Courtney Shandae Salter, more popularly known as, Ari Lennox was born on March 26, 1991. She is grew up in Washington D.C. and has six siblings. She was inspired by musical artists Mariah Carey, Erykay Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Ella Fitzgerald. Ari Lennox is a neo-soul, R&B singer. She began sharing her talents in 2012 when she uploaded her mixtape, Five Finger Discount and followed up with an extended play titled, Ariography. In 2014 she also released the single “Bound”. In July of 2015, she was featured on “Sweat It Out” by Omen. This led to the circulation of her musical talents. J. Cole reached out to her for assistance on creating references for Rihanna. This collaboration led to her signing to Dreamville Records in 2015. Ari Lennox is the first woman to be signed by Dreamville Records. Lennox is an inspiration for women. She is a voice for women that is bold and honest. Ari Lennox is oftentimes under appreciated for her ability to tell a story through music that listeners can relate to. That is why Ari Lennox is such an excellent artists. She has this ability to sing about heartbreak, happiness, and intimacy, in a way that touches your soul. Another part of Lennox’s story that is so relatable is how she used her rejection and failures to be greater. She took the losses and turned them into lessons. Ari Lennox knows how to be transparent with her audience. Letting her fans know that she is just human like the rest of us. Ari spoke about how she lost her brother in 2012 but received a similar relationship through J. Cole. Lennox also spoke about the loss of her aunt and grandmother and how it is apart of life and how loss shapes us. Examples of Ari and her relatable lifestyle are her songs “Broke” and “New Apartment” that are about her being broke and then finally being able to get her own apartment where she can be free and do as she pleases. Carrying out mundane acts like walking around the apartment naked and being able to leave hair in the shower. I personally enjoy Ari Lennox because of the way she makes me feel. She makes me feel proud of my natural hair through the lyrics of her song “Shea Butter Baby”. She makes me feel sexy and strong. Ari Lennox has the ability to just sing exactly how I feel about anything and everything. She doesn’t make R&B about relationships with others. Ari makes songs about the relationship you have with yourself as well as those around you. She also speaks out about her own issues of mental health that are relatable to so many people. Her song “Static” is about battling anxiety, which is something everyone can relate to. Listening to Ari Lennox has helped me develop more confidence and an understanding of who I am and what I want from myself and what I want out of relationships with those around me.