Nelly says he wanted to marry Ashanti because he didn't want her to become just another "baby mama."
During an interview Bootleg Kev posted on Monday, March 24, Nelly opened up about reuniting with his now-wife during Ja Rule and Fat Joe's Verzuz battle in 2021. The "Country Grammar" rapper recalled greeting Ashanti at the event but didn't truly rekindle their relationship until eight months to a year later. Fast-forward to the end of 2023, Nelly and Ashanti officially became an item. He told Kev that the decision to get hitched happened shortly after the couple found out they were expecting their first child.
"We hadn't talked about [marriage] yet," Nelly explained. "We hadn't talked about any of that yet but I was like 'Yo, you know what, let's just knock this out because we're going to be doing so much and everything's moving so fast and I didn't want her to be a baby mama. We already knew where we were in life and if we're back like this, this must be what this is supposed to be."
Nelly and Ashanti first got together in 2003. They had an on-and-off relationship until they ultimately went their separate ways in 2013. The two officially got back together in 2023. They got married in Nelly's hometown in St. Louis but kept it a secret until mid-2024 when Ashanti formally announced her first pregnancy. The couple has been tight ever since and plans to spend the rest of their lives together.
Later in the conversation, Nelly also discussed how shocked he was when Ashanti honored him and presented him with the Landmark Award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Watch the entire interview below.