Ari Lennox is stepping into her new era, and it won’t be at Dreamville Records! The ‘Shea Butter Baby’ songstress has officially parted ways with J. Cole’s record label after a decade of hits and some serious shade thrown. Ari, who’s been reppin’ Dreamville since 2015, has recently taken to social media to call out Dreamville for slacking on her career, from lackluster promo to feeling ignored.
RELATED: Ari Lennox Reveals Why She Plans To Step Away From Social Media By The End Of The Year
Ari Lennox Parts Ways With Dreamville Records
TMZ Hip Hop revealed on Thursday, April 23, that the 34-year-old’s exit from Dreamville was finalized earlier this year. The publication reports that both parties separated on good terms. Additionally, Ari negotiated to stay with Interscope Records, Dreamville Records’ parent company.
Ari didn’t hold back when she aired her issues with Dreamville late last year. On October 29, 2024, she hopped on Instagram for an 18-minute rant, calling out the label for neglecting her career.
“Interscope and Dreamville have been playing with me all month, and I’m so exhausted,” she said at the time. Ari appeared to be pissed about the lack of promotion for her single ‘Smoke.’ The D.C. native accused the labels of lying and manipulating her, saying, “Not one person at those labels ever knew how to market or protect me.”
The Roomies Showed Ari Nothing But Love
The comments section on TSR’s post was filled with love and support for the singer as she embarks on a new chapter.
@ntunga.abantu wrote, “You know an artist is about to elevate when they leave their record label 🔥🔥😮💨”
@elgincharles added, “She is a tremendous talent who needs better backing. Upward & onward. 🤘🏽🤎”
@andyygirl818 wrote, “Good For Her! That Shea Butter Baby Album So Freaking Good!”
@katrinatheartist commented, “Yea she should be much bigger she is so talented and down to earth❤️”
@the_realnelli expressed, “She was never pushed the way she deserved! She’s so 🔥 and needs a better team behind her.”
Meanwhile, @shawnamariee wrote, “J.Cole don’t have anything to do with this. Keep him out of it. It’s management.”
@lumii.ig wrote, “She was being held back.. I’m extremely happy for her 🥳”
@jaybiez commented, “She makes great music I wish her nothing but the best ! May talent win ❤️”
@neekbey added, “i believe her. she should’ve been had her ‘baduizm’ type of album out”
@diamondboythahustla shared, “Never sign to another artist. Have people not learned yet? Their career is more important than yours.”
Kehlani And T-Pain Had Her Back Amid Label Issues
Fans quickly showed their support amid Ari’s label issues, and so did artists like Kehlani. The singer hopped in the comments of one of Ari’s posts following her passionate rant, reminding her of how loved she is: “You’re so special. A lot of us feel you. You’re so so so so so special and so necessary & generationally talented.”
T-Pain also left a comment, dropping some words about his journey going independent after his label drama. He told Ari Lennox the transition is “tough,” but she’s smart enough to take control of her career.
“I knew if I just gave you a little perspective from recent experience, I’ll at least spark something that you can take and absolutely kill this sh*t on your own and be your own boss,” he wrote.
