Nelly juggled diapers and reality TV as he opened up about raising a newborn at 50 while preparing to debut a new series with Ashanti on Peacock.
The Hip-Hop veteran and the R&B singer welcomed their first child together, Kareem Kenkaide, in July 2023, just months after tying the knot.
Now, the couple is pulling back the curtain on their home life in Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together, premiering Thursday, June 26.
During an appearance on NBC’s Today, Nelly didn’t hold back about the realities of parenting later in life.
“Listen, I told her before we had this baby, I said, ‘Now listen, I’m here. But chasing toddlers at 50…'” he said, trailing off with a laugh.
He added, “I said, ‘As many as you want, but as many nannies as we can afford.’ I pay for a professional chaser.”
Ashanti, 44, also spoke about the adjustment to motherhood, admitting in the show’s trailer, “KK is my first child, so I’m a little more frantic.”
Nelly chimed in with his own laid-back approach: “My parenting style is just don’t burn down the house.” The couple’s new docuseries promises a behind-the-scenes look at their day-to-day lives, from parenting to performing.
“We are really in real life managing our lives together, our child, our careers, traveling, getting those moments, the cameras, it’s a lot,” Ashanti said on Today.
Nelly is no stranger to fatherhood. He shares two adult children—Chanelle Haynes, 31, and Cornell “Tre” Haynes III, 26—with his ex-girlfriend, Chanetta Valentine.
In 2005, he also adopted his late sister Jackie’s children, Shawn “Lil Shawn” Thomas Jr. and Sydney Thomas.
Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together premieres June 26 on Peacock.