Kelis opened up about her experience in the music industry during an interview and said she was ripped off by her friends, The Neptunes, during the making of her debut album “Kaleidoscope.” She also discusses her former marriage to rapper Nas.
Kelis sat down with The Guardian in the wake of her debut album’s anniversary and said it provided some bittersweet memories due to Pharrell and Chad Hugo ripping her off at the time. She met the pair through a mutual friend at the age of 19 and “thought it would be a beautiful and pure, creative safe space” but it turned into something much different. The singer stated she made nothing from her first two albums and earned money from various tours.
The interview also brought up the physical abuse she endured during her marriage to her first husband Nas while she was seven months pregnant with their child.
RELATED STORIES: HU Exclusive: Kelis Breaks Her Silence On Violent Marriage And Custody Battle With Nas
“Well, I’m a very private person, and whether it’s the stuff with the Neptunes and being assaulted from a business perspective, to then being assaulted in the home, I fought so hard to have my own voice, even with the umbrella of these men looming over what I was trying to do. I’m not broken. But I don’t feel like protecting the sanctity of the black man any more,”
Nas continues to deny the claims and said Kelis stopped him from seeing their son.
“Any rational person would look at this situation and say [to Nas]: ‘Well, if you want to see [your child], you have to actually show up!”
RELATED STORIES: Kelis Pleads Not Guilty To Violating Custody Deal With Nas Over Move To Colombia
Press play to watch our interview with Kelis in the clip below and share your thoughts with Yappa.