They were rap's royal couple. Nas and Kelis jumped the broom in 2005 after a courtship that included video cameos and public declarations of love.

But the split between the rap legend and his R&B wife four years later was just as public and all too ugly. As the expectant "Milkshake" singer accused her husband of abandoning her mid-pregnancy in legal filings, allegations of [article id="1613319"]infidelity[/article] burned up the blogs.

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Things got "crazy," the pride of Queensbridge, New York, said on Wednesday's "RapFix Live." The [article id="1610426"]divorce[/article] thrust Nas into the New York tabloids, where he was alternately painted as the victim of a gold-digging star and a cheater who callously hid the ATM cards with a baby on the way. Having stayed mostly mum over the years, Nas was ready to tell Sway his side.

‪"Life is crazy," the famously private MC said. "I [wound] up paying more money to baby mommas than what some of my rap brothers and sistren make."

‪At the time, several outlets reported that Kelis was seeking about $45,000 a month in [article id="1616840"]child and spousal support[/article] from the father of two, daughter Destiny from a previous relationship and son Knight with the "Bossy" singer. The figure was formally reduced last year by a court to a $25,000 month, but the scrutiny left Nas scarred.

"I've always been away from too much limelight and that right there put me in your — no one's exempt from people probing into your life once you get into the game," he conceded. "So [the divorce] put a lot of my business out there, man. People weren't thinking I was making that kind of money, and now they knew."

The handsome single rapper — a record number of MTV's female staffers suddenly turned up on set this week — paused to reflect on what advice he'd give to a newly engaged couple. He looked away, the "God's Son" tattoo on his neck visible for a split second, before responding.

‪"Man, if you're happy," he sighed and then paused again. "Love is a beast. Hold on, be prepared for any way it may go, and be honest."

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Nas' tax woes have also made the front page, but he declined to discuss the topic, promising instead to [article id="1682015"]confront it on Life Is Good.[/article]

Of course, it's been more than four years since Nasty Nas dropped a solo full-length. And the multiplatinum lyrical legend has teased fans with spotty output. Still, the 39-year-old has impressed with recent features like Rick Ross' "Triple Beam Dreams" and tracks like this month's dancehall-flavored "The Don," which managed to slay rap purists and trend on Twitter.

But more important, these were signals that a release might be in the offing. All this anticipation for a rapper who was just out of his teens when he dropped his seminal debut, Illmatic, back in 1994. We'd say life is pretty good for Nas.