Ari Lennox has applied “Pressure” since she stepped foot in the industry.
Yet, it came at a cost that has proven to pay off.
During an interview on The Breakfast Club, the R&B artist shared she had left her highest-paid job, at the time, to pursue a career in music.
Lennox had been working at Public Storage while simultaneously dropping new music on SoundCloud. Then, she piqued the interest of American rapper Omen who shared her talents with J. Cole and Eve.
The connection led to a chance for Lennox to eventually fly out to meet J. Cole. The opportunity would end up changing Lennox’s life for the better. However, at that time, she was unsure if her pursuit of music would outweigh stepping away from her stable position.
“I was horrified. I just got the job. It was $10 dollars an hour. It was the highest-paid job I ever had. I didn’t wanna like lose it. So, I almost didn’t go,” Lennox told The Breakfast Club.
Lennox shared she was only fearful of losing her job, but also scared to fly after having a traumatic experience as a child. However, she got on the plane anyway.
The singer ended up losing her job. Therfore, she decided to work as an Uber driver while Dreamville Records, founded by J.Cole in 2007, deliberated if they would go on to sign the R&B singer.
“I guess the meeting didn’t go well, cause you lost your job, but then you started driving Uber,” Angela Yee asked Lennox.
“The meeting went well,” Lennox responded. “I had to still make money. They were still taking the time with the idea of signing me. It wasn’t an immediate thing.
Lennox would go on to become the first female artist to sign to Dreamville Records in 2015. She has continued to blossom her career over the years, beginning with the release of her debut EP “Pho” and a feature on Cole’s song “Change.”
By 2019, Lennox had released her first studio album, which landed the star her first platinum hit single “Shea Butter Baby” featuring J.Cole.
Now, Lennox is bringing her fans a new wave of music, coming off the success of her chart-topping single “Pressure,” which is on her second studio album “age/sex/location.”
Lennox isn’t the first star to rely on Uber while chasing their dreams.
As AfroTech previously told you, Tanaye White worked with Uber Eats, while chasing her modeling dreams.
“When the modeling industry was at a standstill during the pandemic, Uber Eats was a fantastic opportunity for me to stay afloat and earn income. And I’m so appreciative that my side hustle was able to become my main hustle for the length of that time. I honestly don’t know where I’d be today if I didn’t have my Uber Eats gig at the time because the pandemic was a very challenging time. I think we can all relate to that,” White told AfroTech exclusively.