Nelly and Ashanti still looked to be in their honeymoon phase at his annual Black and White ball on Sunday, December 15.
The “Over and Over” singer, 50, and the “Only U” songstress, 44, were “looking more in love than ever,” a source exclusively tells In Touch.
The pair took to the stage and did a playful rendition of Ashanti’s song “Baby,” as she was pregnant with the couple’s first child during the gala in 2023. They changed up the lyrics and sang to each other, “We made a baby baby baby.”
The couple welcomed a son named Kareem Kenkaide Haynes on July 18. Nelly’s real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr.
“They were playful and loving and telling everyone what a good baby KK is and that he lights up when he is around his daddy,” the insider gushed.
While guests wore both black and white ensembles, Ashanti went with the former, rocking a backless black sequin gown with long sleeves. Her husband looked dapper in an all-black tuxedo.
This was the 12th year that Nelly held his Black and White Ball. The event went down at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. While Nelly was born in Austin, Texas, he was raised in St. Louis and the gala raises money for local charities as well as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In addition to Nelly and Ashanti using their talents to entertain guests, other artists joined in at the event, which included performances by headliner Ne-Yo, Metro Boomin, Jermaine Dupri, J-Kwon and Bow Wow.
The past 12 months have seen the “Air Force Ones” rapper have so many memorable milestones, and a video was shown at the ball highlighting some of Nelly’s most incredible moments. It included his marriage to Ashanti, their son’s birth, Nelly’s 50th birthday party in November and the announcement of his upcoming world tour, Where’s the Party At tour.
Nelly and Ashanti first began dating in 2003 before splitting in 2013. The couple found their way back to each other, first being spotted at a boxing match together in April 2023.
The “Hot in Herre” singer confirmed they were back together during a September 12, 2023, appearance on YouTube’s Boss Moves with Rasheeda.
“Yeah. We cool again,” Nelly explained to hosts Rasheeda Frost and Kirk Frost. “We cool again. I think it surprised both of us, though. It wasn’t anything that was, like, I don’t think planned. I think we both was pretty much doing what we do. But sometimes being separate, you understand one another more.”
“We all can be defensive sometimes in our relationships and we know we wrong but we gonna stand on it,” the “Ride Wit Me” rapper added, explaining he and Ashanti were in different places when they first started dating. “When you got so many people in the middle of it, it can be tough.”
Ashanti confirmed the couple was engaged and she was pregnant in an April 17 interview with Essence.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation. 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,” she told the outlet.
However, TMZ discovered via public records in June that the couple already tied the knot on December 27, 2023.
