Courtney Shanade Salter or better known as Ari Lennox is a popular American R&B singer. Since the release of her first EP “Pho” in 2016, the singer and songwriter has been on the rise. She is also the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole’s record label, Dreamville Records. Ari Lennox is known for her soulful compositions in the soul, R&B, and neo-soul genres. 

Early Life

Ari Lennox was born on March 26th, 1991 in Washington D.C. She spent most of her childhood in the DMV area. Ari Lennox attended Wilson High School. After completing her schooling, she pursued her higher studies at Duke Ellington School of Arts. Throughout her childhood, Ari Lennox was involved with music and was inspired by artists such as D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Bilal, Aaliyah, Whitney Houston, and more. Her stage name “Ari Lennox” was actually inspired by Mary Lennox. Mary Lennox was a character in the film adaptation of “The Secret Garden”. 

Music Career of Ari Lennox

Ari Lennox gained a lot of recognition after the release of her first EP “Pho” in 2016. But she has been creating tracks and uploading her music on the internet since 2009. “Five Finger Discount” was one of her first mixtapes. Soon after, she was signed to the popular American record label Dreamville Records. “Shea Butter Baby” was Ari Lennox’s debut studio album that featured several hit tracks. These include “Whipped Cream”, “40 Shades of Choke”, “Grampa”, “No One”, and more. 

Ari Lennox has also been featured on compilation albums such as “Revenge of the Dreamers II” and “Revenge of the Dreamers III”. This earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. Her music was also featured at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Ari describes her voice as “vulnerable but soulful; imperfect but pretty”. Her soulful voice has often been compared to legendary artists such as “Erykah Badu”. With the ability to successfully blend slices of modern R&B, classic Motown, and new-age soul into her music, Ari Lennox is a truly talented music artist. 

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