Ashanti shares meaning of son's name, life as a mom: 'This little boy has my entire soul'

Ashanti is opening up about how Nelly came up with their son's meaningful name.

"His name is Kareem Kenkaide Haynes," the "Baby" singer said in an interview with ET. "His dad named him with a lot of pride."

"We were going back and forth for a long time on his name and he was very adamant," she added. "He was like this is what I want, I love this."

The singer said she thought it was "so sweet" that Nelly came up with that name because not only did she say that Kareem means generous, kind, noble, dignified, and bountiful, she said Kenkaide was a nod to her dad, who shares the same name.

"My dad has only girls, so Nelly was just like, 'I think that would be really really dope,'" Ashanti said. "This was all his idea."

Ashanti announced on Wednesday that she welcomed her son four weeks ago. A rep for the singer confirmed the news and told "Good Morning America" that Kareem's birthday is July 18.

"He actually came a little early," Ashanti said. "Dad had to fly in last minute which was awesome."

On childbirth, Ashanti said it was an "emotional and spiritual" feeling when it came to welcoming Kareem into the world with Nelly.

"Just all of these emotions happening at one time, just knowing that this is your person, this is your purpose, this is what it's supposed to be, and the three of us together -- we were all able to hold each other," said Ashanti, who also opened up about a moment with Nelly singing to their son to soothe him from crying in the hospital.

"It was incredible to watch just how confident and gentle and how soothing he is with his son," she said. "It was just an amazing, incredible feeling."

Ashanti and Nelly first started dating in 2003 and were together for 10 years before parting ways. The couple released the song "Body On Me," from Ashanti's album "The Declaration," with Akon in 2008.

Eight years after their breakup, in 2021, Ashanti and Nelly reconnected and rekindled their relationship.

In April 2024, Ashanti announced her engagement to Nelly and her pregnancy exclusively to ESSENCE.

As a new mom, Ashanti says life for her has changed, but for all the good reasons.

"It's just an immense feeling," she said. "When I look in his eyes, or when I pick him up and I kiss him, it's an overwhelming feeling of love and admiration and giving. This little boy has my entire soul wrapped around his finger."