Ari Lennox is done with the music industry following a traumatizing interview that left her ready to leave it all behind.
South African podcaster MacGyver “MacG” Mukwevho recently had Lennox on an episode of Podcast And Chill With MacG, where he asked her an explicit and inappropriate question that left her visibly distraught. When discussing the sexual nature of her lyrics, he asked on a video clip that has since gone viral, “Is somebody f***ing you good right now?” On the video snippet, she responded, “Oh my God, whoa. That’s a wild question. Why that way? Why ask it that way?”
While laughing and claiming he was referencing song lyrics, Lennox was not amused and in hindsight, the Shea Butter Baby singer took to Twitter last Friday (Jan. 21) to share her thoughts.
“I’m just like… why was I alone on a call full of people? Why didn’t anyone intervene? And why wasn’t parts of the interview destroyed like the team promised? Why did it happen to begin with?,” she questioned in a series of since-deleted tweets. “I just feel slow and ambushed and blindsighted. Just because I happily and freely sing/write about sex don’t make any kind of creepy disrespect warranted. I clearly was in immense shock and hate that I didn’t react differently.”
After what she described as being incessantly harassed by “grown men justifying rape and predatory culture,” the 30-year-old limited responses on her tweets and stated she will not be doing any more interviews. “But f**k it! I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I’m tired of the narrative. Exhausted. I’m good I promise. But as for interviews I’m not doing them anymore. There’s enough lives and interviews out there already,” she stated while mentioning that she will also not be visiting South Africa.
It was also implied by one Twitter user that this situation could have been avoided if she wrote her own lyrics. In her defense, she tweeted, “I wrote every lyric on my Shea Butter album you worthless germ!” She also made it clear that her album credits have nothing to do with intrusive questions she was asked. “I was completely shocked and have never in my life been asked such a distasteful and predatory question. Regardless of what the hell I wrote don’t give you losers the right to justify the disrespect,” she doubled down.
Many of her actual fans sympathized and aided in defending her, but for Lennox, it was beyond that.
On Saturday (Jan. 22), she wrote, “I want to be dropped from the labels. I’m done and tired.” Clarifying, she continued, “The interview was the icing on the cake. I want to be free.” While receiving more backlash from insensitive trolls who attempted to discount her discography and disregard her feelings, Lennox tweeted, “For Christ sakes. I realize I have no hits. I realize you all can live without hearing my music. I realize my complaining is so aggravating to y’all . I don’t ask blogs to post me when I’m at my worst. You judgemental self hating parasites wouldn’t last a day as a signed artist.”
I want to be dropped from the labels. I’m done and tired.
— Ari Lennox (@AriLennox) January 23, 2022
Shut up! The interview was the icing on the cake. I want to be free. https://t.co/B8t7ck8WR4
— Ari Lennox (@AriLennox) January 23, 2022
For Christ sakes. I realize I have no hits. I realize you all can live without hearing my music. I realize my complaining is so aggravating to y’all . I don’t ask blogs to post me when I’m at my worst. You judgemental self hating parasites wouldn’t last a day as a signed artist.
— Ari Lennox (@AriLennox) January 23, 2022
Complaining that I’m complaining about the shit I’m going through meanwhile in real life you’re just as unhappy just as fucked up. You crying in the car too. Somebody calling you insensitive and dramatic too. You could never be honest about your demons.
— Ari Lennox (@AriLennox) January 23, 2022
Dreamville has not released a statement regarding the incident or Ari’s request. Watch her interview on Podcast And Chill With MacG below: