I’ve never heard someone sing “I want all the smoke.”

Ari Lennox is one of those artists who truly deserves direct money from her listeners. I love the quality and richness of her music, along with her ability to tackle a wide range of topics, avoiding the stereotypical themes that many other R&B artists at her level tend to focus on. Ari’s thoughtful approach to her craft means she takes her time with releases, which I respect. For instance, her last album came out in 2022, and before that, in 2019. With that kind of pacing, I wouldn’t be surprised if she drops a new project before the year wraps up. Today, she did manage to bless us with a new single called “Smoke.”

“Smoke” is a very intriguing track. Despite boasting this vintage R&B sound that feels straight out of the ’70s, complete with glamorous, stage-ready vocals from Ari, the lyrics take a sharp, unruly turn. Lines like “f**k around and find out” and “I might just slap a b*tch” create a striking contrast, making the song both funny and impressive at the same time. Only Ari is capable of doing some s**t like this.

Ari Lennox trolls at a very high level.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.