Ari Lennox recently spoke out about her challenging experience while touring with Rod Wave, expressing that she felt consistently uneasy and “never comfortable” during her time on the road with the rapper.
In an emotionally raw Instagram Live session over the weekend, the Dreamville singer openly discussed her tour encounters, shedding light on the treatment she faced during that period.
“I was never comfortable. I just remember every show, just racing to get off stage, racing to get through my set.”
“I started trying to communicate with the audience and then I realized they were getting angry at me affirming them. You’re getting angry that I’m affirming you? This is not my crowd. And it’ll never be. And that’s alright.
“It was tough and it was heavy on my soul, especially the day when the bottle happened because that side of the stage, like, I felt the energy … It was just all darkness — that was literally the energy that was coming from the left side.”
Elsewhere, she added: “I was on that stage and would people would have shit on their screens saying ‘next, and I can’t deal with shit like that. I’ll curse you out … What is this aggression? You’re that pissed?
“It was a lot for two and a half months, like, getting my wardrobe stolen. It was just a very hard two and a half fucking months. Very lonely too. But I thought it would be a good idea.”
Ari Lennox opens up about touring with Rod Wave:
“I was never comfortable. I just remember every show, just racing to get off stage, racing to get through my set.” pic.twitter.com/tBf4E3HLaT
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) January 7, 2024
and
Ari Lennox talks about a “very, very, hard and lonely” time opening up on tour w/ Rod Wave
“I get why it does not makes sense to open up for … anybody. I watched it with Rico Nasty. There’s a certain type of fan base that you’re like, literally aggressive” https://t.co/lwSjv4rfSQ pic.twitter.com/RrMUIEqfkD
— Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) January 7, 2024
If you recall, back in November during Ari Lennox’s support stint for Rod Wave, a bottle was hurled from the audience during a Los Angeles show in November, narrowly missing the singer.
Following this incident, the “Shea Butter Baby” star addressed the audience in a rant.
She cut the music to her set and said:
“Bitch, I’ll fuck you up! Who the fuck did it? Who the fuck did it? I’ll fuck y’all ass up. ‘Cause I don’t play that, I don’t feel that bullshit.
“I will fuck y’all shit all the way the fuck up! Don’t you ever disrespect a beautiful Black woman on the stage like that! I’ma fucking fuck you up. That’s the fuck right. Who did it, bitch?”
when someone admitted to throwing the bottle, she said:
“Right, come here, bitch. Come here, let’s do it. Come here bitch, you a pussy. That’s right, you could never even be as good as a p**sy. That’s right, bitch. You’re dumb. You’re weak.”
Twitter reaction:
Ari Lennox should have NEVER been on that tour with Rod Wave. Too different artists with different energies and different fanbases. Ari should be on her own tour or touring with R&B/Neo soul artists.
— Will Smith Slapped Me (@AshleyShyMiller) January 8, 2024
and
I honestly just think she should do her own tour for her fans. I’m sure the bulk majority of ppl were there to see the headline Rod Wave. I think even more people was anticipating just seeing Rod Wave fall from the building after it started to viral. Ari is popping enough to do… https://t.co/s0WuKb4Xuh
— Sonny (@SonnyDigital) January 8, 2024
