Ari Lennox Thanks Russ For Always Supporting Her: "The Most Beautiful Angel"

BY Erika Marie 6.2K Views
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Ari Lennox
Artists loving on fellow artists.

Her recently Soul Train Awards loss left Ari Lennox feeling underappreciated. The First Lady of Dreamville was nominated for three awards that includes nods for her debut project Shea Butter Baby, but unfortunately, she wasn't able to lock down a win. "I just don’t understand. At all actually. But cool," Ari tweeted. "I want this sh*t way more than it wants me. I’m learning I have to stop caring... Yea I’m hurt. I’m not built for these things lmao."

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One person who agrees that Ari Lennox deserves more applause than she's received is one of her biggest fans: Russ. The rapper-singer regularly shares his support of the Dreamville star by sharing messages like "Ari Lennox is one of the greatest singers and writers I’ve ever heard. Stay tuned ✨✨✨" and "Ari Lennox has album of the year." He even hopped on his Instagram Live and jammed to her music, telling his viewers that she's an old music soul that the world should be privileged to witness.

While over on her Instagram Live, Ari sent out a sincere thank you to Russ for his kind words. "The most beautiful angel. You are a real, brave, sweet man for looking out for me and saying beautiful, sweet things about me, especially in the mix of all of like, the 'drama,'" she said. "So, Russ I wanna thank you, your music is amazing. You're everything. It's no nice that you care about me so much and my music. It is hard, it really is hard. Sometimes I wonder, like, is this the right thing? Am I really doing the right thing with my music and stuff? And you know I'm reminded when people like Russ show love and when I'm actually performing at these shows that people genuinely care and they're like, lovin' on me and being really, really sweet." 

Check out Ari's message as well as a clip of Russ on his Live singing her praises, below.

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.