Ari Lennox Accuses Multiple Record Labels Of Scamming Her

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Ari Lennox says that she’s been scammed by two different record labels over the course of her career. Speaking about her experiences in the industry during a recent post on social media, the Age/Sex/Location singer recalled losing out on a chance to go on American Idol over her relationship with one of the companies.

“The first label I signed to, I think it was a scam,” she said. “I don’t even think it was real because when I signed to Interscope, they literally disappeared. They literally disappeared. It makes me feel like all them years I was stressing. Crayon corporation. I feel like they got me because, I was so scared. Like I said, I’ve told y’all this story before. I tried out for American Idol. Every time I got to Hollywood, I got my ticket to Hollywood, I was afraid to lie. So, I told them, ‘Hey, I am under contract.’ And then American Idol was like, ‘Well, there’s nothing we can do.’ And rightfully so if I was already under contract. So I guess I’m grateful everything went down the way it did because I don’t think I would’ve performed well on American Idol.”

Read More: Ari Lennox Admits She’s In Financial Trouble And Is Willing To Do “Strange Things” To Get Out Of Debt

Ari Lennox Performs During Dreamville Festival

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 01: Ari Lennox performs during the 2023 Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 01, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage)

From there, she explained that she ended up signing another deal with a different label that also scammed her. Regardless, she says that she’s cool with them now despite the incident. When The Jasmine Brand shared the clip on Instagram, fans commented with plenty of supportive messages. “I’m convinced that these record labels lost their A&R divisions, and start signing artist just to shelve them to stop competition,” one user wrote. “I also think there’s no real desire to hear R&B music from the general public.” Another added: “It’s messed up that ppl with true talents get rob for it ..versus ppl without getting deals to sell and promote bullshat which only shows it’s a narrative to push ignorance to the blk communities.”

Ari Lennox Speaks On Her Relationship With Labels

Check out Lennox’s full comments on her experience with record labels below. She’s currently signed with J. Cole’s Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope. Be on the lookout for further updates on Ari Lennox on HotNewHipHop.

 
 
 
 
 
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Read More: Ari Lennox Trolls Joe Budden With Repeated Videos Of Consequence Punching Him

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‘Good Times’ Star John Amos Dead at Age 84

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John Amos 900x600

John Amos 900x600

John Amos, iconic TV father from Good Times and storied actor, has died at age 84. According to his son, K.C. Amos, he died on Aug. 21 in Los Angeles of natrual causes.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” K.C. Amos said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor.”

John Amos built a career that spanned over five decades. Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1939, Amos was best remembered for portraying James Evans Sr. on the groundbreaking TV series Good Times (1974–1976). As the strong, no-nonsense father in the first African American two-parent family on prime-time TV, Amos earned acclaim for his authentic depiction of a working-class father navigating life in a Chicago housing project.

Before Good Times, Amos starred as the beloved weatherman Gordy Howard on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1973), showcasing his range in comedic roles. In 1977, he delivered a memorable performance in Roots, the Emmy Award-winning miniseries based on Alex Haley’s book. His portrayal of Kunta Kinte’s older self cemented his place in television history and earned him an Emmy nomination.

Netflix Orders Animated 'Good Times' Series

Amos also enjoyed success in film, with notable roles in movies like Coming to America (1988), where he played Cleo McDowell, the owner of McDowell’s restaurant. He reprised the role in the sequel Coming 2 America (2021).

Amos worked steadily in dramatic and comedic roles throughout his career, appearing in shows like The West Wing, Two and a Half Men, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. His commanding presence and versatile talent earned him respect as one of Hollywood’s most enduring actors.

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Pras Michel Accuses Lauryn Hill Of Fraud In New Lawsuit

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If the relationship between the members of the Fugees wasn’t already inconsistent enough, things just got a whole lot more complicated. According to a new report from Billboard (Via Uproxx), Pras Michel is filing a lawsuit against the de-facto leader of the New Jersey outfit, Ms. Lauryn Hill, for a “devious” fraud scheme. His lawyers sent the legal documents to a federal court in Manhattan Tuesday. Essentially, Pras and his legal team are saying Hill convinced her bandmate to come on the 2023 reunion tour ultimately for mostly her benefit. It also brings 2024 trek into the picture, the one that was subject to “gross mismanagement”, according to Pras’ lawyers.

The documents say that she lied about how she was going to make. Instead of splitting it equally into thirds, she was going to rake in 40 percent of the gross. Additionally, Pras alleges that the payment was much less than expected due to “bloated” production costs and because of the tour ending sooner. Furthermore, he says that Hill told Live Nation, himself, and Wyclef Jean that they agreed to extend the tour to make an extra $1 million. But she supposedly kept all of that to herself. Finally, he says she turned down $5 million from Coachella to avoid letting Pras pay off his debt.

Read More: Future Has Every Song On “MIXTAPE PLUTO” Chart On The Billboard Hot 100

Pras Is Taking Things To Court With Lauryn Hill

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 07: (C) Pras Michel, (R) Lauryn Hill and (L) Wyclef Jean perform at Oakland Arena on November 07, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images)

That stems from his massive number of federal charges back in 2019. Back then, he was charged with 10 counts including conspiracy, witness tampering and failing to register as a foreign agent. This was all in relation to getting money from a Malaysian financier to aid in Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. Overall, his lawyers are not holding anything back against Hill, as they say, “While the contractual advance paid to Pras enabled him to retain his new criminal lawyers, the 2023 tour agreement was a wolf in sheep’s clothing”.

What are your thoughts on Pras Michel suing Lauryn Hill for fraud? Are you surprised that he’s going after her in this fashion, why or why not? Do you think this could lead to the end of the Fugees for good? How do you see this playing out? How will this affect them touring together? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Pras Michel, Lauryn Hill, and the Fugees. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the world of music.

Read More: Wack 100 Clarifies He Never Accused Drake Of Sending Kendrick Lamar A Cease And Desist

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Today In Hip Hop History: ‘Nas: Time Is Illmatic’ Documentary Premiered 10 Years Ago

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On this date in 2014, a One9, Erik Parker and Anthony Saleh-produced documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival celebrating the illustrious career of Queensbridge rap legend Nasir Jones titled Nas: Time Is Illmatic.

Dropping two decades to the date of the release of Nas’ incomparable debut album Illmatic, the doc dives into Nas entire childhood before the industry, including witnessing the death of his best friend and first DJ Willie “Ill Will” Graham, who Nas honored by naming his production company Ill Will Productions. Time Is Illmatic also explicitly explains the impact of Nas in Hip Hop culture coming from his peers such as Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip(who produced “One Love”) and superproducer Pharrell Williams.

Time Is Illmatic was considered by Variety magazine to be a likely contender to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, but did not receive a nomination. Nevertheless, Time Is Illmatic is a very informative and insightful look into one of the greatest minds Hip Hop culture has ever seen.

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Summer Walker Hosts Second Annual “Buy Black Women Sh*t” Initiative

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The initiative highlights several black-owned businesses in Atlanta offering discounts, exclusive products, and more, all in the name of self-care

Summer Walker (LVRN/Interscope Records) celebrated the upcoming anniversary of her debut mixtape, Last Day of Summer, by giving back to her community with the relaunch of “Buy Black Women Sh*t.” The initiative took place on the actual last day of the Summer season, September 22, and had Summer highlighting a group of Black women-owned businesses that push for self-care in the Atlanta area with an activation that offered fans access to discounts, products, and more.

The initiative was also in partnership with LVRN Cares, the powerhouse label’s philanthropic arm that aims to assist underrepresented communities. Some of the businesses that participated in this year’s event include City Dogz, Lot23 Chandler, The Secret Garden, The Lash Vault, Dope People Meet, Sati Yoga & Wellness, The Lash Vault, Atlanta Curves, and more. The directory for the initiative will be available on Walker’s website until September 22, 2025. Walker first launched the initiative last year on September 22, which is also “Summer Walker Day” in Atlanta.

Last Day of Summer was released in October 2018 and propelled Walker into the spotlight and spawned her multi-platinum single, “Girls Need Love,” and the celebrated remix featuring Drake, which soared to No. 2 on the Hot R&B and entered the top 40 of the Hot 100. She also released the revamped version of Last Day of Summer (Sped-Up) after the viral explosion of her sped-up platinum-certified single “Karma,” which created spikes in her streams, went No. 2 on the Hot R&B and entered the top 40 of the Hot 100.

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