Proud of My Body

Ashanti and Nelly welcomed their first child together, the singer announced Wednesday. This joyous news follows a few months after the couple revealed they were expecting and engaged.

“Funny how life’s plans aren’t…always on time,” Ashanti wrote on Instagram, making a clever nod to her 2001 hit song with Ja Rule, “Always On Time.”

“I’ve been waiting to be a mom for a long time now but nothing could prepare me for EVERYTHING motherhood brings,” the “Foolish” singer continued. “This is what postpartum looks like… I’m so proud of my body for giving me my baby, baby, baby, baby, baby.”

In an accompanying video, Ashanti posed in a loungewear set and confidently told the camera, “Four weeks postpartum. You have no idea what this body can do.”

A representative for the couple informed People magazine that their new baby boy’s name is Kareem Kenkaide Haynes, born on July 18, 2024.

Ashanti and Nelly first broke the news of their pregnancy in April, coinciding with the announcement of their engagement. Kareem is Nelly’s fifth child and Ashanti’s first. The couple initially dated in 2003, called it quits in 2013, and rekindled their romance in 2023.