Shea Butter Baby

This article is about the Ari Lennox album. For the song, see Shea Butter Baby (song).

Shea Butter Baby
Studio album by Ari Lennox
Released	May 7, 2019 (2019-05-07)
Recorded	2015–19
Genre	R&B soul [1] neo soul [1] jazz [2]
Length	44:22
Label	Dreamville Interscope
Producer	Jermaine Cole (also exec.) Elite (also exec.) Ibrahim Hamad (exec.) Bigg Kid Christo Deputy DJ Grumble Hollywood JB Jaylen Rojas Kojo Masego Nick Quinn Omen Ron Gilmore Shroom
Ari Lennox chronology
Pho (2016) Shea Butter Baby (2019) Shea Butter Baby (Remix EP) (2020)
Singles from Shea Butter Baby
"Whipped Cream" Released: July 16, 2018 "Shea Butter Baby" Released: February 26, 2019 "BMO" Released: August 6, 2019

Shea Butter Baby is the debut studio album by American singer Ari Lennox. It was released on May 7, 2019, by Dreamville and Interscope Records. ^[3] The album was executive produced by Dreamville producer Elite. In addition, the majority of the album was produced by Dreamville's in-house producers: J. Cole, Elite, Omen, Ron Gilmore, and Christo, among others.

Background

Ari Lennox was signed to Dreamville Records in 2015 after her music had been circulating throughout the label. Eventually, they flew her to their studio to work on references for Rihanna, but the songs wound up going to Lennox because she was "not really a songwriter for other artists," and wrote personal records for herself. ^[4]

Release and promotion

On July 16, 2018, ^[5] Ari Lennox released the lead single, "Whipped Cream", for her debut album, with an accompanied music video on September 5. ^{[6] [7]} During November 2018, Ari released four promotional singles: "40 Shades of Choke", "Grampa", "No One" and "Pedigree". ^{[8] [9]}

The title track being the second single "Shea Butter Baby" with J. Cole, was released on February 26, 2019, which first appeared on the Creed II soundtrack on November 16, 2018. ^{[10] [11]} The song was accompanied by a music video on February 20, 2019 and surpassed three million views via YouTube within the first week. On April 30, Ari Lennox announced the release date and tracklist of the album, and released the fifth promotional single "Up Late", and the music video for the song was released on May 14. ^{[12] [13]} On August 5, a live performance of the song "I Been" at A Colors Show was released. On August 6, she released the music video for "BMO", directed by Child. ^[14]

Tours

On March 27, 2019, she announced her first headlining tour, with the first leg beginning on May 12 and ending on June 14 in her hometown Washington, D.C., with supporting acts Baby Rose, Mikhala Jené, and Ron Gilmore. The second leg of the tour is in Europe beginning in December. ^[15]

Remix EP

On March 27, 2020, Shea Butter Baby (Remix EP) was released, featuring guest appearances from Doja Cat, Smino, and Durand Bernarr. It included remixes for the songs "BMO", "I Been" and "Facetime". ^{[16] [17]}

Writing and recording

Ari Lennox spoke with Complex about the writing process of the album saying, it "is just whatever is happening in my life right then and there. Sometimes it's just very blunt." ^[18] She told XXL about the experiences she expressed on the album saying "I'm singing about my first apartment, about liking broke niggas—if your soul is beautiful then who cares? I have this joint called "Static" [where] I talk about my anxiety in a metaphorical way. Just a lot of sex, soul, romance and hip-hop." ^[19]

She began working on her debut album promptly after getting signed to Dreamville, and took four years to complete. Ron Gilmore spoke on the recording process and how the album evolved to its final form in an interview with Revolt, saying:

There were different track-listings for sure. But, this is pretty much it. It was a long, tedious process to even get to 12 songs. There are more songs that are also good. It wasn't one of those situations where we thought we had the album before. Nah, we pretty much worked on what we worked on and maybe a month before [the release], we came to grips with what was going to be on the album. I know the ones that we did in 2015 -- 'I Been' and 'Facetime'-- kept making it through the cut lists. It would be a tracklist and it would be 20 songs. Then, it was cutting from there, and cutting from there, and cutting from there until we got to 12. ^[20]

Omen produced "BMO" which samples Galt MacDermot's "Space". Ari's manager, Justin LaMotte asked Omen to send the file so they could work on it, but his computer was damaged and the files were lost. After remaking the beat, he got in with Ron Gilmore and added some music, with Elite helping them tweak some of the sounds. ^[21] Christo created the beat for "Broke", with additional producers adding "some sparkles or arrangements here and there." JID sent in his verse for the song at the last minute before turning in the album. At the end of "Speak to Me", Elite and Gilmore had Carlin White play some live drums into a "Latin groove" at the end. ^[21]

Elite also talked about "Static" being his favorite song on the album saying "when I first heard it played back, I got emotional. I felt goosebumps, and it was tugging at my emotions -- so when that happens with the song, I always think it's special, because I know if I feel that way, somebody else out there is going to feel that way." ^[21] Ari claims that "New Apartment" is the most important song on the album saying "it’s different, it’s so unique and it comes from my soul. It’s super important for people to move out when they can and experience their own world and their own space. It’s important to celebrate that." Anytime the song was questioned about not making the album, Ari would vehemently disagree. ^[22] The skits on the album derived from audio recordings from Ari's Instagram Live, which was Cole's idea to keep an archive of the footage. ^[21]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100 [23]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Clash	8/10 [24]
Exclaim!	7/10 [25]
HipHopDX	[26]
Pitchfork	7.6/10 [1]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81, indicating "universal acclaim". ^[27]

Writing for Pitchfork , Ann-Derrick Gaillot said, "The debut album from the neo-soul singer-songwriter is driven by warm funk and soul and has the healing familiarity of hanging out on the couch commiserating with a best friend." The writer asserted that the album "grounds the spiritual sultriness of neo-soul and R&B in irreverent frankness, subverting the idea that the modern self-assured woman must maintain a divine facade. There's power, she suggests, in celebrating the imperfect and slightly messy, rather than chunks of reality polished smooth." ^[1] Writing for Exclaim! , A. Harmony said the album "is a charming coming-of-age tale that is endearing in its relatable simplicity." ^[25]

Cherise Johnson of HipHopDX said the album "essentially satisfies a thirst for the kind of rhythm and blues that feels good to spirit, much like a home-cooked meal after returning home from college for the first time. It's a coming-of-age project, filled with honest words backed with real instrumentation and speaks for a generation of Black women who just want to be themselves — and clearly, no one, not Ari anyway, is waiting for permission." ^[26] Tyrell Nicolas of Clash gave a positive review of the album, saying it "manages to meld contemporary R&B with other sounds like soul, funk, and blues, all while introducing us to the Ari Lennox of today – and the inspirations that guide her every move." The writer continued to say "Perhaps the most endearing aspect of 'Shea Butter Baby' is an authentic innocence that threads through it – the subtle interludes that feature in the space between songs lay bare Ari Lennox's passions, fears, desires, and intentions." ^[24] Amira Rasool of Paper wrote about the topics of the album saying "To the average listener, the themes of love and love lost between two lovers may standout most on the album, but for Lennox, the empowerment of Black women and their place in the world is what she hopes will shine through." ^[2]

Accolades

Year-end lists

Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
Associated Press	AP’s Top Albums of 2019	1	[28]
Billboard	The 50 Best Albums of 2019	33	[29]
Clash	Clash Albums Of The Year 2019	34	[30]
Complex	The Best Albums of 2019	26	[31]
Noisey	The 100 Best Albums of 2019	5	[32]
NPR	The 25 Best Albums of 2019	12	[33]
People	People's 10 Best Albums of 2019	8	[34]
Vibe	The 30 Best Albums of 2019	1	[35]

Commercial performance

With only three days of tracking, the album debuted at number 104 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and moved up to number 67 the following week. It also peaked at number 38 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and number 7 on the US R&B chart. ^{[36] [37] [38]}

Track listing

Credits adapted from Tidal. ^[39]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Chicago Boy"	Courtney Salter Anthony Parrino Ron Gilmore Jr. Chico Hamilton	Elite Ron Gilmore [a]	4:48
2.	"BMO"	Salter Damon Coleman Parrino Gilmore Jr. Galt MacDermot	Omen Elite [a] Gilmore [a]	2:26
3.	"Broke" (featuring JID)	Salter Destin Route John Welch Gilmore Jr. Parrino Jamil Pierre	Christo Gilmore [a] Elite [a] Deputy [a]	4:02
4.	"Up Late"	Salter Justin Bryant Nicholas Venezia Oliver Bergqvist Kojo Asamoah	Nick Quinn Masego Kojo Hollywood JB Bigg Kid	4:26
5.	"Shea Butter Baby" (with J. Cole)	Salter Jermaine Cole Anthony Parrino Tim Schoegje	Elite Shroom	3:31
6.	"Speak to Me"	Salter Parrino Gilmore Jr.	Elite Gilmore	3:44
7.	"New Apartment"	Salter Colin Calabrese Parrino Hubert Laws Alexander Wesley Scott	DJ Grumble Elite [a]	3:56
8.	"Facetime"	Salter Cole	J. Cole Craig Brockman [a]	2:31
9.	"Pop"	Salter Jaylen Rojas	Jaylen Rojas	2:18
10.	"I Been"	Salter Gilmore Jr.	Gilmore	3:41
11.	"Whipped Cream"	Salter Larry Blackmon Theo Croker Gilmore Jr. Parrino	Elite Gilmore [a]	4:48
12.	"Static"	Salter Parrino Gilmore Jr. Roy Ayers	Elite Gilmore [a]	4:11
Total length:				44:22

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional producer.

Sample credits

• "Chicago Boy" samples "Gengis" by Chico Hamilton.
• "BMO" samples "Space" by Galt MacDermot.
• "Broke" samples "Lullaby" by Chargaux feat. Soft Glas.
• "New Apartment" samples "Land of Passion" by Hubert Laws.
• "Whipped Cream" samples "Two of Us" by Cameo.
• "Static" samples "Look Into The Sky" by RAMP.

Personnel

Technical

• Juro "Mez" Davis – mixing (all tracks)

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
US Billboard 200 [40]	67
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [41]	38
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [42]	4

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [43]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Ann-Derrick, Gaillot (May 15, 2019). "Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby". Pitchfork . Retrieved May 16, 2019.
2. Rasool, Amira. "Ari Lennox Reveals Debut Album 'Shea Butter Baby'". Paper Mag.
3. "Ari Lennox Drops Steamy New Track 'Up Late,' Announces 'Shea Butter Baby' Album Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
4. Maher, Natalie. "Ari Lennox on Her Love for D.C., Being Signed to J. Cole & Protecting Her Mental Health". Billboard.
5. "Ari Lennox Releases Sweet New Single "Whipped Cream"". Complex.
6. "See Ari Lennox's Hard Reckoning in 'Whipped Cream' Video". Rolling Stone. 5 September 2018.
7. "Ari Lennox Is Jaded By Faded Love In Ethereal "Whipped Cream" Video". Vibe. 5 September 2018.
8. "Ari Lennox Shares New Songs "40 Shades of Choke" and "Grampa"". Complex.
9. "Ari Lennox Unveils Two New Songs 'Pedigree' and 'No One': Listen". Billboard.
10. "Ari Lennox & J. Cole Are Smoother Than 'Shea Butter Baby' For 'Creed II: The Album'". Soul Bounce. 17 November 2018.
11. "J. Cole & Ari Lennox Conjure Mystical Lust On "Shea Butter Baby"". HotNewHipHop. 15 November 2018.
12. "Ari Lennox Announces "Shea Butter Baby" Album & Releases "Up Late" Single". HipHopDX. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
13. Meshal, Nada (May 14, 2019). "Ari Lennox Drops Stunning And Sensual Visuals For "Up Late"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
14. Saponara, Michael. "Ari Lennox Bathes in a Heart-Shaped Tub, Serves Up Fierce Fits in Sultry 'BMO' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
15. Spencer, Tallie. "Ari Lennox Announces Shea Butter Baby Tour Dates". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
16. "ARI LENNOX ANNOUNCES 'SHEA BUTTER BABY' REMIX EP". The Source. 25 March 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
17. "Ari Lennox To Release 'Shea Butter Baby Remix' EP". Vibe. 25 March 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
18. Ortiz, Edwin. "Ari Lennox and Elite on the Making of 'Shea Butter Baby'". Complex. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
19. Kennedy, John. "ARI LENNOX IS DREAMVILLE'S HIP-HOP SOUL SISTER". XXL.
20. Nelson Jr, Keith. "Studio Sessions: Ron Gilmore Jr. was Dreamville's secret weapon on Ari Lennox's 'Shea Butter Baby'". Revolt. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
21. Platon, Adelle. "Producer Elite on Ari Lennox's 'Shea Butter Baby' & Dreamville Beginnings". Billboard. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
22. "Ari Lennox Is a Soulful Gem: Interview". DJBooth. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
23. "Reviews for Shea Butter Baby by The Ari Lennox". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
24. Nicolas, Tyrell (May 15, 2019). "Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby - A powerful journey of self-belief told through a rich, neo-soul lens…". Clash . Retrieved May 16, 2019.
25. Harmony, A. "Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby". Exclaim. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
26. Johnson, Cherise (May 16, 2019). "Review: Ari Lennox's "Shea Butter Baby" Is A Freak Nasty Experience For The Soul". HipHopDX . Retrieved May 17, 2019.
27. "Shea Butter Baby by Ari Lennox Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
28. "AP's top albums of 2019: Ari Lennox, Summer Walker, Anitta". AP News. December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
29. "The 50 Best Albums of 2019: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
30. "Clash Albums Of The Year 2019". Clash. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
31. "The Best Albums of 2019". Complex. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
32. "The 100 Best Albums of 2019". Noisey. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
33. "The 25 Best Albums of 2019". NPR. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
34. "The 25 Best Albums of 2019". People. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
35. William E., Ketchum III (December 23, 2019). "The 30 Best Albums of 2019". Vibe . Retrieved December 24, 2019.
36. "Ari Lennox Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved May 14, 2019.
37. "Ari Lennox – Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
38. "Ari Lennox – Chart History - Top R&B Albums". Billboard.
39. "Ari Lennox - TIDAL". listen.tidal.com. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
40. "Ari Lennox Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
41. "Ari Lennox Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
42. "Ari Lennox Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
43. "American album certifications – Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 6, 2022.