Ari Lennox has left J. Cole’s Dreamville Records after nearly 10 years following public frustrations with the label.
Ari Lennox has reportedly parted ways with Dreamville Records after nearly 10 years and will now release music exclusively through Interscope.
The R&B singer gave her final performance as a Dreamville artist at J. Cole’s final Dreamville Festival in April, where she publicly expressed appreciation for the label that helped launch her career.
“Thank you for making my dreams a reality,” she said on stage.
Her departure comes six months after publicly calling out Dreamville and Interscope in a heated Instagram Story post in October 2024.
“Interscope and Dreamville have been playing with me all month and I’m so exhausted,” she wrote. “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.”
Ari Lennox Calls For Dreamville Release
Lennox followed up with a heartfelt video where she directly called on her label to release her.
“It’s not okay so I just want to be released and it’s just that simple,” she explained. “This was my final straw. I have communicated effectively and no one cares, so we’re here, in toxic-ass social media world.”
Despite the public frustration, sources close to the situation told TMZ Hip-Hop the split was “friendly and drama-free,” with “no bad blood” between Lennox and the Dreamville team.
Lennox signed with Dreamville in 2015 and rose to prominence with her 2019 debut album Shea Butter Baby.
She released her latest single, “Soft Girl Era,” under Interscope, prompting some confusion online. Some listeners initially blamed Dreamville for the track’s direction before realizing it was an Interscope release.
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