Nas has been ordered to pay Kelis $10,000 a month in spousal support.

The rapper was also told he has to pay his estranged spouse $47,249.42 in back child support for their seven-month-old son Knight, and $40,454 in back spousal support during a hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court yesterday (12.04.10).

In December, Nas had his monthly spousal and child payments to Kelis increased from a combined $40,000 to a total of $51,000 a month, but has failed to keep up with the instalments.

The musician - real name Nasir Jones - had his spousal support payments increased in order to cover some of the $299,015.50 he owes the 'Milkshake' singer.

He was also ordered to pay her $155,787.28 legal bill and $48,549.83 accounting expenses at yesterday's hearing.

Kelis filed for divorce last April citing "irreconcilable differences". It is believed she became tired of Nas' verbal abuse and alleged infidelity.

Since their split, the pair have regularly been in dispute over finances, with Kelis claiming Nas had not given her enough money to live on during her pregnancy.

Nas insisted he had paid her $30,000 in expenses.

Kelis and Nas originally met at an after-party hosted by P. Diddy for the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

They got engaged a year later and married in Atlanta in 2005.