Ari Lennox came to prominence as one of Dreamville Records' brightest stars in the 2010s decade, but the R&B and soul singer is reportedly moving elsewhere. According to TMZ Hip Hop, she and the label quietly parted ways.
Now, it looks like the Washington, D.C. native will share new music exclusively under Interscope Records, which dropped her "Soft Girl Era" single last year. In addition, the publication reported no signs of animosity between Lennox and Dreamville. The split was "friendly and drama-free" with "no bad blood," according to TMZ Hip Hop and AllHipHop.
Also, this comes just a few weeks after Ari Lennox gave her last performance under J. Cole's label at the final Dreamville Fest this April. "Thank you for making my dreams a reality," she reportedly told the label in a thankful message onstage.
Why Did Ari Lennox Leave Dreamville?
For those unaware, this split occurred about six months after the 34-year-old called Dreamville and Interscope out for mishandling her marketing and not supporting her enough. She publicly asked them to release her from her contract.
"Interscope and Dreamville have been playing with me all month and I’m so exhausted," Ari Lennox wrote on her Instagram Story last October. "I’m so tired of people treating me like they’re sorry for me and like I’m the face of mental health. I’m ok and I’ve never been happier. What I don’t like is being signed and lied to and manipulated. Not one person at those labels ever knew how to market or protect me. Y’all don’t know the half. Constant let down and neglect. This industry stuff will never be for me."
"It’s not okay so I just want to be released and it’s just that simple," she expressed in a follow-up video. "This was my final straw. I have communicated effectively and no one cares, so we’re here, in toxic-a** social media world." Lennox had previously taken a social media break. Her issues seem to stem from the lack of support for a previous single.
Ari Lennox signed with Dreamville Records in 2015. Her 2019 debut album, Shea Butter Baby, was followed up by age/sex/location in 2022.
