Dreamville singer Ari Lennox is still going strong promoting her powerful, fan-favorite debut album, Shea Butter Baby, releasing the seductive video to one of the album’s standout songs, “BMO,” today and calling it one of her “favorite music videos ever” on Twitter. The video was directed by Child, who also directed the video for Big KRIT’s lead single “KRIT Here” and was inspired by the late-90s visual mastery of R&B and hip-hop performers like Total and Missy Elliott.
The video sees Ari slinking and slithering in a series of monochromatic looks inspired by her heroines, from a glittery, lingerie-esque red bodysuit to a baggy jacket and crop top combo that calls to mind Aaliyah’s favorite ensembles. In another video, she lounges in a soapy bubble bath, making bedroom eyes at the camera, which highlights the lustful content of the song: “BMO” is an acronym for “break me off,” a seductive instruction Ari delivers to a potential lover with no small amount of authority.
Shea Butter Baby was also supported by a self-titled single featuring J. Cole and indirectly supported by her multiple appearances on Dreamville’s compilation album, Revenge Of The Dreamers III. Ari recently flexed her rap skills — in a frivolous way — by “freestyling” a response to Jermaine Dupri’s comments about female rappers.
