Ari Lennox Airs Out Grievances With Interscope and Dreamville: 'I Want Out of My Contract'

Ari Lennox is publicly asking for Interscope and Dreamville to let her out of her record deal.

Overnight, Lennox, whose most recent album Age/Sex/Location arrived in September 2022 via the two labels (Dreamville has been in partnership with Interscope for a decade), shared several Instagram updates in which she elaborated on her issues with the current arrangement. According to the 33-year-old Grammy nominee, she has tried to “do things the right way,” albeit to no avail. Now, she feels “played,” particularly with regards to the recent release of a video she says she did not approve.

“I told management I didn’t want this recent video to come out because I’m tired of people treating me like I’m the face of mental health,” Lennox said in an audio-only update to IG on Tuesday. “I’m tired of people treating me like they’re so sorry for me. I’m a human being who has just been very transparent about my life.”

According to Lennox, who has expressed frustration over the industry in the past, being the “face of mental health” is “not something I ever really wanted for myself.” To that end, Lennox said she let her management and label know that she did not want the video to be released.

“They told me that they would take it down, they told me that it wouldn’t come out,” Lennox said. “And apparently they’re telling me that the video, the people in charge of the video, were unresponsive. But they’re like, ‘everyone loves the video’ so they’re going to keep it up.”

From there, Lennox called out Interscope, specifically, and said that they are “gonna be accountable.” She also outlined other problems she says she’s had with her current situation, including a lack of advertising.

“I’m saying very clearly I’m not comfortable with it being out for multiple reasons,” Lennox, who tagged both Interscope and Dreamville in her post, said. “I just wish I had a label that cared, that would want to protect me. I wish I had a label that wouldn’t have me out here trying to explain that I need advertisement.”

Getting more direct, Lennox later added, “I just wanna be released, it’s that simple.” This latest incident, she explained, was the “final straw.” Zooming out a bit, she reflected on her experience within the industry at large, calling it “annoying” and “exhausting,” though she still has fond memories dating back to Shea Butter Baby sessions.

Lennox was announced as an official Dreamville signee back in 2015, the same year the J. Cole and Ibrahim Hamad-founded label released the Revenge of the Dreamers II compilation. In the years since Lennox has shared mixed feelings about the relationship. In a Zane Lowe chat back in 2022, she likened the situation to “a dream” and praised the very calm, stable, and secure” environment. She also commended Cole, specifically, calling him “so damn helpful.”

Earlier that same year, Lennox told fans she wanted to be “dropped.”

Complex has reached out to reps for Dreamville and Interscope for comment. This story may be updated.