Ari Lennox

Courtney Shanade Salter, known professionally as Ari Lennox, was born on 26 March 1991 in Washington, D.C., and is an American contemporary R&B singer. She began uploading songs online in 2009, releasing her first mixtape Five Finger Discount and EP Ariography in 2013, and an independent single "Bound" in 2014. In 2015, she was discovered by J. Cole and signed to Dreamville Records, where she first appeared on Revenge of the Dreamers II and later on Revenge of the Dreamers III (2019), the latter debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and earning a Grammy nomination for best rap album. Ari Lennox released her debut studio album Shea Butter Baby on 7 May 2019, featuring singles "Whipped Cream", "40 Shades of Choke", and "Pedigree". The album peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and established her as a prominent soul‑influenced vocalist. In 2021 she issued the single "Pressure", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 66 and reached number 3 on the R&B/Hip‑Hop Airplay chart. Her second studio album, Age/Sex/Location, was released on 9 September 2022, followed by EP Away Message on 1 September 2022, and Get Close on 17 November 2023. Vacany saw its release in 2026, which featured singles "Twin Flame", "High Key", "Under the Moon", and "Pretzel." Throughout her career, Ari Lennox has collaborated with artists such as EarthGang, Bas, 6lack, and Kiana Ledé, toured extensively-including the From East Atlanta With Love tour-and maintained a consistent presence on the Billboard charts, solidifying her role in contemporary soul and R&B.