MTV News |
- Drake Says 'Best I Ever Had' Director Kanye West 'Oozes' Creativity
- Mariah Carey? Drake? Who Will Have The Summer Jam Of '09?
- Soulja Boy Tell'em Inspired By Michael Jackson, Impressed By Eminem
- Joe Jonas Says Fans Can Decide If 'Much Better' Is About Taylor Swift
- Heidi Montag Asked Kim Kardashian For <i>Playboy</i> Advice
- Is Mariah Carey's 'Obsessed' Directed At Eminem?
- Redd Eyezz Says Love From Lil Wayne, 50 Cent 'Makes A Gangsta Feel Good'
- Young Jeezy Continues Feud With Gucci Mane On New Record
- Kelis Accuses Nas of Abandoning Her During Pregnancy
| Drake Says 'Best I Ever Had' Director Kanye West 'Oozes' Creativity Posted: 17 Jun 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'Kanye's idea was actually the best out of all of them,' the MC said of getting the star to direct.
NEW YORK — Kanye West sure can be convincing. Drake recently spoke to MTV News about filming a video for his breakout track, "Best I Ever Had," and the Canadian MC was set on having a strong visual that matched his female fans' passion for the song. "I want women to feel special when they watch the visual and say, 'I wish that was me,' or 'I know that feeling.' " he explained. But after a late-night recording session with West, things quickly changed.
"At first for this video, I was taking myself way too serious and trying to do some, like, epic sort-of-intimate video ... that would have been cool, but the song is too fun for that," Drake told us on the Brooklyn video set. "So when we were in the studio one night — me, Kanye and Big Sean — we were actually recording a song. And 'Ye ... it oozes out of him, creativity ... he was just being creative Kanye, like, spewing out ideas, and the day after I texted my manager — we have the same manager — and was like, 'Yo, Kanye's idea was actually the best out of all of them, see if he'll do the video.' "I don't know if at that point he knew he was gonna be directing the video," he continued. "It was more an idea like, 'It'll be funny if we do this.' Then it turned into 'Let's do this.' " The Kanye-directed clip is a decidedly lighter take on things. The video was filmed Sunday at a high school basketball gym where Drake's collection of "bests" manifests as the roster of a basketball team. "Some of us younger men, we refer to our affiliation with women like a roster," Drake said, explaining the concept. "You have key women in your life when you're single and doing your thing." But Team Drake faces some stiff competition in the clip — the opposing females aren't so smitten with the rising rap star. Despite the humor in the theme, Drake said the film will be shot to make it have a "Basketball Diaries"-like feel. There's no "Degrassi" hook to the clip, even though a young Drake played a high school basketball player in the teen series. Cameos for the video will include Trey Songz, Fabolous and Drake's Young Money family: Nicki Minaj, Jae Millz, Lil Twist and Lil Chuckee. Kanye was on set, of course, as was his love interest Amber Rose and Common. Rihanna, recently rumored to be dating Drake, was present in New York the night before, but the "Umbrella" singer wasn't on the closed set. The "Best I Ever Had" clip marks Drake's first "official video," according to the Toronto lyricist. A previous video, "Replacement Girl," was financed by the rapper and featured Trey Songz. The visual briefly aired on BET in the past and has been revived by MTV Jams recently. But Drake said that video was made while he was discovering himself as an artist and that the "Best" clip truly showcases who he is now. While the buzz for "Best I Ever Had" continues to grow — the song is an airplay gainer on the Billboard Hot 100 — Drake is still ironing out the details on where he'll sign as a recording artist. He said for now being unsigned gives him some much-needed freedom. "I'm almost there," he laughed. "I'm just taking my time. It's less political and better to do things like today — having a video directed by a man of Kanye's stature and still be unsigned — it just sounds better!" |
| Mariah Carey? Drake? Who Will Have The Summer Jam Of '09? Posted: 17 Jun 2009 03:51 AM PDT We predict this year's warm-weather anthem, in Bigger Than the Sound.
We're only four days away from the official start of summer (a.k.a. "the summer solstice," if you're an evil Wiccan), which means two things: First, prepare to get skin cancer. And second, it's time to kick off the 2009 Summer Jam Sweepstakes! Now, let the record state that I absolutely hate summer, as I am a pale scrivener who frequently gets sand kicked in his face. I burn easily, I can't swim and I sweat more than you could possible imagine. And yet, I still look forward to the summer-jam season every single year, because I love pop music ... and the more tangy and saccharine and completely disposable it is, the better.
See, summer is when the masses take their shirts off, get wasted and grind against one another at Señor Frogs locations all across the Caribbean (and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina). It's the time when they get ill-advised tattoos in places like Panama City, Florida, or wake up in a Lake Havasu holding cell or make out with some dude for 15 hours on the Jersey Shore. And, of course, the masses demand a musical accompaniment for all this: hooky, catchy, downright fluffy stuff — music to get drunk and tanned and kissed to. Last year, that meant gems like Estelle's effervescent "American Boy" and Tyga's hyperactive "Coconut Juice," songs that came out of nowhere to compete with the big boys (and girls) for the summer-jam crown. And that's why predicting the winners for the 2009 sweepstakes is so difficult: really, anyone can win this thing, especially since all it takes to land a summertime smash is a catchy beat and lyrics with the heft of margarita mix. But, that said, I'm still going to try my hand at predicting the winners. Sure, there will be some dark-horse candidates along the way, and don't forget the new songs from heavy-hitters like Jay-Z and Young Jeezy that are looming on the horizon. But, since summer can't wait forever (and because I have a huge gambling problem), here's my attempt at handicapping the race for the summer jam of 2009. Read it while you tan or do something you'll probably regret for the rest of your life! Mariah Carey, "Obsessed" Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 4:1 Just 14 months after 2008's E=MC2 album fizzled, Mimi returns, this time with an Auto-Tuned kiss-off to wannabe lotharios (and Eminem?) that will probably be the soundtrack to a million summer hookups and just as many public-intoxication collars. And I'm not just saying that because the hook reminds me so much of Jamie Foxx's "Blame It," either. Glossy, flossy and decidedly "urban," Mariah strikes back. Your radio has been warned. Drake, "Best I Ever Had" Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 6:1 The latest in a long line of heavy-browed sensations (after Chris Paul and that one Jonas brother), Drake doesn't even have a record label, and already he's landed tons of buzz, some hit singles and the approval of Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy, who are taking him out on the road this summer. "Best I Ever Had" is a straight-up classic R&B jam — strictly for the ladies, yet also cool enough for the dudes to dance to. And that bodes well for him this summer, to be certain. Black Eyed Peas, "Boom Boom Pow" Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 8:1 This one would probably be higher on my list, if not for that fact that it probably peaked too early (you know, what with it topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 10 consecutive weeks now). Still, there's no denying this tune's pull — the mega-catchy, futuristic knob-twiddling from Will.I.Am, the big vocals from Fergie, even that karate dude isn't totally awful here — which should still earn it a ton of summer plays. Also, this is probably the first BEP song that I'll ever admit to liking, even if I do so begrudgingly. Jeremih, "Birthday Sex" Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 10:1 Another one that's probably already peaked (by now, Jeremih's tune is practically inescapable), but don't count it out of the Summer Jam Sweepstakes just yet: There's still gonna be plenty of ladies celebrating their birthday in Cancún and Cozumel, and all of them are gonna be looking for one thing. Sean Kingston, "Fire Burning" Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 11:1 I wrote about this song earlier this week, calling it a "sweaty, sunny, summertime jam." And while it certainly is — all dance-floor whoops and sing-song vocals — the question remains: Will the masses buy the baby-face Kingston as a mature, loved-up ladies man? Actually, what am I talking about? It's the summer. No one cares about crap like that! Das Racist, "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 12:1 Especially if you're talking about summer in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Easily my favorite song of 2009, much to the consternation of everyone who's ever loved me/shared office space with me. Flo Rida, "Sugar" Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 12:1 "Sugar" should probably be much higher on my list, especially when you consider that it might just be the most "by the books" summer jam ever created: sample one annoying/forgotten pop track (in this case, Eiffel 65's "Blue"), rap about females and various female-related proclivities, shoot a video on the beach, repeat if necessary. Bonus points for the fact that Flo Rida rarely actually wears a shirt, which should endear him to the toned and tanned masses. La Roux, "In for the Kill" Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 13:1 This is my wild-card pick. A British electro duo fronted by the striking Elly Jackson, La Roux's gauzy synth pop has already won over the likes of Katy Perry and Lily Allen (and those two don't agree on anything). And armed with the success of songs like "In for the Kill" (in England, this kind of stuff actually charts!), they're taking aim at the States. This is perfect music for drinking in the clubs and vomiting in hotel rooms — try it and see for yourself! Wale (featuring Lady Gaga), "Chillin' " Odds That It Will Rule the Summer: 15:1 I love this song, and not just because of Wale's clever verses ("I remain a Giant/ And you're Jeremy Shockey"), the deft production work (spindly beats mingle with a sample of Steam's 1969 track "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," in case you were wondering), or because Gaga seems to be channeling M.I.A. on the hook. No, it's because this is hungry, bare-bones hip-hop, the kind of stuff they don't make any more. It's what all the cool clubs will be playing this summer. Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks" and Discovery, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" Odds That They Will Rule the Summer: 10,000:1 The summer jams for the kids who don't take their shirts off at the beach. Two of the best indie songs of the year, the former all gorgeous harmonies, the latter ridiculous, azz-shaking glitch pop, you'll be sure to hear these (sorta) blasting from MacBook Pros for the next four months. Could also insert Phoenix's "Listzomania" in here too. Questions? Concerns? Hit me up at BTTS@MTVStaff.com. Related Videos Related Artists |
| Soulja Boy Tell'em Inspired By Michael Jackson, Impressed By Eminem Posted: 17 Jun 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'I'd open up for Eminem,' Soulja tells Mixtape Daily.
Celebrity Favorites This is going to be a huge weekend for Soulja Boy Tell'em. On Saturday, he's one of the performers gracing the stage at Atlanta's Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash, and he's also set to perform on Friday at the SuperJam concert for Greensboro, North Carolina's 102 Jamz. This summer, the 19-year-old will be traveling all across the country, along with Young Jeezy, Drake and Lil Wayne for the America's Most Wanted Music Festival. Performing such high-profile sets on the same bill as A-list rap superstars is never a worry for the teen hitmaker — the fans will remember him by the time they leave the building.
"I don't really look at nobody as competition," Soulja said. "I feel like I got my own lane, and I don't have to worry about nobody. Anybody I feel is competition, I gotta knock them out the box. If there's anybody that ever crossed my mind — [where] I say, 'Man, he might be a problem for me,' then I'mma have to get rid of him. But as far as getting my inspiration for stage performance, it has always been Michael Jackson. I remember I watched the DVD ... Michael Jackson came and stood onstage for 10 minutes. They was screaming the whole 10 minutes. I actually imitated that a couple of times in my show." Soulja, who's working on his The DeAndre Way LP, also said he wouldn't mind hitting the road with another icon, Eminem. If Slim Shady should tour, Soulja says he wants in. "I like his new music," he said. "It's different from what's out. I think it's good. It's good for music. I'd open up for Eminem — lot of cheese right there." Soulja says he's respected Em from early on in the Detroit legend's career. "Back in the days, I was tuned in to it," Soulja explained. "I wasn't too heavy into it, but he's got some classic stuff. He used to come on TV, I used to be like, 'That white boy go hard. Real hard.' " The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground
Drake missed his DJ Khaled connection, at least for now. Drizzy filmed the video for "Best I Ever Had" Sunday in Brooklyn with his director, Kanye West. The video revolves around Drake's roster of females who happen to hoop — Drake's team takes on another basketball team in the clip. The hottest free agent in music right now wanted Khaled to make an appearance in the video as the coach of his squad. "We had the best idea, but he wasn't here," Drake told us on the set. "We wanted DJ Khaled to be the coach, so he could be like, 'You the best? Who? You!' We thought that was so funny, but he was busy today. We'll see who ends up doing it." For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines. Related Videos |
| Joe Jonas Says Fans Can Decide If 'Much Better' Is About Taylor Swift Posted: 17 Jun 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'You're just going to have to get the record and figure it out for yourself,' he says of new Jonas Brothers album.
The Jonas Brothers have a seemingly endless pool of ladies to write about in their songs of young love. Nick, for instance, wrote the song "Before the Storm" about Miley Cyrus (which also features the "Hannah Montana" star), and now Joe has gotten in on the act, writing "Much Better," presumably about his ex Taylor Swift. That song, however, is not a good-natured duet.
"We went through a lot in the past year and a half, all of us," Joe said about "Much Better," which name-checks Taylor's song "Teardrops on My Guitar." "And you're just going to have to get the record and figure it out for yourself." If you have any doubts about the song's inspiration, here's a sample lyric: "I got a rep for breakin' hearts/ Now I'm done with superstars/ And all the tears on her guitar/ I'm not bitter." Joe said he knows that fans will be listening to their new album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times, trying to figure out which songs are about which girls. "I think that will happen until we're 60 years old," the middle brother laughed. Taylor and Joe have been battling it out in song for quite some time now. Last fall, when Swift released her album Fearless, she included the Jonas-inspired song "Forever & Always." "With this situation, I feel like I owed it to my fans to be like, 'Look, it happened, you weren't crazy,' and address it," she told MTV News of their high-profile breakup. "And I addressed it, and, you know, that's a chapter in my life that's closed now." Related Videos Related Photos |
| Heidi Montag Asked Kim Kardashian For <i>Playboy</i> Advice Posted: 16 Jun 2009 12:08 AM PDT 'I talked her through the whole process and helped her make up her mind,' Kardashian says of 'Hills' star.
Although "Hills" star Heidi Montag played coy on Monday when MTV News asked about her reported pictorial for the September issue of Playboy, her friend Kim Kardashian talked freely about Heidi's photos, which, according to Spencer Pratt, are "hypothetically" set to hit newsstands in August. In fact, it was Kardashian, who has posed for Playboy herself, who helped the "Hills" star make the decision to pose for the magazine. "Actually, I was in Mexico and I got a call from Heidi saying, 'Call me right now,' " Kardashian told MTV News on Tuesday (June 16). "So I called her and she had said to me, 'What do you think? What's your opinion on if I were to do Playboy?' "
Kardashian told her to "go for it." "I think that now's the time," she said. "I think it's a very classy magazine. It's artsy. I talked her through the whole process and helped her make up her mind." Of course, Kardashian, who is currently the spokeswoman for Nivea's "Good-bye Cellulite, Hello Bikini" challenge, wasn't the only person who helped Heidi make up her mind. Spencer also had a hand in the decision-making process. "Her and Spencer talked it over," Kardashian said. "They felt like it was the right thing for her to do and I'm anxious to see it." Kardashian is confident that Heidi had as good an experience as she did when she posed for the magazine. "It was a really fun process for me," she said, adding that getting asked to be on the cover is an "honor." "I'm excited to see what the pictures will turn out to be." |
| Is Mariah Carey's 'Obsessed' Directed At Eminem? Posted: 16 Jun 2009 03:55 AM PDT Singer seems to get back at the Detroit MC in the lyrics to her new single.
Apparently Mariah Carey has responded to Eminem's taunts from his track "Bagpipes From Baghdad" with her own stinging account of things on "Obsessed," the first single from her upcoming album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. The bouncy number debuted Tuesday (June 16) and from the onset Carey seems to be giving her side of the story. "I was like, 'Why are you so obsessed with me?' " Carey says before the music begins.
The singer never mentions the rapper by name, but the lyrics suggest Em may be the target, as Carey talks about the target's drug problems. "It must be the weed, it must be the E/ 'Cause you be poppin', you get it poppin'," Carey sings. Em recently opened up about his battle with drugs on his latest LP, Relapse. On the album's "Bagpipes From Baghdad," Em raps about taking Carey back from Nick Cannon. (Carey has denied Eminem's claims that they dated for six months.) "Nick Cannon better back the f--- up," Em warns the actor/musician on the track. "I'm not playing/ I want her back, you punk." Cannon fired back at Eminem last month, before the rapper softened his dis in a later interview, defusing the tension. Carey hadn't responded publicly, but on "Obsessed," however, she seems to be getting her laughs in, particularly on the song's chorus. "Why are you so obsessed with me/ Boy I wanna know/ Lying that you're sexing me/ When everybody knows/ It's clear that you're upset with me," she sings in an Auto-Tune-tinged voice. Throughout the song, Carey calls the track's subject "delusional" and "confused" and says that the person must be "losing their mind." Singer/songwriter The-Dream confirmed in a previous interview that the song is definitely directed at someone — but the "Dancing on the Moon" singer who, along with producing partner Tricky Stewart, helmed most of Carey's next project, would not confirm exactly who. "Obsessed" is currently streaming on Carey's Web site. At press time, a rep for Eminem had not granted MTV News' request for comment. Related Artists |
| Redd Eyezz Says Love From Lil Wayne, 50 Cent 'Makes A Gangsta Feel Good' Posted: 17 Jun 2009 03:51 AM PDT 'They know what we about,' the Miami MC says of his crew's famous fans.
Ladies and gents, we have a special announcement: Miami Week refuses to end. We had so much material from our trip to M.I.A., we decided to save some of the content for this week. Stick with MTVNews.com and stay tuned in to MTV Jams all this week for more from one of the hottest cities on the planet and its stars. MIAMI — In Little Haiti, there's an underground fixture who's planning to smack the masses upside the head with his raps: Redd Eyezz. The up-and-coming MC says looks can be deceiving in his 'hood.
"You'll see one of the older guys driving around here in a bucket or hooptie, and they'll really be millionaires," Redd said. "This is one of the only 'hoods where you could go to sleep broke and the next morning, wake up a millionaire. It happens so quick." You just have to have the right street connect. As a member of the Zoe Pound, Redd and his crew were their own hookups. The Pound's name became legendary — in Little Haiti and in 'hoods across the country — because of how they used to run the trap. "This is where we used to trap, 24/7. One-stop shop, get everything you need," Eyezz told MTV News, standing in front of the infamous "White House" where the Pound would accumulate funds from hustling. The White House has since been shut down by the city. "It wasn't no initiation," Redd explained of how his clique was formed. "Because we're not a gang. We were just brothas hollering at brothas. We grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same schools as kids. So our bond was gonna be a little different than other cliques and crews. A bunch of brothers from the 'hood, all came from this particular area, from the 'hood. [We] had a few heads, about 30 of us when we originally started. The whole dream was to make it out this 'hood. It's rough out here, like every other neighborhood, but it gets to the extreme sometime. That was the whole dream: to get our families up outta here. Any source of income we was doing to get, we would put it back into music. "The best time I probably would say is between '97, '99, 2000," he added. "It was one of our best times. We was young, 21, 22, out here doing whatever we wanna do. Travel the world. Some of the best times, making a lot of money in those times. Maybe after that, around 2001, it started coming down. We was losing homies, homies going to the pen. Some of the feelings I went through because of some of my homies I lost, I still grieve. Death comes at a crazy time, and it's always unexpected. It's always gonna hit you hard. You gotta accept it. Losing so many homies, you get numb, start losing tears. You don't even cry no more." Two of his friends in particular — Olo and Chub — convinced Redd to take music more seriously before they passed away. "Olo, who is no longer with us, and Chub, which is the same situation, no longer with us, and one of my other homeboys, he's in the prison. They came up with the idea to do it," Redd said. "Olo came to me personally and said he wanted to get into the music thing. I was already doing my little thing with it. Me and my homeboy [leader of the crew], Mac[-A-Zoe], Mac was locked up at the time. He was coming home, and he wanted to get into it." The Zoe Pound became legendary street figures over the years. All the rappers shout them out. 50 Cent and the G-Unit, Rick Ross, the Game, Lil Wayne and Birdman, DJ Khaled, the Diplomats — the list goes on and on. Everyone has shouted them out in their songs. Eyezz has worked with many of them on his mixtapes, including his latest, Warning Shots. "In hip-hop, a lot of rappers wanna be known as official and keeping it 100," Eyezz said. "That's what Zoe Pound is about. It's love for hip-hop. The influence we have on hip-hop is love. To hear somebody as big as 50, Wayne shouting us out, it's love, because they know what we about. It makes a gangsta feel good." Eyezz has a deal to put his debut LP, Never Personal, out through Asylum Records. He said that some record executives were afraid to work with him because of the reputation that the Zoe Pound has in the streets, but they're coming around when they see that Redd is all about making music. The album was recorded over the past two years with collaborations from Cool & Dre, Lil Wayne, Jim Jones, Bun B and Rick Ross. Redd's allegiance to his crew is still strong. He's in the midst of a "Free Mac-A-Zoe" campaign to help his incarcerated friend. Related Videos |
| Young Jeezy Continues Feud With Gucci Mane On New Record Posted: 15 Jun 2009 10:58 PM PDT Young Jeezy revives long-running feud with '24, 23 (Kobe, LeBron).'
Saturday's Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash concert in Atlanta is becoming all the more interesting. The show's headliner, Young Jeezy, has unleashed a salvo at one of the other highly anticipated acts performing at the show, Gucci Mane. Yesterday, the Snowman released a record called "24, 23 (Kobe, LeBron)." And while the song has nothing to do with basketball, it has everything to do with who's running the streets. If you listen to the record, Jeezy isn't fazed by Gucci's rise to 'hood superstardom this year — the leader of the CTE Shield Gang says he's still the man. "They say the club is off the chain," Jeezy raps. "I'm on my Louis sh-- today, f--- some Gucci Mane/ These n---as still on my di--, they like some groupies, mane ... Tell him this ain't what he want, not the boy Snow/ But between me and you, I think the boy's slow." Young later directs his attention to Gucci's music running mate, OJ da Juiceman. "They said the club is off the chain, straights shot to the head/ F--- some Juice mane," Young says later. "Ask the real n---as in the city, who got the juice man!/ These n---as talking about the work, but what they prove mane?/ Y'all these n---as really clowns, but I'm the truth, mane." OJ Da Juiceman is also a featured act for Birthday Bash 14 on Saturday at the Philips Arena. The Young Jeezy/ Gucci Mane discord goes back several years, after they made the record "So Icy" together. After a falling out, Gucci put out the dis record "Round One" and Jeezy in turn dropped the record "Stay Strapped." Back in 2005, both sides explained their quarreling to Mixtape Monday. "Jeezy Jr. is tripping right now," Young Jeezy said. "It ain't really no controversy. Me personally, I think he's trying to sell records. I know where I stand, I know who I am. I'm grown. I don't play them games. If you wanna play the games, who you think is gonna come out on top? Who do people love and respect more? It ain't even no competition. What's today? I give him three more weeks and [his career] is over. When that song dies, it's done. That song was a stepping stone for me, dog. That wasn't my career." Gucci said of his record "Icy," "He disrespected me and everybody at my label. He's mad 'cause I ain't let him put the song on his album [Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101]. We was never really cool. He was paid. He wouldn't have done it for free." From there, their beef got ugly but seemed to simmer down over the years. Last week, Gucci expressed to MTV News that he isn't interested in beefing with anyone or talking about feuds and said he's excited to do Birthday Bash 14. (Both Gucci and Jeezy performed in separate sets during Birthday Bash 13 last year as well.) "I'm ready," Gucci said of the show this weekend. "I wanna do something that ain't never been done before. Give the people something different." One day before the Birthday Bash 14 concert, both Jeezy and Gucci are scheduled to perform at 102 Jamz's North Carolina SuperJam show. Related Artists |
| Kelis Accuses Nas of Abandoning Her During Pregnancy Posted: 16 Jun 2009 02:08 AM PDT Legal papers claim Kelis is dependent upon Nas' financial will.
Just weeks after news of their divorce broke, Kelis has accused her estranged husband Nas of abandoning her during her pregnancy. Kelis is carrying the couple's first child together and is reportedly due to give birth next month. MTV News has obtained court papers filed by Kelis against Nas that detail her accusations. In the motion, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Kelis is seeking child support, spousal support, and attorney fees and costs from Nas. Overall, the singer's requests total a number of one-time payments upwards of $30,000 for birthing costs, a nurse, baby items for multiple homes, and more. According to the documents, Kelis is due to give birth to the couple's first child on July 21. (Nas has a daughter, Destiny Jones, 15, from a previous relationship.) Kelis is also seeing spousal support retroactive to April 30 when the couple split, according to the filing. Requests for child support, beginning when Kelis gives birth, and for Nas to maintain her medical insurance were also made. In the papers, Kelis, a recording artist with a number of hits including "Milkshake" and "Caught Out There," maintains that she is dependent on Nas' financial will. The singer said she took a hiatus from her musical career in 2008 to attend culinary school. The monies she received in that year were royalty payments, but have since been spent on monthly bills. In the filing, Kelis and her legal team attempt to paint Nas' financial picture. The paperwork alleges Nas signed an $11 million recording contract with Def Jam and is co-owner of touring company, Gorilla Union. The documents state Nas also pays for five homes, three for the couple in Los Angeles, New York and Georgia, and one for his family in New York and her family in the Dominican Republic. In addition to business ventures and property, the filings suggest Nas owns a number of luxury items, including a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Maybach, a Ferrari and a full-time driver in New York. According to the filing, the married couple maintained separate bank accounts and filed separate tax returns. A source who requested anonymity told MTV News that Kelis has attempted to reach Nas directly and via her attorney, but both routes have been unsuccessful. "All of this is adding up and all of the weight is falling on her shoulders, creating extreme emotional stress which I'm sure has affects on her physically since she's due to give birth any day now," the source said. "Kelis has spent every last penny that she has to cover whatever expenses for the baby that she can but at this point really needs him to step up and share in the responsibility. She physically can't work to bring in any sort of income, as much as she'd like to." Earlier this month, Kelis took to Twitter to comment about infidelity. She did not name Nas, but the Tweets appeared in the wake of a widely circulated photo of him surrounded by unidentified women in Turks and Caicos. The image was leaked by Nas using singer Maxwell's Twitter account; Maxwell was also pictured in the image. Throughout her series of Tweets, Kelis discussed the "sub par tricks" that participate in cheating with a married man. She said "all the scum bag coward husbands" and "less than impressive" women should unite and "go down in flames together." Word of the couple's divorce was first reported in April of this year. The pair were married in January 2005 and until recently seemed to be the picture of happiness, collaborating on music together and appearing on number red carpets. In February, Nas even asked for fans' help in naming his and Kelis' baby. At press time, representatives for Nas had not responded MTV News' requests for comment. Related Artists |
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