(hollyscoop.com) - While it's been common knowledge in the gossip world since 2003, neither Nelly nor Ashanti ever publicly admitted to being a couple. Something must have changed because Nelly was willing to talk to People about the fact that there's more than friendship going on between them. "That's the thing between me and her, we just like having fun," he said at LAVO club in Vegas yesterday. When asked if things were getting serious, he said, "I think it's always serious, when you can hang with a person continuously...and have fun." Nelly was there partying it up in celebration of his 34th birthday, but Ashanti was nowhere to be found. Even though she was in Japan, we imagine she and the birthday boy will have their own private party when she gets back to the US.