Ashanti has shared the meaning behind her newborn son’s name, Kareem Kenkaide.
Born on July 18, the arrival of Kareem brought emotional and spiritual joy to Ashanti and her husband, Nelly.
The couple rekindled their relationship earlier this year and chose the name to celebrate familial ties and cultural heritage.
“Kenkaide is my dad’s name, and obviously my dad has only girls,” Ashanti told Entertainment Tonight, explaining the personal significance.
She added that Kareem, which means “generous, kind, and dignified” in Arabic, was selected with deep thought, a final decision made by Nelly with great pride.
The 43-year-old singer shared that Kareem came earlier than expected, prompting Nelly to rush for the birth.
“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,” she recalled.
Since welcoming her first child, Ashanti admitted her life has fundamentally shifted, with her son becoming her top priority.
“My son definitely dictates everything now. 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,” Ashanti said, adding, “this little boy has my entire soul wrapped around his finger.”
The couple tied the knot in December last year, marking a new chapter after initially dating in the early 2000s and reuniting this year.
Kareem is Ashanti’s first child, while Nelly, known for his prominent career in Hip-Hop, has four other children: son Cornell Hayes III and daughter Chanelle from a previous relationship, as well as two children he adopted from his late stepsister, Jaqueline Donahue, in 2005.
