Ari Lennox began uploading her music on the internet in 2012 as she released her debut mixtape, Five Finger Discount, and debut EP, Ariography, in 2013. In 2014, she continued to release her music on the internet including her independently released single "Bound". On July 21, 2015, she was featured on Omen's album Elephant Eyes on the track "Sweat it Out". Later that year, her music was circulating around the Dreamville team, as J. Cole wanted her to work with him on some references for Rihanna.
On December 8, it was announced that she was signed to Dreamville Records. She made an appearance on the collaborative album Revenge of the Dreamers II, on the track "Backseat" with Cozz. On October 21, 2016, she released her debut EP titled Pho. Ari Lennox later appeared on J. Cole's song "Change", and performed as an opening act on the 4 Your Eyez Only Tour in 2017.
In 2018, she went on to guest feature on two songs with her label-mates: EarthGang on "Nothing but the Best", and Bas on "Icarus". On July 16, 2018, Ari Lennox released the first single, "Whipped Cream", from her debut album, Shea Butter Baby with an accompanied music video on September 5. On November 9, she released two more singles called "40 Shades of Choke" and "Grampa". On November 13, she then released two more singles called "No One" and "Pedigree". She then appeared on the Creed II soundtrack with Cole on a track entitled "Shea Butter Baby" on November 16, and released as a single on February 26, 2019, for her debut album of the same name. The track was accompanied by a music video on February 20, 2019, and surpassed 3 million views via YouTube within the first week. In December 2018, she was a supporting act on the From East Atlanta With Love Tour with 6LACK.
On March 27, 2019, she announced her first headlining tour, with the first leg beginning on May 12 and ending on June 14 in her hometown Washington, D.C. Her debut album, Shea Butter Baby was released on May 7, 2019. Several times on this tour she was opened by Baby Rose and Mikhala Jené. She also went on the road with Lizzo on the Cuz I Love You Too Tour from July to October. The second leg of her headlining tour was in Europe, in December 2019. In February 2020, Ari Lennox was placed on BET's "Future 40" list, which is a list of "40 of the most inspiring and innovative vanguards who are redefining what it means to be unapologetically young, gifted & black". She released multiple singles in 2020 including "Bussit", "Chocolate Pomegranate", and a cover of "If You Want Me to Stay", as well as guest appearances and collaborations with Kiana Ledé, Skip Marley, 6LACK, and Spillage Village, among others.
charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, her first Radio No. 1 single, and reached number 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. On March 31, 2022, she appeared on the Dreamville compilation D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape, on the songs "Coming Down" and "Blackberry Sap". On August 12, Ari Lennox released her second single, "Hoodie", and announced the title and release date for her second studio album, Age/Sex/Location. On August 31, she released the surprise EP Away Message, including the single "Queen Space" featuring Summer Walker.
Ari Lennox describes her own voice as "vulnerable but soulful; imperfect but pretty". Her voice has been compared to Erykah Badu. Referencing her artistry, she explains: "Sometimes women are put in this box where we're only supposed to talk about certain things, I want to be braver and riskier. I think people want to hear that kind of honesty and frankness." Ari Lennox said in multiple interviews that she is inspired by 90s and 2000s R&B singers such as Mariah Carey, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Bilal, Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill, Amerie, Ciara, SWV, Mary J Blige, among many others, and soul singer Minnie Riperton. In an interview with The Fader, she also mentioned her admiration of Kanye West and how she found multiple other artists through him. The Gateway described Ari Lennox's sound as "successfully blends individual slices of classic Motown, modern R&B, and new-age soul into one seamless product."
I Been
Ari Lennox Lyrics
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Ooh, to forget about you
I've been smokin' Purple Haze
Ooh, to forget about you
And I try, and I try, and I try, and I try, I try (ohh)
But I'm havin' the worst luck on Tinder, ooh
Why'd you have to be a big pretender
To give you something good, 'cause I know you would
Give it to me, too
I've been smokin' Purple Haze
Ooh, to forget about you
I've been smokin' Purple Haze
Ooh, to forget about you
But you lie, and you lie, and you lie, and you lie, you lie (ohh)
It's the forty-seventh time that I've changed my number
Should call you Mannie Fresh 'cause you's the number one stunta
You lie, and you lie, and you lie, and you lie, you lie (ohh)
I gave you something good, 'cause I know you would
Give it to me, too
Don't date these niggas 'til you're forty-three
A heartbreak gonna creep on after me
I try to cover up what I feel inside
You hurt me so deep and
You know, life is too short to be blockin' your blessings like that
To be blockin' potential blessings, like
Yeah, you may never get married again, you may never find the love of your life again, but
Hey, that's life
And please don't be in a situation
Where that person's tearing you down mentally, emotionally, physically
We've heard it a million times, I think emotional abuse
Is way worse than physical, sometimes
'Cause that just fucks up your whole mind
You could develop whole disorders like that
Whole disorders
You guys tell me why this old nigga from my past hit me up, talkin' bout somethin'
"Is your name Courtney? Did you go to Poplar Tree
In the first, second, and third grade? And you had like a light skin sister?
And you, um, you had a crush on me?"
I was like
"Yeah, that sounds like me"
And my thing is, like, nigga, like, you feelin' yourself
You're feelin' yourself a little too hard, talkin' 'bout, "You had a crush on me"
Nigga, yes, at like, fucking seven
Relax, relax
The lyrics of Ari Lennox's song "I Been" chronicle the pain and exasperation Lennox feels after a break-up that continues to haunt her. She admits that she has been smoking "Purple Haze" to forget about her ex, suggesting that she is still deeply attached to him. Despite her efforts to date other people and move on, she has had no luck on Tinder and has even changed her phone number in an attempt to avoid her ex's lies and manipulations. The pain she is feeling is so deep that she warns women not to date until they're forty-three in order to avoid being hurt.
In the song, Lennox is also critical of the emotional abuse that can come from toxic relationships. She advises listeners not to allow someone to tear them down mentally, emotionally or physically, as the impact of this on the mind could lead to major disorders. She notes that emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse and warns listeners not to block potential blessings and opportunities by remaining in a destructive relationship.
The chorus repeats the line "I've been smokin' Purple Haze, ooh, to forget about you," highlighting the pain Lennox is feeling and the depths to which she is willing to go to try and forget. This line is significant not only because it is the title of the song, but also because it references the popular Jimi Hendrix song "Purple Haze," which is about the distortion of reality that comes with the use of drugs. The use of this allusion suggests that Lennox's heartbreak has led her to a place of distorted reality.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Been" are a powerful commentary on the pain and difficulty that can come with heartbreak. Ari Lennox's honest lyrics and the use of allusions to Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" create a memorable and emotional song that is relatable to anyone experiencing heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been smokin' Purple Haze
I've been trying to forget about you by smoking weed (Purple Haze)
Ooh, to forget about you
I've been smoking weed to forget about you
And I try, and I try, and I try, and I try, I try (ohh)
I keep trying (in my relationships)
But I'm havin' the worst luck on Tinder, ooh
I'm not having much luck finding love on Tinder
Why'd you have to be a big pretender
I'm disappointed by how fake and dishonest you are
To give you something good, 'cause I know you would
I've been trying to give you a good relationship because I know you'd do the same for me
But you lie, and you lie, and you lie, and you lie, you lie (ohh)
But you keep lying to me (in our relationship)
It's the forty-seventh time that I've changed my number
I've had to change my phone number 47 times because of your behavior
Should call you Mannie Fresh 'cause you's the number one stunta
I should call you Mannie Fresh because you're the biggest show-off
Don't date these niggas 'til you're forty-three
Don't date these guys until you're older and wiser
A heartbreak gonna creep on after me
You'll suffer the consequences of heartbreak after me
I try to cover up what I feel inside
I try to hide my feelings
You know, life is too short to be blockin' your blessings like that
Life is too short to be hindering or limiting yourself
To be blockin' potential blessings, like
To be blocking your potential blessings
Yeah, you may never get married again, you may never find the love of your life again, but
You might not find true love again, but that's a risk you have to take
Please don't be in a situation
Don't put yourself in a bad relationship
Where that person's tearing you down mentally, emotionally, physically
Don't be in a relationship where your partner is hurting you in any way
I think emotional abuse
Emotional abuse can be worse than physical abuse
Is way worse than physical, sometimes
Emotional abuse can sometimes be worse than physical abuse
'Cause that just fucks up your whole mind
Emotional abuse can mess up your mental state
You could develop whole disorders like that
You could develop mental disorders from emotional abuse
You guys tell me why this old nigga from my past hit me up, talkin' bout somethin'
Let me tell you about this old guy from my past who contacted me
"Is your name Courtney? Did you go to Poplar Tree
The guy asked if my name was Courtney and if I went to Poplar Tree Elementary School
In the first, second, and third grade? And you had like a light skin sister?
He asked if I had a light-skinned sister and if I was in first, second, or third grade at the time
And you, um, you had a crush on me?"
And then he asked if I had a crush on him
I was like
I thought to myself
"Yeah, that sounds like me"
"Yes, that's me"
And my thing is, like, nigga, like, you feelin' yourself
And I'm thinking, this guy's feeling a little too good about himself
You're feelin' yourself a little too hard, talkin' 'bout, "You had a crush on me"
He's a little too proud of himself for me having a crush on him when I was a kid
Nigga, yes, at like, fucking seven
Yeah, when I was like 7 years old, big deal
Relax, relax
Calm down, don't overinflate your ego
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Courtney Shanade Salter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Grim Kit
I’ve been smokin purple haze Ooh
All to forget about you
I’ve been smokin purple haze Ooh
All to forget about you
And I try, and I try, and I try, I try
But I’m having the worst luck on tinder Ooh
Why’d you have to go be a big pretender
And I try, and I try, and I try, I try
To give you somethin good
Cause I know you would give it to me
Too
I’ve been smokin purple haze Ooh
All to forget about you
I’ve been smokin purple haze Ooh
All to forget about you
But you lie, and you lie, and you lie, you lie, Ooh
It’s the 47th time that I’ve changed my number
Should have called you Mannie Fresh
Cause you the numba one stunna
You lie, and you lie, and you lie. And you lie, you lie
I gave you something good cause I know you would give it to me too
Don’t date these n****s TIL you’re 43 a heartbreak gonna creep on after me
I try to cover up what I feel inside
You hurt me so deep...
....
SpottieOttieDopaliscious Angel
Wait ‘til I learn these lyrics..... I’m gon’ perform this in the mirror extra dramatically making stank faces and ERRYTHANG. 😂
Melanin Magic by Mika
I perform this entire cd everyday 😭😭🎉💃🏾🤎
keel Haven
Get it sis , get it ......🤣👏🏾🤣
Chris P. Tocino
💀
Milagros A.
I literally just finished my concert
Empress Bey
😂😂😂😂
Malkia Allen
I will always be an Ari Lennox Fan, She is what every Natural Black Queen should carry herself, her music has lifted me even more as a Black woman and the getting in touch with my Sexy side of Beauty, Spiritually, Mentally, Emotionally, and Physically. Love her!!!
ljdhb
nah i will pass on drugs
Kia Fit
AMEN!!!!
milo ian
You go mama🙏🏻