Nelly recently opened up about how he and his wife, Ashanti, plan to celebrate the holiday season with their 17-month-old son, KK.

“Since Ashanti and I haven’t been married for very long, our main tradition is simply being together,” he revealed in an exclusive conversation with Hello! Magazine, ahead of his scheduled performance at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball 2025 in New York City on December 12.

He noted that both he and Ashanti understand the unique challenges of working in the entertainment industry, which has influenced their approach to spending quality holiday time as a family.

“Given that both of us are part of the entertainment world, there are times we might find ourselves pulled in different directions,” he explained. “Our first tradition is ensuring we’re together for the holidays.”

In another chat with Extra, Nelly offered a lighthearted glimpse into their home life with little KK.

In a separate interview with Extra, Nelly shared a playful update about life at home with KK.

“He’s walking. He thinks he’s such a big boy… He just loves pushing everything. He takes the luggage, and he just wants to push it with the wheels,” he said.

Beyond family life, Nelly also spoke about his longtime commitment to giving back through the Black and White Ball, a charitable event he hosts in his hometown of St. Louis to support students and community members.

“The Black and White Ball is something that I’ve been doing with my city for well over 20+ years,” he shared. “It’s where we come together, we raise money, we give scholarships to needy students and people in my city.”

This year’s event held special meaning, as Nelly announced scholarships for students attending the only HBCU in St. Louis. “And this year we’re giving away two scholarships to the only HBCU in Saint Louis. Shout out to Harris Stowe State College, and [to be] continued.”

Nelly and Ashanti first met at the 2003 Grammy Awards. After years of friendship, collaboration, time apart, and a reunion, the pair quietly married in December 2023.