Ari Lennox is ready to move forward, and that starts with making things right with J. Cole.
During a recent stop at The Breakfast Club to talk about her new project Vacancy, the singer looked back on her messy exit from Dreamville Records and admitted she wished she had handled it differently.
While the split happened last year, the tension really started in late 2024 when Ari went to social media to vent. She felt like her music, specifically her song “Smoke,” wasn’t getting the marketing push it needed from the label. But looking back now, she realizes that bringing her frustrations to the public wasn’t the right move.
“I think it was just a really emotional time for me, and I regret it honestly,” Ari admitted. “I feel like I should’ve never taken it to the Internet. I do want to apologize to J. Cole. I sent him a message on Instagram. I sent him a voice note. I’m a little afraid to give him a call but I do apologize.”
Ari was very clear that her issues weren’t personal and definitely weren’t with Cole himself. She actually credited him for being her “greatest co-sign” and helping her reach her dreams over the last decade.
To her, the problem was strictly about the business side and how the label executives handled her promotion. “It was never Cole,” she said. “Cole was never the issue. I think it was just literally a marketing thing but it is what it is.”
Even though she moved on to focus on her deal with Interscope, there clearly isn’t any bad blood left. She even made an appearance at the final Dreamville Festival to thank Cole for everything.
Now, with the Vacancy tour kicking off on April 12, Ari seems focused on her new music and leaving the “Internet drama” in the past.
🚨 Ari Lennox opens up about how she felt when it was time to leave Dreamville, but she’s extremely aware of her appreciation for J. Cole and publicly apologizes for how she handled the business separation.
“I will always love and respect him’ pic.twitter.com/CsFE4liE1m— The Breakfast Club (@breakfastclubam) March 6, 2026
