Ashanti and her husband, rapper Nelly, are opening up about their life with 11-month-old son Kareem Kenkaide Haynes, (KK), and how their parenting styles mix and sometimes collide in a new interview.
In an exclusive interview with People Magazine, the couple shared what it’s been like raising a baby boy while also filming their new reality series, Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together. Ashanti, 43, described herself as being “very mama bear-ish” when it comes to KK.
“We have to boil everything and sanitize everything. Everything has to be organic. His sheets are organic, his socks, food-grade silicone, everything,” she shared. “I’m just very, very protective.”
Nelly, 50, already a dad to four children from previous relationships, brings a different energy to the parenting table, one that’s more relaxed, but no less intentional. “I think I understand a little bit more about children,” he said in their interview. “They learn more on their own.”
While Ashanti leans into being “motherly overprotective,” Nelly classifies himself as “safety overprotective.” For him, it’s about giving KK the tools to grow into his independence. “If they don’t learn certain things by the time they reach a certain age, we’re going to pay for that, I promise you,” he explained. “And it’s going to backfire on us in a big way.”
Despite the different approaches, the love and respect between them is real. “She’s great,” Nelly said of Ashanti’s motherhood journey. “I have no complaints. I wish all mothers could see the way that she get down a little bit. You wish every kid had that type of love.”
Nelly also opened up about his own childhood and how it informs the kind of father he’s trying to be today. “I’m just trying to be a better father than I had. And don’t get it twisted, I love my father, but I’ve been through a lot,” he said.
And Ashanti? She’s not just leaning on instinct she’s got her powerhouse “Momager” Tina Douglas by her side. “Yeah, Momager is a whole different beast,” she joked. “I’m very grateful.”
Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together is streaming now on Peacock, giving fans a front-row seat to a love story that’s raising the next generation.
Photo Credit: BCKOnline.com; @wayupwithyee/Ashanti Instagram
