost lost Anthony because of you.

A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas) on Sep 6, 2018 at 4:58pm PDT

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PART 4. You used to turn my phone off so my professionals couldn’t reach me and take the battery. You insulted any and everyone whoever was around me. Not a single person in my life loved or could even stand you. Luckily for you our assistants all signed NDA’s or you would have a list of men and women who would happily talk about how verbally abusive and evil you are. Your self saboteur ways has caused you your grief your dealing with. Not me. The altercations you speak of are no more different from what most normal couples go thru, but your exaggerated version is UNJUST. Whenever one is constantly attacked the instinct is to restrain that person or defend yourself to prevent escalation. In hindsight now my advice to young men out there in a situation like that is to RUN at the very first sign of verbal abuse or physical. I herd you said terrible things about me. It makes me feel sad how heartless you can be. You play with strong women’s struggles like they mean nothing. You’re taking advantage of a moment in time where women who are fighting for their lives to get justice and be treated fairly & you just looked at it as an opportunity to get ahead. Like abuse is a game? Like tearing down your son’s father is a game. You have a son! Why are you still competing with me by telling him bad things about me. Guess what sis, he has eyes and ears and smart as ever. i don’t have to say anything. I think he knows what’s really good. You will NOT stop me from fighting for my son. You tell him GOD doesn’t love his dad because his dad doesn’t goto church.

A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas) on Sep 6, 2018 at 4:59pm PDT

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PART 5. Didn’t want to bring up money but since that’s the fuel behind all of this Let me say that I gave you the tools to be successful after you was dropped from your label. I paid for your cooking school cordon blue. The expensive yellow stove we had flown in from Europe. I helped pay for the remodeling of your house. Your assistant stole thousands from my cc according to Amex. Out of all people you should be completely understanding of my my grind. But you just can’t win with you. My schedule is CRAZY but you never help me see my son. I’m hardly allowed to talk to him on the phone. Ever. My lawyer told me bring the cops to your house and show my court orders when you don’t let me get him or answer your phone but who besides you wants to show their kids that his parents are that out of control? I’ve been going thru lawyers to stop you from this bullshit for years. I finally got our custody together to work with both our schedule thru court, while leaving court you tell me your gonna get me back for fighting to see my son and 3 weeks later you’re on camera doing an interview about “your truth”. Interesting timing. Do what you want just don’t violate another court order sis because the judge won’t like that at all. The judge already ordered you to pay my legal fees because he was tired of you wasting everyone’s time in court. No lawyer wants to represent you after what you put them thru. That’s why you texted me today asking me for more child support money-and you want to keep it out court. You will NOT stop me from fighting for my son. Remember GOD sees all. And I’m no longer allowing you to take advantage of the fact that I did not want to respond in a manner that could affect my kids , friends or family publicly. THAT ENDS TODAY.

A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas) on Sep 6, 2018 at 5:06pm PDT

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PART 6. Everything with her is a plot and a scheme. Has no merit. No foundation I didn’t Wana speak up because i have real respect for our women. And definitely my son. I do not beat women. I did not beat up my ex wife. Stop. You got beat up in court. How much money do you want? Do you want me to relinquish my rights to see my son is that what you want? Just tell me. After all the tweets and posts you made thru the years disrespecting me and my family I still have love for you as the mother of my child BUT I am done with this. This game ends now and GOD will be the judger of all this. And although you tell everyone GOD hates me (some Christian you are) I will survive and thrive from this moment because I know who I am & you have not a clue who you are.

A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas) on Sep 6, 2018 at 5:07pm PDT

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PART 7. And to all the fans that knew my silence was due to the fact that I don’t openly do this kind of petty shit… I appreciate you riding. And to those that were lead down a wrong path… I get it… very sensitive times and all things must be taken seriously. This is MY TRUTH. And I don’t care what else she has left to say unless it concerns our son. This is the first and last time I’m addressing this. Despite all of this I still hope for the best for her because whats best for her is what’s best for Knight. Love, NASIR BIN OLU DARA JONES

A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas) on Sep 6, 2018 at 5:10pm PDT

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November 2009: When times were different. Nas and Kelis appear in the premiere issue of RESPECT.

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This past weekend was the 11th annual Afropunk Festival held in Commodore Barry Park in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and it was nothing less of glorious. Afropunk is a celebration of African and Black culture that encompasses hip-hop, punk and more, but the best thing about the festival is the diverse demographics it brings out. The lineup this year was indeed a must see as Kelis, SZA, Lauryn Hill, Danny Brown, Grace Jones, Lenny Kravitz and more all rocked out in their artistic glory.

Kelis surprised the crowd by showing off her baby bump during her performance as she wore a sheer, bright pink dress emulating a maternal goddess (Congrats Kelis!). Lauryn Hill started her set late, which made everyone think she was a no-show, but even with technical difficulties of sound and light, she still managed to kill everything even though her set was cut short.

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Danny Brown gave his electric energy and also, brought out Ab-Soul to stir the crowd even more. Tribal body paint, reggae vibes, gothic headdresses, grass skirts, a stripper and a hula hoop made up Grace Jones’ set. Her jokes served as interludes in between songs and at 67, her body is still banging enough to be naked in front of a crowd. Grace really envelops the name of Afropunk with not only her music, but creative style. With all of this and more the real question is, “How will next year top this?”

The post Recap: Afropunk Festival Steams In Glory appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

If you haven’t heard by now, Kelis always had an affinity for cooking. Last year, she cooked for fans at SXSW and she released a song titled, “Jerk Ribs“.

Kelis’ love affair with food started as a child. A native New Yorker, her mother worked as a chef in her own catering business, run out of their home in Harlem. Driven by the speed and the intensity in the kitchen, Kelis’ passion behind watching her mother cook inspired her to roll up her sleeves, willing do to what anyone asked of her. Every detail was clear and defined: Red lips, red nails, perfume, earrings and a military demeanor, Kelis felt in the presence of a master while watching her mother work.

At age 17, Kelis signed her first recording contract and began to travel the world. She discovered local outdoor markets and tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants and considered them the hidden treasures of her journeys. After 10 years in the music business, Kelis decided to attend Le Cordon Bleu. Attending the famous cooking school gave Kelis the confidence to call herself a chef and to write her first cookbook.

This book tells Kelis’ personal story through the food she creates. Her style has been molded by her culture, her travels, and all the people she met along the way. “My Life On A Plate is my first cookbook, and like the title says, it really is a reflection of my life through food. It includes my version of recipes I grew up eating and things I’ve picked up that have inspired me along the way,” says Kelis. “It’s an exploration of tastes and cultures, and my experience as a chef, musician, mother and wife. It’s a lifestyle, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.”

This book is a collection of her favorite recipes. It features a mix of foods from her Puerto Rican heritage, such as Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder), Arroz con Gandules, and Shrimp Alcapurias along with dishes she created after discovering them on her travels around the world such as Malay Curry Chicken and Swedish Meatballs. Food lovers looking for a new kind of food fusion experience will love her book, which will be available to buy on September 28.

“The music world is full of foodies, from Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos to Action Bronson and his penchant for rapping about barbecued venison. Kelis out-foodies them all.”- Observer Food Monthly

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In Nas’s new video for  “Bye Baby“, off his latest album Life Is Good, he bares it all. For fans that thought the song summed it up pretty well, the video takes the painful divorce with R&B starlet Kelis a step further. The emotional tone of the video hits a high mark when Nas is shown watching their wedding video, with nothing but a bottle of Moet to accompany him. The final seconds of the video reveal the cover shot that was used for his tenth studio album. The Don is still showing the world how to do it, so if you haven’t done so already go cop Life Is Good.

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On his tenth studio album, Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, arguably rap’s most gifted voice, has more stories to tell. After going through a heart-wrenching public divorce with Kelis, Nas sounds rejuvenated and crisp. As an artist, he’s been able to channel his pain and use it to fuel his best music in years. Life Is Good is an optimistic view of life’s ever-changing pace and it’s done well, with good production. Nearly twenty years into his career, a slightly older Nas stands on a steeple, confident with his contribution to the hip-hop genre.

“No Introduction” sets the theme of for the rest of the album. Over a classical piano riff, Nas chops up his historic career into 4 minutes and 15 seconds by taking excerpts from his past, mentioning robbing a train at the age of  15 and chilling with the Notorious B.I.G. He revisits his Illmatic days, including both “Nasty” with Salaam Remi and “Loco-motive” co-produced by Large Professor. He matches both tracks with the same rapidfire flows he possessed in his youth. His tenacity is unmatched on “Nasty”: “Pristine in my vintage shades / I’m not in the winters of my life or the beginning stage.”

A couple tracks on the album miss their potential including “Reach Out” featuring songstress Mary J. Blige, retooling the classic “I Love You” she first flipped in ‘95. While Nas’s lyrics are sharp, Mary’s voice shows it’s age, missing the strong soul it had in hip-hop’s golden era. “The Don,” co-produced by the late Heavy D, is an impressive instrumental, however Nas overdoes it, losing the feeling in translation. And the Swizz Beatz and Miguel collaboration “Summer on Smash” fails to get the clubs going.

While those collaborations were misses, “Accident Murderers” with Rick Ross is an exceptional track, and “Where’s the Love” with Cocaine 80’s is just straight dope. On his posthumous collaboration Amy Winehouse, she and Nas live out their rumored love affair over a Salaam Remi production. Nas lends his “Life is Good” perspective while Amy provides an uninhibited chorus. Even after Amy’s untimely death, life still goes on. Her presence on the track speaks volumes about life’s random nature. Missing from this album is Nas’s collaboration between himself and Frank Ocean produced by Hit-Boy that was unfortunately misplaced on his hard drive. One can only imagine now how ill that song could’ve been.

Nas is rapping like he’s still in his 20s. On “Stay,” produced by No I.D., the Queensbridge emcee comfortably slips between a soul sample and soothing horn selection, reflecting on the awkward relationships we keep but don’t necessarily need in our lives. “Maybe niggas can see too much of their failures through a nigga who realer. / I don’t like you near bruh, but I need you to stay.”

While the nostalgic vibe does encapsulate most of the album, Nas’s relationships with his ex-wife and his daughter inspire fresh material. After all, the album cover does picture Nas sitting in reflection, as Kelis’s mint green wedding gown lays in his lap. On “Bye Baby”, he directly talks to Kelis, venting on their faltered relationship and making sense of it all. On “Daughters” he speaks on his perceived karma spitting, “They say the coldest heartbreakers and in the world / God gets us back / He makes us have precious little girls.”

Life Is Good feels like the ending of  an 80’s drug dealer’s biopic, flashing through the grandeur moments of life. Although, in Nas’s biopic, the story doesn’t end so harshly. His newfound lease on life offers a rarely celebrated dynamic in hip-hop: a man middling his 30’s, gaining perspective on what’s  important. His rich and descriptive stories have become time capsules of a bygone era. Life Is Good, though it does have its missteps, is an essential in Nas’ discography.

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