Ashanti reveals the inspiration behind her and Nelly’s newborn son’s name

Ashanti has revealed the sweet inspiration behind the name of her and husband Nelly’s son, Kareem Kenkaid Hayes.

The 43-year-old spoke candidly about motherhood during an interview with Entertainment Tonight on August 21, shortly after she confirmed that she and Nelly had their first baby. While detailing how “amazing” the last few weeks have been, as her son was born on July 18, she also revealed that her husband decided on their baby’s name.

“His name is Kareem Kenkaide, and his dad named him with a lot of pride,” Ashanti said. “We were going back and forth for a long time on his name and he was very adamant. He was like: ‘This is what I want, I love this.’”

She then acknowledged that the entire name was “so amazing, thoughtful, and sweet” because it’s linked to her own family.

“Kenkaide is my dad’s name and obviously my dad has only girls, so Nelly was just like: ‘I think that would be really dope,” the singer added. “And this was all his idea.”

She also explained the inspiration behind her son’s first name, Kareem. “It means generous, kind, noble, dignified,” Ashanti continued. “Just like having dignity, and I thought: ‘Oh that’s so cute!”

On August 21, a representative for the couple confirmed that their baby had been born. “Ashanti and Nelly welcomed their baby boy, Kareem Kenkaide Haynes, on July 18, 2024. The proud and happy parents are so in love with KK!” the representative said toPeople.

That same day, Ashanti shared a post on Instagram opening up about her experiences after giving birth. The post started with a mirror selfie of the singer, as she wore a gray bra and high-waisted shorts set, and a blue, satin cardigan. She also shared a video of herself showing off her postpartum body.

“Four weeks postpartum, you have no idea what this body can do,” she said in the clip, before smiling at the camera.

In the caption, she went on to celebrate motherhood and all the unexpected things that come along the way with it.

“Funny how life’s plans aren’t… always on time.. lol. I’ve been waiting to be a mom for a long time now but nothing could prepare me for EVERYTHING motherhood brings!” Ashanti wrote. “This is what postpartum looks like I’m loving these super cozy @fridamom shorts! I’m so proud of my body for giving me my baby, baby, baby, baby, baby.”

Back in April, the R&B singer first revealed that she and Nelly were having a baby. In a video shared to her Instagram at the time, Ashanti can be seen getting ready for a performance as her mother Tina Douglas asks her how much time she needs. “Uh, I’m gonna need about nine months,” Ashanti replied, leading her mother to look shocked.

She also shared the news with Essence, revealing that she and Nelly were also engaged. “This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation,” Ashanti said. “Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”

Despite Ashanti’s comments about being engaged in April, the couple were reportedly already married by then. In June, court documents shared by TMZ revealed that the pair, who previously dated in the early 2000s, had actually been married since December 27, 2023. Their private wedding appeared to take place in Nelly’s hometown of St Louis County.

During her recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ashanti reflected on her son’s arrival, noting that he was “born a little bit early,” so his father had to “fly in last minute.”

“Just having all of us in the delivery room and seeing his face for the first time, I cried,” she said. “It was just so emotional and so spiritual. Kind of having a vision of this moment for so long. Obviously, I always wanted children, I always wanted to get married. I didn’t know that I was going to spin the block and be with my ex from a long time ago.”