Ari Lennox rose to fame as a top star at Dreamville Records in the 2010s. However, she is now said to be leaving the label. According to TMZ Hip Hop, she and Dreamville have quietly parted ways. The singer from Washington, D.C., plans to release new music through Interscope Records, which released her "Soft Girl Era" single last year. Reports say there is no bad blood between her and Dreamville. Both TMZ Hip Hop and AllHipHop describe the breakup as friendly and drama-free.
This news comes just weeks after she performed her last show with Dreamville at the final Dreamville Fest in April. She reportedly thanked the label onstage, saying, "Thank you for making my dreams a reality." The split happened about six months after Lennox publicly criticized both Dreamville and Interscope. She called out their lack of support and poor marketing. She asked to be released from her contract.
In October, Ari Lennox shared on Instagram that she was tired of her labels playing with her. She said she was tired of being treated like a victim or a symbol for mental health. She added she was happy and fine but frustrated with how she had been signed, lied to, and manipulated. She said no one at the labels knew how to market her or keep her safe. Lennox said she felt let down and ignored. She also mentioned that the industry wasn’t for her.
She explained in a video she just wanted to be released. It was her last straw. She said she had told them how she felt, but no one listened. She ended by criticizing the toxic social media environment. Her issues seem to come from a lack of support for her previous single.
Ari Lennox signed with Dreamville Records in 2015. Her debut album, Shea Butter Baby, came out in 2019. She followed it with her album age/sex/location in 2022.