Ari Lennox

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ari Lennox's journey with Dreamville began when her music circulated the label's team in 2015, and founder J. Cole wanted her to work with him on references for Rihanna. She signed with the label in December 2015 and immediately guest performed on their compilation *Revenge of the Dreamers II* on the track "Backseat" with Cozz. She later appeared on J. Cole's song "Change" and performed as an opening act on the 4 Your Eyez Only Tour during 2017. Her debut album *Shea Butter Baby* was released on May 7, 2019, and she supported Lizzo on the Cuz I Love You Too Tour from July to October of 2019. On April 24, 2025, Ari Lennox officially left Dreamville Records after months of conflicts with the label, remaining an Interscope Records artist. She released her third studio album *Vacancy* on January 23, 2026, her first album since her departure from Dreamville.

In Their Own Story

In 2015, Ari Lennox's music began circulating the Dreamville Records team, and its founder J. Cole wanted her to work with him on references for Rihanna. She signed with the label in December 2015, becoming the first female artist on the roster. That same month, she appeared on the compilation *Revenge of the Dreamers II* on the track "Backseat" with Cozz. The following year, she made an uncredited guest appearance on Cole's song "Change" and later performed as an opening act on the 4 Your Eyez Only Tour during 2017. Her debut album *Shea Butter Baby* was released on May 7, 2019, and she supported Lizzo on the Cuz I Love You Too Tour from July to October of 2019. On April 24, 2025, after months of conflicts with the label, Ari Lennox officially left Dreamville Records, remaining an Interscope Records artist. She released her third studio album *Vacancy* on January 23, 2026, her first album since her departure from Dreamville.

Reader's Guide

Ari Lennox is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Washington, D.C. who signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records in December 2015 as the label's first female artist. Her role within the Dreamville universe began when her music circulated the label's team and J. Cole wanted her to work on references for Rihanna. She made her first appearance on a Dreamville project on *Revenge of the Dreamers II* (2015) on the track "Backseat" with Cozz. She later made an uncredited guest appearance on Cole's song "Change" and performed as an opening act on the 4 Your Eyez Only Tour during 2017. Her debut album *Shea Butter Baby* was released on May 7, 2019, and she supported Lizzo on the Cuz I Love You Too Tour from July to October of 2019. She also performed on the Dreamville compilation *Revenge of the Dreamers III* (2019), which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. On April 24, 2025, Ari Lennox officially left Dreamville Records after months of conflicts with the label, remaining an Interscope Records artist. She released her third studio album *Vacancy* on January 23, 2026, her first album since her departure from Dreamville.

Did You Know?

• Ari Lennox's stage name was influenced by Mary Lennox, a character in the film adaptation of *The Secret Garden* (1993).
• She was the first female artist signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records in 2015.
• Her 2021 single 'Pressure' marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
• She made an uncredited guest appearance on J. Cole's song 'Change' in 2016.
• On April 24, 2025, she officially left Dreamville Records after months of conflicts with the label.