Nas is catching a break. During his messy divorce from Kelis, the Queens native was ordered to cough up around $50,000 per month in child and spousal support for his ex and their son Knight. But an L.A. judge has decided to lighten up the order.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Nas’ payments have been cut in half, with the rapper now required to pay only $5,000 in child support and $20,000 in spousal support per month. Nasty Nas got his load lightened after convincing the judge that the poor economy has taken its toll on the rap community.

Nas and Kelis announced their divorce in 2009, with Kelis taking her husband to court to get proper spousal support. The judge originally ordered Nas to fork over nearly $300,000 in back payments, leveling his monthly alimony to over $50,000 a month. The couple finalized their divorce in May 2010.