Ashanti went above and beyond for Nelly’s 49th birthday celebration. The “Foolish” singer, 43, threw her boyfriend a surprise birthday party at Frost Bistro & Bar in Atlanta on Thursday, and PEOPLE has the exclusive info and photos from the intimate bash, which featured fellow stars, family members and lots of karaoke.

Nelly’s friends Rasheeda and Kirk Frost (who were in attendance) held the gathering at their restaurant, which was decorated by Ayuna Glitz Events with blue, white and gold balloons, lights, flowers and wrapped windows, doors and tables displaying photos of the “Hot in Herre” rapper and Ashanti.

Guests including Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox, T.I. and Tiny, Toya Johnson, Monica and more were greeted with a photo booth as they entered the establishment, before making their way to the main area, where a DJ was set up for karaoke — one of Nelly’s favorite hobbies.

Several surprises were in store throughout the evening. The couple’s family members were also in attendance, including Ashanti’s parents Tina and Ken-Kaide Douglas, Nelly’s four children, father Cornell Haynes Sr. and mother Rhonda Mack, whom Ashanti flew out to ATL in secret for the party.

As karaoke got started, one of Nelly’s friends began to sing Case’s “Touch Me Tease Me (Remix)” before the Grammy-nominated hip-hop star himself surprised the crowd and finished the song. He then sang “Missing You,” one of Nelly’s favorite songs, and the birthday boy joined in to sing along.

Later in the evening, Ashanti shared a video to Instagram of Nelly appearing to have a blast while performing King George’s “Keep on Rollin’.” Rasheeda left a comment on the post, writing “A MF vibbbbbbeeeee!!!!!”

The party’s food menu included comforting dishes of salmon, lemon pepper wings, chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, rice and peas, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. As for drinks, the bar was stocked with Nelly’s MoShine (moonshine crafted with Piedmont Distillers) in both peach and passionfruit flavors.

At the end of the night, Nelly was presented with blue, three-tiered vanilla cake (printed with his name in blue letters and a photo of the rapper) as he was serenaded with “Happy Birthday” by his close friends, loved ones and Grammy-winning girlfriend.

Ashanti celebrated her 43rd birthday last month, and videos released by The Shade Room at the time showed Nelly presenting her with a diamond chain necklace as well as a diamond-encrusted watch.

He also celebrated her birthday by posting a sweet Instagra, tribute. Alongside a montage of photos and video clips of the couple, Nelly wrote, “One time for the birthday girl…. Such a beautiful and incredible person inside and out and one of the hardest working women I know.”

The pair recently reunited after dating on and off for 10 years between 2003 and 2013. In September, Nelly confirmed they were back together during an appearance on the Boss Moves with Rasheeda show, saying the reconciliation “surprised both of us.”

“It wasn’t anything that we planned. We both were pretty much doing what we do,” he explained. “But sometimes being separate, you understand one another more. You could be like, ‘Well yo, let me exactly see maybe what they see.’ We all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it, you know what I mean? But we all a victim to that.”

Ashanti, meanwhile, sent her own not-so-subtle hint that she and Nelly are a couple again, carrying a clutch bag printed with a 20-year-old photo of the couple at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards in September.

At the event, she told PEOPLE she and Nelly are “in a great space,” adding, “Everything is positive. [We’re] having a lot of fun.”

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