Can you picture R. Kelly working the register in a red shirt and an apron at Del Taco? His ex-wife can ... if that's what it takes to dig himself out of a child support hole.
Drea Kelly and her daughter, Buku Abi -- who are both on "Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta" -- joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and pretty much she said she doesn't give a damn what kinda job Kelly has to land to meet his legal obligations ... so long as he once and for all wipes his debts clean.
As we first reported ... Drea asked the court for a hard and fast deadline for Kelly to pay her the $32k he owes. Kelly's camp previously insisted the money owed is interest and not back child support ... but we've learned only $11,500 of it is interest and the rest is for unpaid child support and educational expenses.
Check out the clip ... Drea suggests the fast food joint for the King of R&B.
Kelly, of course, has hired an army of lawyers for his mounting legal troubles, which can't be cheap. This is on top of back child support he's already ponied up ... to the tune of $161,633. That money, we were told, came from a benefactor. So, you can see why Drea's worried.
We also asked Buku if Kelly not paying up has affected her schooling. Watch ... she schools her father on the meaning of responsibility.