BIG BROOD: Ashanti wants 12 kids with Nelly!

R&B star ASHANTI is saving up a fortune so she can semi-retire and play mom to 12 kids.The singer/songwriter, who is dating rapper Nelly, admits to having motherhood on her mind, but she wants to amass a small fortune before she becomes a mum - so she can be comfortable financially. The savvy star holds back on buying expensive treats and instead saves the millions she gets from her film and music careers.

She says, "I need, like, 12 (kids)... I love kids. I definitely want to get married... I'm so family oriented. I want the big wedding, I want the long marriage, I want kids. "(But) I've got to stack my cheese a little bit more... I want to be able to bring my kids into the world nice and comfortable." Ashanti tells Sister 2 Sister magazine she's taking time to learn about how to become a successful businesswoman. She adds, "First of all, you have to read everything. If you can't then you hire someone that you can trust that can help you read every single contract.

"It's all about your advisors. If you don't know, take a business class." And the 27-year-old singer has learned so much, she's now planning to start her own record label, called Written Entertainment.