Knight Jones Is Rapper Nas' Son with His Ex-wife Kelis Rogers
Singer and songwriter Kelis Rogers has three children and welcomed her oldest son Knight, with her ex-husband Nas, with whom she shares custody.
Celebrity chef and singer Kelis Roger's oldest son Knight Jones was born into her marriage with rapper Nas. The couple divorced in 2010 and have been co-parenting Knight ever since.
Kelis moved with her family, including Knight, to a small farm in Columbia, which has caused some tension between the singer and her ex-husband who felt he was being deprived of his parental rights.
Kelis Rogers on stage in 2020, in Berlin, Germany. | Source: Getty Images
Kelis met rapper Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, known as Nas, at the MTV Music Awards in 2002. The couple started dating, fell in love, and married in 2005.
Kelis star was on the rise, and she had already recorded three albums: "Kaleidoscope," "Wanderland," and "Tasty," and opened for Britney Spears on her 2004 concert tour. Her music did exceptionally well in Europe and had several charting hits in the UK.
Kelis is also a gifted actress who starred in the 2018 film "Oceans Eight" with Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett. She participated in the British "The Masked Singer" in 2020 as The Daisy, but her distinctive voice saw her identified and eliminated early in the competition.
Kelis is the mother of three children. The oldest is her son with Nas, Knight, and she has two more children with her deceased second husband, photographer Mike Mora.
Kelis and Nas at his birthday party at Ocean's 21 in New York City, in 2003. | Source: Getty Images
Knight Jones Is Kelis' First Son With Her Ex Nas
Little Knight Jones was born in July 2009, but his mother had already filed for divorce from Nas. Nas wasn't present at his son's birth; her sister and her mother accompanied Kelis during her labor.
The former couple drew up a custody agreement as part of their divorce settlement, stipulating the amount of time and the special days each would spend with Knight.
In 2014, when Knight was five, Kelis remarried and he became part of a blended family that would include his stepfather, Mike Mora, and his two younger siblings.
Knight Jones’ Dad Wasn’t Happy When Kelis Decided to Move to Colombian Farm with Kids
In 2019, things became complicated for Knight, who had been attending a private school in Los Angeles. He moved with his mother, her husband Mike Mora, and his two siblings to a farm in Columbia. Nas was distraught, stating that the move violated the custody agreement.
According to Nas, Kelis' removing their son to Columbia means that he will not be spending Father's Day, Halloween, or Thanksgiving with Knight -- which is his right on alternate years, as stipulater in their custody agreement..
Kelis sold her Los Angeles home and bought a farm in Quindio, Colombia, where she intended to live with her husband and children. Sadly, Mora was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 2022, leaving Kelis to raise the children alone.
Living on a Farm Is Fun for Kids
Despite the recent loss of her husband, Kelis remains committed to her life as a farmer. She often posts video clips about their lives and how good living in the country is for Knight and his siblings. Country life has another advantage, Kelis explained:
"They're not on iPhones or iPads. I try to keep them as grounded as possible."
The children have chores to do and have to tidy up their rooms. They are also homeschooled but still have time to play with their dog and the animals on the farm, but they don't have access to electronics.
Knight's younger brother Shepherd was born in December 2015, and his little sister Galilee was born in September 2020. Their father and Knight's stepdad Mike Mora died in March 2022 from stomach cancer at age 37.
Mike had been in Knight's life since he was just five. Kelis often posts sweet snippets on Instagram, showing her childrenenjoying the peaceful country life, so different from their experiences in Los Angeles.