Ari Lennox

Courtney Shanade Salter, born April 26, 1991, and professionally referred to by the name Ari Lennox, hails from Washington, D.C. and was the first female to sign with J. Cole's Dreamville Records label. The first album she released with the label on October 21 of 2016, entitled Pho, and she began gaining recognition. Shea Butter Baby is her debut album. It was released in May of 2019. Ari Lennox began uploading her music to the Internet in 2012 after she dropped her first mixtape Five Finger Discount, and her debut EP Ariography in 2013. The singer continued uploading her music on the internet in 2014, including the independently-released single Bound. She appeared in Omen's Elephant Eyes which was released in Sweat It Out on 21 July 2015. Later that year her music began to circulate around the Dreamville team because J. Cole wanted her to work with him on some references for Rihanna. On December 8 it was reported that she had officially signed by Dreamville Records. In the album Revenge of the Dreamers II, she appeared on the track Backseat, along with Cozz. In October of 2016, she released her first EP Pho. Ari Lennox then appeared as the opening performance in support of J. Cole on his single Change in the year 2017 and did a performance on 4 Your Eyez Only Tour. In 2018, she was able to guest feature on two of her songs along with labelmates EarthGang and EarthGang on Nothing but the Best and Bas on Icarus. Ari Lennox's first album Shea Butter Baby was released on 16 July 2018. The album's first single, called Whipped Cream, from the album was released on the 5th of September, 2018 and featured a a music video. On the 9th of November she released two additional singles called 40 Shades of Choke and Grampa. Then on November 13 two new singles titled"No One and Pedigree. They then collaborated to the Creed II soundtrack with Cole on the track Shea Butter Baby on November 16th. She released the single on February 26, 2019 to accompany her debut album with the same title. On February 20, 2019 an official music video made available for the song. It's already received more than three million viewers on YouTube within the first week. She was the opening act for 6LACK in the From East Atlanta With Love Tour in December, 2018.