Fat Joe is excited to meet Nelly and Ashanti’s baby!
On Sunday, June 30, the 53-year-old rapper posted a photo on Instagram of himself posing with the expectant parents — along with his wife, Lorena Cartagena — in front of a bright yellow and white balloon display at a baby shower thrown in their honor.
“Today we had a Baby Shower, I love you my sister I’m sooooooo happy for yall guys GOD IS GREAT @ashanti @nelly @lolamilan1,” Fat Joe captioned the snapshot.
For the occasion, Fat Joe — whose real name is Joseph Cartagena — wore a patterned shirt with dark pants, while his wife sported a pink minidress with a seashell-inspired print.
Fat Joe/Instagram
Nelly, 49, opted for a sleek all-black ensemble for the celebration, while Ashanti, 43, rocked a gold and white ensemble that highlighted her baby bump. This is the couple’s first child together.
According to a video shared on Instagram, the baby shower was a surprise for Ashanti, who appeared shocked when she walked into the party.
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The parents-to-be have had quite an exciting year. In April, they revealed that they were engaged and expecting a baby together in an Essence article. “This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation,” Ashanti told the magazine at the time.
“Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience,” she added.
Following the engagement announcement, PEOPLE confirmed earlier this month that the couple is actually already married. They secretly tied the knot on Dec. 27, 2023.
ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty
Ashanti opened up to Entertainment Tonight in June about Nelly’s “beautiful” and “intimate” proposal, which she said she wasn’t expecting at the moment. She revealed that the two were hanging out at home together at the time, and said she “definitely had one of his T-shirts and his boxers” on when he popped the question.
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“I felt like it was gonna come soon,” she said of the proposal. “I didn’t know when. And the way that it happened was just so funny.” Nevertheless, Ashanti recalled feeling “overjoyed and shocked and surprised and happy” when Nelly asked her to marry him.
