Ashanti and Nelly Welcome First Child Together

Ashanti and Nelly have announced the birth of their first child together. The news, which broke on Aug. 21, comes a full month after the actual birth.

According to PEOPLE, the couple welcomed a baby boy named Kareem Kenkaide Hayes on July 18. A representative for the couple shared, “The proud and happy parents are so in love with KK!” The nickname “KK” has already stuck for the infant, as Ashanti revealed in a subsequent interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Ashanti, 43, took to Instagram to share her joy, posting, “Funny how life’s plans aren’t…always on time.. lol,” cleverly referencing her 2001 hit collaboration with Ja Rule. She continued, “I’ve been waiting to be a mom for a long time now but nothing could prepare me for EVERYTHING motherhood brings! I’m so proud of my body for giving me my baby, baby, baby, baby, baby.”

The “Foolish” singer opened up about the meaning behind their son’s name in her interview with ET. “His dad named him with a lot of pride,” Ashanti explained. The name Kareem, meaning generous, kind, and dignified, resonated with the couple. The middle name, Kenkaide, pays homage to Ashanti’s father, Ken-kaide.

Describing the emotional moment of Kareem’s birth, Ashanti shared, “Having all of us in the delivery room and seeing his face for the first time, I cried it was just so emotional and spiritual at the same time. Having a vision of this moment for so long…it was such an electrifying feeling.”

The new mother also spoke about the transformative experience of parenthood: “My son definitely dictates everything now, he is the priority overall and I don’t care what it will take, what I have to do, I’m just going to give everything and my all to my son. This little boy has my entire soul wrapped around his finger.”

Ashanti didn’t hesitate to praise Nelly’s parenting skills, stating, “It was incredible to watch just how confident and how gentle and how soothing he is with his son. It was just an amazing, incredible feeling.”

The couple’s ability to keep major life events private has become somewhat of a trademark. Not only did they manage to keep their baby news under wraps for a month, but they also secretly tied the knot on Dec. 27, 2023, in St. Louis County, as revealed by TMZ in June 2024.

As they embark on this new chapter of parenthood, Ashanti offered advice to fellow new mothers: “Follow your gut instinct and keep strong no matter what the obstacles bring. Your child absolutely feels your energy. Make sure that the baby feels secure and safe and you have to have space for you as well. Don’t get too lost into the world of the baby. I think that it’s really important to create a balance.” She added, “I’m super brand new so I’m not trying to give the golden advice.” Congratulations to the new parents!