Ashanti has told how her husband Nelly chose their newborn baby’s name “with a lot of pride.”
The singer confirmed this week that she and the singer and rapper had welcomed baby boy Kareem Kenkaide Hayes, who the couple have nicknamed KK, into the world on July 18. She has now revealed Nelly took inspiration for his name from Ashanti’s father.
“Kenkaide is my dad’s name, and obviously my dad has only girls,” she said to “Entertainment Tonight.” “Nelly was just, like, ‘I think that would be really, really dope.’ This was all his idea.
“It was incredible to watch just how confident and how gentle and how soothing he is with his son,” Ashanti added.
Ashanti — who was initially in a relationship with Nelly from 2003 until 2013, but reconciled with him a decade later — broke down in tears upon seeing KK’s face for the first time. She admitted she would give “everything” to her baby boy.
“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,” the singer said. “Having a vision of this moment for so long … it was such an electrifying feeling.”
“My son definitely dictates everything now,” Ashanti continued. “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 admitted her son — whose first name means “generous, kind and dignified” — resembled Nelly shortly after his birth, but the little one is now her “twin.”
“In the beginning, he was definitely resembling Nelly more. But now? Oh my gosh — he’s my twin,” she gushed.
Nelly already has a daughter, Chanelle, and son, Cornell. with his ex-girlfriend Channetta Valentine; he adopted his nephew Shawn and niece Sydney following the death of their mother in 2005.
