Ashanti hinted she wants to marry Nelly

Singer-songwriter Ashanti performs the national anthem prior to Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball championship in Los Angeles, June 15, 2008. [Agencies]

Ashanti has hinted she wants to marry Nelly. The 27-year-old singer refused to confirm she is dating the 33-year-old rapper, but insists she spends a lot of time with him and would love to settle down soon.

When asked if she was engaged to Nelly, Ashanti held up her left hand to show a bare ring finger and laughed: "Oh no. Noooo! No engagement. But definitely in the future. Ha ha!"

She added to People magazine: "Me and Nelly, we're good friends. We kick it - hang out a lot. The industry is very hard, so it's good to have fun and lighten it up." Ashanti also revealed how the couple relax after a hard day's work.

She added: "The one thing we do a lot of lately is listen to my new album, 'The Declaration'." It was reported earlier this year the couple had got engaged, but the story was later denied.