Ari Lennox has made her Tiny Desk debut, performing songs from her debut album Shea Butter Baby.
Before the performance, NPR made sure to include an explicit language warning, since Lennox’s songs are sometimes lyrically graphic. Accompanied by her band, she opened with the album cut “Speak to Me,” followed by “Pop,” “New Apartment,” and the J. Cole-featuring title track, “Shea Butter Baby” (though Cole didn’t make an appearance). Throughout her performance, she jokes about her use of explicit language, saying, “Sorry children,” and “Y’all are so sweet and holy.”
In May, the Dreamville singer released her 12-track album Shea Butter Baby. With only two guest features from her labelmates Cole and J.I.D., the project is a real showcase of her own talents. Following the album, she appeared on the now-platinum Dreamville compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III.
In August, she released the video for her album track “BMO.” She also recently featured on Bas’ EP Spilled Milk Vol. 1.
Watch Lennox’s full Tiny Desk Concert performance above.
