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Blaze a Candle

It would’ve been nice if Nas would’ve released his long awaited new record, Hip Hop Is Dead, to coincide with his birthday party Wednesday night in NYC at Canal Room. But with the drop date postponed til December at the earliest, wifey Kelis pulled out all the stops for Mr. Jones and threw him a surprise bash, with DJ Goldfinger on the decks and an assortment of celebrity guests, not to mention Playboy bunnies popping out of a birthday cake. Complex managed to put down the Henn-dog for a few minutes and snap some flix. Happy b-day, Nasir.

?uestlove and model Jessica White give the stone face.

DJ Premier schools Doug E. Fresh on the secrets to his recent success with lady marmalade — Christina Aguilera.

The cake was delicious. We mean the real one with the candles.

Tracy Morgan (right) will soon be the funniest man on the planet, once the NBC sitcom Thirty Rock premieres.

Sweet Thang

Can matrimony curdle the milkshake that brought all the boys to the yard? Thankfully, Kelis’s sassy sexual confidence is as sweet as ever on her fourth album. (“I don’t just like you, /I like you like you,” she sings on “Like You.” “Can we come together? You can fluff my feathers.”) Even with a ring on her finger, the 26-year-old Harlem-born chanteuse is equal parts domination fantasy boss bitch (“Bossy”), playful sexual seductress (“What’s That Right There”), devoted lover (“Til’ The the Wheels Fall Off”), and humble, introspective entertainer (“Lil Star”). Producers such as Will.I.Am of The Black Eyed Peas, Cee-Lo, and Raphael Saadiq support the sultriness of Kelis’s deep, raspy vocals and sincere lyrics with tracks that range from raunchy buzzing synth to funk and rock guitar-driven soul. The boys in the yard may be disappointed that Kelis got wifed up, but at least they can still throw on her CD, close their eyes, and fantasize about having Kelis for dessert.

Justin Monroe
Illustration by Sean McCabe
For more on Kelis, check out her sexy photos from our Hot Complex Section.

Kelis Was Here Jive Records.