Ari Lennox has been a part of Dreamville Records from day one. She was the first female artist and first vocalist to appear on the label and has been part of the Dreamville compilation to date. Lennox has shown great musical chemistry over the years with the likes of J. Cole and JID. Unfortunately, Dreamers Revenge’s solidarity doesn’t extend to the business side. Ari Lennox took to Instagram on Tuesday night to blast the brand for mishandling her career.
Ari Lennox pointed out that Dreamville and its parent label Interscope failed to prioritize her career. She claims both parties have been “playing with her all month” and she’s had enough. She also accused Dreamville of being clueless on how to market her strengths as an artist. “I’m tired of people treating me like they feel sorry for me, like I’m the face of mental health,” she said. “I’m fine, I’ve never been happier. What I don’t like is being signed, being lied to, and being manipulated.” Ali later claimed, “No one at these labels knows how to market or protect me.”
Ari Lennox slams Dreamville for failing to market her
Ari Lennox may have decided to take off the gloves, but she’s still hinting there’s more drama going on behind the scenes. “You don’t know the half of it,” she added. “Constant disappointment and neglect. This industry stuff was never going to be for me.” The caption she provided in her Instagram message may be the most damning indictment of Dreamville and Interscope. “I want to terminate my contract,” she wrote. Lennox also tagged both.
Ari Lennox posted the text message at the same time as she also went on an Instagram Live for nearly twenty minutes to express her dissatisfaction with Dreamville. “I feel like I’m being played,” she repeated. Ari Lennox has told fans she’s willing to put up with other record label shortcomings as long as she can put out her own music. However, when she started getting bogged down by the delays, she decided to go directly to her fans to clarify why she hadn’t blessed them with another album yet. It will be interesting to see how Dreamville responds to Ari Lennox’s public comments.
About the author
Elias Andrews is the music and entertainment writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in 2024 as chief night writer, which means he covers new releases every week. In the year since joining, Elias has covered some of the biggest, most tumultuous stories in music. He’s been covering Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s battle on the fly, especially with the release of topics like “Family Matters” and “Meet the Grahams.” He also detailed a list of ongoing allegations and criminal charges against Diddy. Elias’ favorite artists are Andre 3000, MF Doom, pre-808s Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator. He likes L.A. hip-hop, but not L.A. sports teams. The first album he bought was Will Smith’s “Big Willie Style,” which he thinks still sounds great.
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