Rising star Ari Lennox says she’s turning her musical light off after walking home empty-handed at last night’s Soul Train Awards.
Full story below…
The ‘Shea Butter Baby’ belter was nominated in a number of categories at this year’s ceremony, yet was bested by others in each and every instance.
And while some acts draw on such losses as motivation, Lennox says it’s quite the opposite.
Taking to Twitter, the 28-year-old says she instead feels deflated.
Her candid words below…
“You know what I realized? People who genuinely f*ck with me understand my frustration. People who are self hating haters and clearly have never given my music a chance got the biggest problem with me always.
No one will have to worry about me complaining after this current complaint. Lol what I will not do is ever be this depressed again
It’s not just an award. It wasn’t any award show. It was the soul train awards. As you can see I’m big fan of soul music and huge fan of soul trains history.
Being snubbed was something I always expected and was definitely prepared for just not by them.
My intent was to never shade other nominees. I’m hurt and I don’t expect soulless haters to understand that
Everytime I wrap my mind around it I just can’t accept it. It feels like a break up. I made a soulful album. I never ran from who I am. I just expected that one platform to understand that.
it takes a lot of energy to do these things and ultimately this was a hard loss for me.
My intent is never to annoy people who clearly don’t f*ck with me, I dont be asking these shady blogs to post what I write.
Me being honest doesn’t make me less gracious or less star worthy.
I’m not selling out. So I quit.”
An outpouring of feedback ensued, not all of which was positive. Lennox of those:
“To all those annoyed with me, you got it. I won’t lose my mind over this sh*t. I will save my sanity first.
Tired of being annoying tired of being annoyed. I just ain’t built like the rest of them. This sh*t ain’t for me.
It’s clear I’m not “cool” enough. Not trendy enough and I don’t care to be. I don’t strive for that. I’m not going to chase this sh*t ever again. No more fake sh*t on my part.
It’s not just the awards. SBB was slept on in so many ways. Im too emotional to pretend like I can play this game.
I’ll join the damn army.”
Again clapping back at those critical of her comments, she added:
“For people saying I just started no. I’ve been grinding since 2009.
Dear fake fans please unfollow. I’m not entitled. I’m hurt. There’s deeper things i would love to say but I just can’t. It’s not entitlement. It’s blatant disrespect”
*********
On one hand, we’re all sorts of here for this level of frankness in an era where artists are so PC.
That said, in her sharing this, we’re kinda perplexed at what the hoped outcome would be.
Sure she may just be venting, but once the smoke has settled…what’s the best case scenario? Because this rant is unlikely to drastically add to her listener count.
Still, she’s an immensely talented artist with awesome music. So here’s hoping she cultivates an equation that’ll garner her the recognition she wants and authentically deserves.
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Bye sore loser! ??
She needs humility and a reality check! WTF is wrong with joining the army? Plenty of people have joined the army, obtained free college education, got a civilian job for ten years and retired only to get another full time job while banking their monthly tax-free government retirement checks every month with a net worth of 7 figures by the age of 35. She is stupid and ugly!
The reason she’s annoyed is because she did the work and didn’t get the recognition she deserved. As a person who works in the entertainment industry it cost a lot of time and money to do what we do.
No one has the right to call any of these performer entitled or arrogant because they work very hard to operate in their craft.
It’s not a 9-5 it’s a 24-7 job. And when you spend years working at something only to be snubbed by someone that is clearly not in your category it’s very disheartening. And she didn’t say anything was wrong with the military in her comment.
I strongly disagree with that mentality or your idiotic assumption that you are the only one sho does work in the entertainment industry on this site.
Music is a business and in business nothing is fair! Do you think it was fair for India.Arie to lose 9 grammy nominated possible wins to Alicia Keys? No but…technically Alicia’s music sold more at the time. Same goes for Ari verses her competition. Don’t be so caught up in the artistry that you don’t see the business aspects. In this situation, if you want a Soul Train award your label and manager has to:
1. Campaign for you to have just as much public popularity as your competitors.
2. Buy the award for you.
3. Be willing to increase the amount you pay for the award if your competitors are already doing 2 and 3.
That is the hard reality of this situation.
Ari is literally the only person that i know makes soul music, and only soul music. its embarrassing to loose against peers that have not made not one soul song ever. there were R&B and pop artist who won. lizzo-pop/funk music, chris brown-pop/r&b, H.E.R- R&B, cardi Rap,(she not even hip hop, just rap), then its like they basically recycled some rewards around to the same ppl. it was hosted on BET and this is what BET always does now, same as MTV, witch is recycle, same artist all year. i doubt that any of you really know about soul train or ever watched it, soul train welcomes all the soulful genres like soul, R&B, Funk, jazz (hence all the types of music black ppl are creator of and dominates in) and i understand that Ari feels like she represents soul music and she is, witch alone says why she should of got an award for soul artist instead of H.E.R. Ari should of been out when ppl was listening to Erica Badu, Jill Scott, Lauren Hill, Angie stone, Floetry, witch is right in between the 90’s and 2k’s. right now with all the fake fads, her goals might will take a bit longer, its easy to get booked and do numbers on the charts but its hard to get awards and do numbers on albums. everybody streams and steals, so you never know who got more listeners. who knows how they calculating anything at award shows now, they take who is likable and recycle, we used to be able to vote by landline on commercial brakes for award shows, they stopped that decades ago. this is not her generation, Ari is for the old souls. . go listen to arinna grande trying to look and sound like shes mixed or black. f****** ridiculous. when theres a real black queen right here ARI
Ari and Summer are cut from the same cloth. Both talented (I’m more keen to Ari) but troubled. They are not cut out for this industry. It’s cut throat and doesn’t give a f*** about you. Hopefully both can surround themselves with real, loving people who actually care for their well-being. It sounds like deep therapy will do them both well. I want my talented Black girls to win.
SMH this new crop of music artist. Are truly UNAPPRECIATIVE of their fame. There are a MILLION talented people who would love just to be noticed. Heard. Nominated. Stfu
AMEN
Came to make this exact same comment.
Exactly. These new wave “stars” Summer, Ari, SZA who quit music because they don’t get their way really don’t belong here. Like, please spare us the dramatics. Nobody owes you ANYTHING. This is pure entitlement and childishness. She should be embarrassed. One, express gratitude for even being considered. And second, take your disappointment and if it’s really about the music, continue to do you. Get em next time. Instead, she throws a tantrum because she didn’t get a trophy. ?
your opinion don’t even matter when you don’t know the facts. sza got cyber bullied 2 times, adults be committing s****** from getting vyber bullied just 1 time. 1st time when natural black girls assumed that her hair is hers and then found out it wasn’t, and then when she dropped the weekend, 1st it was poppin the ppl on her ass for writing a side chick song. WHEN WHITNEY WROTE ONE TOO. summer has a personality disorder, have you seen her perform? have you heard about her meet and greets? have you seen her accept her award for soul train? being on stage is too much for her, or just being around too many strangers at once. and last but not least Ari is a black natural women who has a whole soul album, nobody on the charts right now has a soul album and she didn’t win not one SOUL TRAIN award. and she didn’t win cause they pick most likely likable and shuffle awards with in those ppl. she had to go through blood sweat, hard work and. tears to just get shitted on.
“Totally agree with you!”
The FACTS is that all of what you said comes with the territory. It’s a part of the job, and if you can’t do your JOB, you need to find a new one. None of those things you named are problems everyone else in the industry doesn’t deal with and overcome. How can you desperately work to be in a business, especially one as cutthroat as Hollywood, and then demand that you only experience the benefits and NONE of the cons and threaten to quit altogether because of it??? Go work at McDonald’s.
Make a album or you STFU.
Grown ass woman and she can speak on this s*** if she want.
Yo punk ass could have easily just skipped past this if you do triggered by it.
Same goes for your lil cheerleading squad.
Are y’all that retarded that strangers have to explain to you how the scroll works ???
…So… everything you said literally applies to the people in this comment section as well. YOU could have easily scrolled past the grown people here that can speak whatever s*** they want. Lol, Stupid people are always quick to call other people stupid.
Who?
Jk haha
Everyone please stop taking your problems to social media when you’re mad. You can’t take it back once you do. Just go scream or cry somewhere and move on. Give your phone to someone if you have to.
She lost to lizzo, that’s what’s annoying everybody.
Ari, sza and summer are the future of female r&b
S*** it T***** Clarkson. The future of Female R&B is gonna be none of those vocally challenged women
This has been Lizzo’s year and if none of you pressed h*** can take it then hang it up
Lizzo album is pop, this is soul train awards for people who sing soul /rnb music.
Ari Lennox album is pure black soul
Give this girl what she deserves.
Lizzo is annoying as hell. She didnt even show up while ari showed up and lost.
Y’all fit Lizzo in any category to keep her from winning. Other albums with rap or pop music elements by black artists have won soul train awards before.
Girl, all of this over a SOUL TRAIN AWARD?! Girl, if you don’t win an award, just go into the studio and release music so good that they’ll have no choice but to give you awards.
Ari, I know you, but most of the country still doesn’t. I’ve NEVER heard an Ari Lennox song on the radio.
Wtf is up with these new singers threatening to quit music after 1 album? SZA did that sh*t and Summer Walker. Are these labels no longer investing in artist DEVELOPMENT?! Make sure your artists are ready for this industry
Yes the good days when labels invested in artists are gone! Nowadays the label nickel and dime artists so bad they can barely pay their rent.
Right? Artists in the 90’s and 00’s would’ve never pulled these stunts. But now we have these people without artist development like Zayn, Ari, Summer Walker, SZA, etc. just ridiculous.
U talk like a fool
U should be happy people are actually fighting over a black award show.
You’ve never heard an ari Lennox song on the radio, so?
I have never heard a lana del rey or fka twigs song on the radio and these two ladies still win awards. Fka twigs won an mtv ema recently.
Wtf is artist development? U want everybody to be a robot like normani, no personality, sounding boring and monotonous, behaving like a trained dog.
Smh
What’s wrong with a Soul Train Award? Would it be better if she were crying over a Grammy like y’all do whenever your faves don’t win one?
I would’ve said the same thing over a Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, etc. crying over any award and threatening to quit because you lost is not only poor sportsmanship, but also disrespectful to the awards committee. Don’t come for me. I’m not crying over anyone not winning a Grammy.
Moral of the story, labels need to invest in artist development. Why out artist out that are afraid to perform and quit after not getting recognition on their first album. Sheesh.
Okaaay??! She’s having a meltdown over a Soul Train Award???? God forbid she gets a grammy nomination & not win?
“My intent wasn’t to shade other nominees” girl….. she’s seeing her 3 followers shading Lizzo and not saying a thing. Bye! Have a great time killing innocent civilians worldwide.
“Have a great time killing innocent civilians worldwide.” – this.
She may be passionate and overtly emotional, but one thing Ari ISNT is untalented. Her album is classic from top to bottom.
the thing about the music industry is that it’s an INDUSTRY.
i’m not saying her frustration isn’t valid, but if she doesn’t want to deal with these stuff, she could’ve done music as a hobby instead.
well i think she just found that out… obviously why she stating it only not even a year of album being out, hence the beginning other career
I’ve honestly honestly never heard of Ari Lennox, although i can understand her sad feelings of not being validated by her own people and award show. Its still wayyyyyyy more horrible s*** going on this world. She making money to sing, be thankful you have a career and was nominated. Hell people in third world countries just want clean water.
This!
All of this over a soul train award. Not even a bet award. I’ve never heard her music and don’t care to so it really doesn’t matter to me if she quits.
Soul Train paved the way for black artist during racist bans from other shows. Michael Jackson had no problem performing and accepted his Soul Train Awards. Do some research and relax on shading AA platforms.
Thats 40 years ago. Soul train has lost its power and meaning these days
40 years ago my ass. Soul Train was still a MAJOR awards show well into the 2000’s. Your favs don’t show up to the Soul Train Awards, yet kick and scream whenever the Grammys shuns them. Make that make sense.
Never heard her music and I don’t plan on it
She looks dirty and needs a shower
Are you a bleach? (a white Person) I don’t care about you bleaches arguing about beyondfake and Ciara or whoever but to talk about somebody you don’t know is absurd. She is Shea butter beautiful.
This….
Why they f*** are they always commenting on s*** that has NOTHING TO DO WITH THEY LIL WHEAT ASSES ???
Lol… over a soul train award hahaha.. this shows she was in music for the wrong reasons… she sound so dumb
I just about to spill my damn drink
She might get nominated for a Grammy and win. Is that so bad.
Oh dear she lost to Lizzo. I’d be gutted as Lizzo is one massive (literally) joke. Musically and vocally Lizzo is the epitome of terrible. Has zero vocal talent yet a pretty face. Thank god for make up Ey boys (and girls)….
I just can’t with ‘music’ Anymore. The true talents are lazy, Alicia etc.
At least Beyonce backs her music with being rich In content and in longevity.
This rap stuff needs to die, but If so whats next…..I am fearful. Bring the super talented black girls back please (Brandy, mo, Erica, Lauren, Alicia,Angie) the REAL girls with real writing.
majority of you don’t even know why summer and sza is quiting music and just keep talking out the ass. first off summer sza and Ari reason for retiring on music is 3 different reasons. 1. sza lost her voice. 2. summer is a introvert and has personality disorder to go with it. 3 Ari wrote a good ass soul album, got enough performances and tour shows booked to be nominated at a soul train awards show where they award soul artist and not one damn soul artist got an award, but pop artist won over Ari. all of these are valid reason to quit. sza and summers health is more important, i rather them ghost write and do behind the scenes of music then drive them selves crazy into stress. thats why we don’t have Whitney now.
Exactly.
Typical for this generation. “I did not win something, so I’m out. Everything is unfair. Buhu”
Maybe these awards need to start giving away participation documents
Ok Boomer…
She’s joking the Army? BTS?
No she is not. She is just saying maybe she should do something else that is worthy…she is actually paying the Army a compliment.
My thoughts is you muthafuckas need show more respect and compassion to sis right now.
She ain’t worrying bout her “listener count” as she clearly stated she was leaving this business.
So that lil passive aggressive kinda s*** wasn’t even necessary.
After reading lil s*** articles like yours I understand completely why she’d distance herself from the public.
The public is nothing more than a wet blanket whose fabric mainly consists of ignorant assholes.
She’s a sore loser? She better get her attitude in check.
I wish more artists were like J.cole just put out music and dont worry about getting an award. Because if all you are worried about is awards and recognition then you will always be disappointed.
Great point. Finally a post that sounds sane on That Grape Juice!
Nooooooooooo……if you love music, then that is what you should do. She should just change the narrative & try another lane in the music industry.
Can’t take this Award serious..its never..been about the talent, ask Solange?
I just watched a documentary about Janet Jackson – her first album flopped (150k sold), second album flopped even harder (130k sold). She was at an all time low confidence-wise, but took time off, perfected her craft and came back with “Control”, which propelled her to new heights of success with 10million units sold and the most successful debut tour for an artist ever at that time.
I’ve never heard of Ari, but artists today seem to want it all right now. That attitude isn’t going to win her any awards for nothing but world’s best sore loser.
that sucks.
But will she comeback if she gets 1-3 Grammys lol, no lol. It’s very possible, that, that can happen. People sometimes lose every award or not recognize for no award, and boom or bloom. Andddddd the Oscar goes to.
Tyler Perry, Taraji P Henson, Oprah Winfrey, hell even Beyonce, have all faced challenges where they were turned down and didn’t win. Look where they are today because of their perseverance, strive and ability to keep getting back up while being knocked down. And on top of that, they all a are part of an industry where only a select few of black ppl are successful.
This woman is WEAK and she is in the wrong industry because winning is not always guaranteed. You have to take the wind with the losses. If she is this weak now, she’ll never gain to be built for this industry.