Ashanti and Nelly dated between 2003 and 2013, spending nearly a decade together. In September 2023, Nelly confirmed the two were back together.
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The Gist:
After meeting Ashanti in 2003, Nelly and the “Rain on Me” singer began dating sometime after.
The two were in a relationship for nearly a decade before parting ways.
In a September 2023 interview, we learned that Nelly and Ashanti were giving their relationship a second try.
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As the saying goes, what’s old can become new again. And Ashanti and Nelly’s relationship is a testament to that. There was a point in time when Ashanti and Nelly were considered one of hip-hop’s power couples during their relationship.
Unfortunately, things between the couple fizzled out, and Ashanti and Nelly went their separate ways.
But, in 2022, fans began speculating that the musicians might be giving their relationship another shot. After all, they were seen being cordial with each other at Fat Joe and Ja Rule’s September 2021 Verzuz Battle and performed together at Oakland Arena in August 2022. So, what gives? Are Ashanti and Nelly really rekindling their romance? Before we get to the tea, let’s explore their relationship timeline.
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Ashanti and Nelly first met at a 2003 Grammy Awards press conference.
It all started at a press conference for the 2003 Grammy Awards.
According to HITC, Ashanti and Nelly first met each other there and made a connection.
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“The first time I met Nelly he asked me for my autograph, but I think he was being sarcastic and I remember writing it down on the program,” Ashanti said in VH1’s Behind the Music special, via the Rap-Up. “That picture has been in so many publications as something else, but it all started out as a joke. For the record, it took him a long time to get my number.”
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After their 2003 meet-up, industry insiders became aware that Ashanti and Nelly were an item.
Privacy is important for a successful relationship. After Ashanti and Nelly met each other in 2003, it was clear that the two became an item shortly after. Per Cheat Sheet, the “Foolish” songstress and the “Country Grammar” MC dated quietly for a decade.
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Although photos of the pair spending time together made their rounds — along with flirty encounters in music videos (2009’s “Body on Me”) — the pair never publicly confirmed their relationship at the time. Nelly was even considering popping the question to Ashanti. In a 2010 interview with the Rap-Up, Nelly opened up about wanting to take the next step.
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“I think you really have to be friends first. It’s not about how long it takes,” Nelly told the outlet.“I’m not a person that wants to get married more than once. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it. You’re dying if you leave me.”
Interestingly, Ashanti and Nelly’s relationship ended in April 2014, after 11 years of being on-again-off-again.
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Ashanti seemingly alluded to being betrayed by Nelly on ‘The Meredith Vieira Show’ in 2015.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Although Ashanti has always remained mum about her relationship with Nelly, fans believed that she shared insight into the demise of their relationship.
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In an appearance on The Meredith Vieira Show in 2015, Ashanti spoke about being “betrayed” and “moving forward.”
“I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities, it allows them to act out of character,” Ashanti shared. “I’ve been betrayed. You just have to grow. You have to grow up. You have to accept responsibility for the things that you do. I’m not a big fan of people being cowards.”
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Additionally, Ashanti famously threw shade at Nelly during a 2018 concert. Someone in the audience shouted, “F–k Nelly!” Ashanti proceeded to say, “Word,” while pointing at the individual.
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Fans were hopeful that Ashanti and Nelly would get back together.
Everyone adores a love story and in the hip-hop world, Ashanti and Nelly were a fan-favorite couple. And since the pair reunited on stage for a performance of their 2008 hit “Body on Me” at the Oakland Arena, fans grew hopeful that their flirty behavior signified a reunion.
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Additionally, Nelly also made it a point to throw shade at Irv Gotti. Irv recently talked about his alleged relationship with Ashanti years ago. During his Drink Champs interview, Irv discussed learning about Ashanti and Nelly’s relationship by watching a basketball game the pair attended together.
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Of course, word got back to Nelly and the St. Louis MC made it a point to take a dig at Irv. Per GlockTopickz’s Twitter page, at the end of Ashanti and Nelly’s performance, the 47-year-old fired off a timely joke.
“Ayo, I got floor seats to the next game, what’s happening?” he said to Ashanti as she walked off stage. Ashanti immediately bent over and started laughing. Well played Mr. Pimp Juice.
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Shortly after the Fat Joe and Ja Rule Verzuz Battle, Ashanti, Joe, and Ja Rule spoke about her run-in with Nelly since reconciliation rumors went into overdrive.
“Listen, there’s nothing happening,” Ashanti said at the time. “Now look, this is the crazy part. I had no idea he was gonna be there, and I haven’t seen him or spoken to him since we broke up. Six years or something? So, I didn’t know what to expect. I seen him move you out the way.”
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Ja Rule shared that “Nelly is single now,” to which Ashanti quickly shut down by saying, “Yeah, but I ain’t! So …” While the songstress may have been off the market at that time, the two have managed to find their way back to one another.
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Nelly and Ashanti starting dating again in 2023.
During a September 2023 episode of Boss Moves with Rasheeda, Nelly told the Love & Hip Hop:Atlanta alum, “Yeah. We cool again,” confirming to fans that he and Ashanti were back on. Then, for Ashanti’s 43rd birthday, Nelly surprised the singer with an iced out necklace and watch.
Since word broke that Nelly and Ashanti are back together, the two have regularly been posting footage and photos of one another on their respective Instagram pages. While we’re so excited to see the two back at it, the pressing question remains: Will Nelly and Ashanti finally get married?
An NFL tailgater found a brilliant way to kill two birds with one stone: get the cost of his game day tickets covered while enjoying some beers.
Source: TikTok | @ronnydoitche
Tailgating is about as time-honored a tradition as stanning for K-Pop groups on Twitter by doxxing anyone who says anything bad about your favorite 17-woman group.
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And while you could pretty much tailgate anywhere you can park a car and bust out a cooler of drinks and a portable grill, the practice is often most closely associated with NFL fans who vehemently debate whether or not Tom Brady would be able to survive under the rule set that other greats like Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw among many others.
That’s usually what one thinks of when tailgating: a group of fans pre-gaming while rocking their favorite jerseys and day drinking, presumably in a bid to make the game more enjoyable while they scar their vocal cords as they say things about the referees who probably would’ve gotten them banned from social media.
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What one doesn’t consider, is how fans can, before the game, earn a few bucks while engaging in some friendly drinking competitions with their fellow pigskin lovers.
But that’s exactly what this industrious fan did.
Source: TikTok | @ronnydoitche
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Ronny Doitche (@ronnydoitche) has posted several TikTok clips that demonstrate his beer chugging prowess, whether it’s rocking crazy-looking, quad-bottle holders to help him slam multiple Miller High Lifes at the same time, or sitting outside of a McDonald’s and pouring out and pounding down a Grimace Shake Jager Bomb, the man sure knows how to get creative with his unique skill.
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In what is perhaps the most brilliant display of mixing business with pleasure when it comes to drinking beer in a stadium parking lot before a football game, Ronny set up a table with a cooler and multiple plastic cups and decided to record himself absolutely smashing folks who thought they could out chug the quick-beer-drinking maven.
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Source: TikTok | @ronnydoitche
In a clip that’s garnered over 18.7 million views, Ronny can be seen sitting behind this table. His face: stoic, presumably fixated on the task at hand: to take as many $20 bills from unsuspecting NFL game attendees as possible.
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A sign on the table reads: “$100 to your $20 I can chug a Friday beer faster than you change my mind.”
An unsuspecting participant approaches Ronny at the table and puts $20 into his jar as he says, “Go Patriots.”
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The two men cheers and they begin to chug: Ronny’s is gone in an instant as the challenger is still drinking from his own cup.
Source: TikTok | @ronnydoitche
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Another NFL fan tries his luck and Ronny seemingly gives him a head start, but he summarily loses, earning Ronny another $20 in the process. The third guy puts up a better fight, but ultimately falls to Ronny.
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Source: TikTok | @ronnydoitche
While the video shows a fourth competitor, someone off camera remarks that Ronny was already “10 beers deep” at this point, signifying he’s already managed to earn $200 from his tailgating venture. This individual watches the chug champ best him, and doesn’t even bother to attempt to chug any longer.
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Source: TikTok | @ronnydoitche
No matter who steps up to test their mettle against Ronny, they can’t seem to match his speed, but everyone, to their credit, takes it well. By the end of it, according to a caption he appended to his post, he was $440 richer, which, depending on the tickets he bought for the game, should more than cover the cost of his ticket and the beers he brought to the parking lot.
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Source: TikTok | @ronnydoitche
TikTokers who bore witness to Ronny’s chugging excellence seemed just as impressed as everyone else watching on in the video. Like this person who wrote: “It seemed like he just kept getting faster each time lol I could never do that”
While another was just impressed with his hustle: “Dudes making money by drinking beer. I need this talent lol”
In trying to explain the economic divide between Boomers and younger generations, one man figures out that the latter doesn’t benefit from work.
It feels like younger generations hear certain phrases from Boomers all the time about our work ethic, lifestyle, and expectations. Most of all, they call us “lazy” and say that we don’t want to work anymore. In reality, many of us have been working since we were teenagers and are still holding down challenging jobs.
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These conversations can be especially tricky during the holidays when older family members blame us for any financial shortcomings. “At your age, I had already bought my second home and had a child,” they might say. Luckily, comedian Brendon Lemon was able to make the logical argument on TikTok as to why younger generations don’t actually benefit from work.
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Comedian Brendon Lemon figured out why younger generations don’t want to work — there’s no benefit.
When talking to his Boomer dad and uncles, Brendon made a point about the difference in generations and our expectations. “Why do people expect work to be good?” Brendon’s Boomer relatives tell him. “It’s not supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be comfortable, that’s why you call it work. We didn’t expect it to be comfortable, we labored in uncomfortable situations, and we did it in order to make a living. We didn’t expect luxuries. You guys expect luxuries.”
What luxuries do millennials and Gen Z expect? Sure, offices lure us in with nice coffee machines, ping pong tables, and in-office bars, but no one is asking for that. Those are all just distractions from low pay and even lower growth opportunities. Maybe if the office is nice, we won’t want to leave a job that takes us for granted as quickly. But at the end of the day, all people really want is enough money and time to have a life outside of work.
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“Who’s telling them that we want luxury?” Brendon asks. “And that for some reason we’re unwilling to put up with uncomfortable situations? All of us worked through college! I don’t know a single person who didn’t have a job, who didn’t work almost full-time all the way through college, even though they were going to college full-time.”
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“Secondly, most of us are just asking for healthcare and affordable housing. I don’t understand where the concept of luxury is coming from. A place to sleep and have some money to buy food and then maybe go out every once in a while is most of what people are asking for. And not to be terrified of future and retirement and dying poor and lonely.”
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But an emotional argument can only take us so far. When Brendon gets into actual statistics, it’s terrifying what we can see and how the future looks for future generations. Since 2000, there has been 62.34 percent inflation total.
For example, something that would have cost $5.38 in 2000 now costs at least $8.73. The CPI (Consumer Price Index) has increased by 500 percent since 1970, and college tuition has increased by 1,550 percent. But there has only been a 10 percent increase in wages. That’s a recipe for disaster!
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Not only that, but Brendon added the data about how Baby Boomers have blocked career progression and wage increases for younger generations by not retiring. All of this data shows one very important fact — it isn’t that millennials and Gen Z don’t want to work. It’s that working isn’t worth it anymore. Because even if we do everything our parents did, we won’t be able to afford even half the life they wanted for us.
One person even commented that they make more than their parents combined, who owned three houses, and they can’t even afford to buy one house. Others pointed out that the basic necessities of internet, cell phones, and a place to live are suddenly being equated with “luxuries.”
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Someone else added that not only does work not benefit us, but it also doesn’t seem to benefit society. Most of the high-paying jobs are for large corporations who take advantage of the Earth’s natural resources and lower-rung employees, all while benefiting one rich guy at the top who donates to campaigns we disagree with.
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Millennials have been working for at least a decade, if not longer. They would know by now if work was worth it, but if anything, many of our lives have gotten harder instead of easier.
Millennials had the technology to warn Gen Z, and they’re now learning the same thing and how to make money through other avenues, such as NFTs and influencer marketing, which may not seem like “work” to Boomers.
So yes, the Boomers are right, to a degree. We don’t want to work, because what’s the point?
It’s kind of hard to imagine Boomers struggling financially when they have things like three cars and one airplane parked in their driveway.
I think about money a lot. I’m definitely someone who has had to check their bank account before making any significant purchases. By the way in this scenario, significant can be anything from dinner to a concert ticket. There has rarely been a time in my life when I haven’t mostly lived paycheck-to-paycheck. Let’s just say, I know how to budget and cut a corner. My corners have been so cut I am living in a circle, baby!
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My situation has often been exacerbated by the fact that my mother, who is a well-meaning and supportive member of the Boomer generation, doesn’t always understand my financial struggles. Despite the fact that she is now retired and living on a fixed income, a luxury I doubt I will ever see, she often thinks I’ve spent money incorrectly. This is why I understand the frustration felt by one TikToker who doesn’t need advice from Boomers when some of them have planes parked in their driveways.
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Despite what you think, it’s not OK, Boomers.
Paige, who goes by @sheisapaigeturner on TikTok, is tired of explaining the ridiculous cost of living to a generation who kind of had a hand in making things bad. It seems as if any time Paige dares to express her concern over the astronomical price of childcare, some Boomer swoops in and demands she needs to “learn how to live within her means.”
It’s funny what kind of advice a person will give when they don’t have all the information. For example, if I wasn’t in possession of Paige’s entire financial portfolio I wouldn’t tell her that she’s spending her money incorrectly.
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On a personal note, I do see that my mother is usually out of the loop because she doesn’t live almost exclusively online like I do. If or when the television is on, it’s turned to HGTV or something on a streaming service she’s watching at the moment. She has Facebook and never logs on. All this to say, I kind of get when Boomers have no idea what is happening outside of their own world.
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Still, if you don’t know what’s happening then please don’t give unsolicited advice. And don’t filter someone else’s experiences through your own. This is the same kind of thinking that gets us the “I had to pay for college, so should you” crown when it comes to student loan forgiveness.
Paige then pulls from her own life to show just how out of touch Boomers are. Looking around her neighborhood, which she says is mostly members of that generation, Paige is able to deduce that they might not be on the same rung of the financial ladder.
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The house across the street from Paige has three cars in the driveway, which isn’t so bad until she explains only two people live there. Other than Jay Leno, who has an extra car? One of the cars is a collector’s item. When someone casually collects something I use for utilitarian purposes, that’s how I know they have money.
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That’s not the craziest part of this driveway. There is also an airplane in the driveway which begs the question, does Paige live across the street from John Travolta? Either that’s a big driveway or a very small plane.
Paige isn’t asking for a whole airplane at her house, she is merely on the hunt for affordable daycare. Gosh, maybe the neighbors can open up a facility in the plane. That would kill two birds with one stone.
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In what feels like some sort of prank, Paige then moves onto the house next to the plane place. They have four cars and a boat. I’m now thinking she must live by some sort of dealership.
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I’m going to say one thing in defense of these people. Unless I missed something, Paige is responding to other people who have told her to “stop being so materialistic.” A different group of Boomers have told Paige to curb her spending enthusiasm.
We have no idea who they are and how they reached such great heights, one of them literally. At the end of the day this is a systemic issue. Sadly we can’t control where we are or how we got here. We can only control, honestly nothing. Things are bleak!
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