Shea Butter Baby at The Underground Fillmore-Charlotte

Time to Shine

I remember the first time that I heard her music! I remember thinking: "WOW! I'm not really sure what to compare her voice to…but I love it." Needless to say, I've been a fan ever since. Most people know Ari Lennox from her recent hit single, ‘Shea Butter Baby', featuring J. Cole. However, Ari has been around for some time now; Quietly hiding in the shadows, waiting for her time to shine. This past Friday night, at the Underground Filmore, Lennox graced the stage and showed Charlotte, NC just how bright she can shine.

SOLD-OUT!

I could feel the anticipation of the concert-goers long before I reached the inside of the venue. I'm willing to bet that each person at the Underground Filmore that night, knew every word, to every song from her new album. TRUE fans are what I'd call them. It was a SOLD-OUT, standing room only, show. Everyone stood anxiously waiting for Ari to perform. The lights dimmed, and everyone screamed. There were two openers for the show. First up, Ron Gilmore Jr.; A producer from the Dreamville camp. Young, talented and perfect at setting the tone for the show. Next up, Baby Rose. She added a nice vibe to the night and had quite a unique voice. However, a few songs into her set, the audience started to get restless and attention spans started to diminish. No doubt, Charlotte showed love, but where was Ari?

Nothing Short of Amazing !!!

‘Chicago Boy', the first track from the "Shea Butter Baby Album", rang through the venue and the crowd went wild! Lennox stepped out in a red fur jacket and big, gold, hoops. Her hair screamed black girl magic and "fuck it up, sis". My assumption that everyone knew the lyrics to her music panned out to be true, once she started singing. The entire performance was NOTHING short of amazing. She went through songs from her most recent project, as well as her last EP. There were a few personal favorites that I looked forward to hearing. Unfortunately, she didn't perform them. Ari engaged the crowd the entire night! At one point she even said: "Charlotte! I think y'all might be the greatest of all time", which is enough to make a whole city smile.

If Ari is set to come to your city, GO GET YOUR TICKET! Even if it's it simply NEAR your city; GO GET YOUR TICKET! Her show is a must see. Her voice sounds identical to the record and you can literally feel her authenticity and genuity from the stage. That kind of quality in an artist and their show is hard to come by these days. Ari's a natural, and if you don't make it to any other concert this year, be sure to go and check out Ari Lennox, live and in action. Trust me, you won't regret it!