Since the 2019 release of her debut album Shea Butter Baby, Ari Lennox has delivered a consistently impressive output when it comes to quality rather than quantity. She released its sophomore follow-up, age/sex/location, in 2022 — and despite a sporadic stream of one-off singles, another collection has yet to make its way into the world.
It sounds like it's not for lack of trying, though. Lennox took to Instagram last night (October 29) to vent her frustrations about Dreamville, the J. Cole-owned Interscope imprint she's signed to, admitting that she wants out of her record deal due to the label's "neglect."
In an 18-minute video that has since disappeared from her profile, the artist repeated profusely that she didn't even know where to begin with airing her grievances over working with Dreamville. "I try to do things the right way, and nobody takes me seriously," she said. "I'm trying to be respectful, but I feel played right now… I just wish I had a label that cared, that would want to protect me. I wish I had a label that was out here trying to explain why I need advertisement for my record."
In a follow-up Instagram Story post, she wrote, "Interscope and Dreamville have been playing with me all month and I'm so exhausted. 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," Lennox continued. "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."
See a screenshot of the Instagram Story post — as well as a screen recording of the 18-minute audio about why she wants out of her Dreamville contract — below.