The marriage between Queensbridge, NY rapper Nas and R&B songbird Kelis is officially over.
Vibe magazine reports that divorce papers were filed around 3:45 p.m. today (April 30) by attorney Laura Wasser on behalf of Kelis.
A representative denied intitial reports that verbal abuse and infidelity were the reasons behind the filing.
“We request the media to respect her privacy during this very difficult time,” a representative for Kelis said in a statement.
The split concludes the romantic saga between Nas and Kelis that began when the pair first met in 2002 at an TV Video Music Awards afterparty thrown by rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The meeting at the afterparty resulted in a two year dating relationship that set the stage for Nas and Kelis’ marriage.
The couple officially tied the knot in a small ceremony in Atlanta on January 8, 2005.
Soon after, Nas and Kelis’ personal union segued into their professional lives, as Nas appeared on Kelis’ “In Public,” a single from her 2003 album Tasty.
Kelis made a cameo of her own with her featured role on Nas’ Hip Hop Is Dead album on the song “Not Going Back.”
Despite their collaborations and personal fondness for each other, rumors of Kelis and Nas separating began surfacing on the Internet in March 2008.
News of the couple’s divorce arrives as Nas and Kelis prepare for the arrival of their first child together.
Kelis is currently seven months pregnant with a son.