JACK HARLOW

Hellooooo.

Alright, SO I asked some people over the last few days the following question - do you know who Jack Harlow is, and do you know how he got his start?

Here are some of my favorite answers:

• Probably on the Disney Channel.

• Who?

• The boy in Titanic?

• Yes, I’d say he got his start earlier than the First Class/Whats Poppin rise on TikTok bc he has been featured on a lot of songs for a while like by Lil Nas X, Flume.

• Lol obviously what’s this for? Some work thing? Tell them to go on TikTok.

• No. Dad wants to know if you want a hamburger or hot dog tomorrow night. *10 minutes later* I think I saw him on the Met Gala. Did he tell a host he loved her? That one?

• Jack Harlow is the prince of Louisville. 

I will literally never ever forget where I was when I heard the phrase “Jack Harlow looks like a power washed Post Malone.” I have no idea who said that, but it was likely someone much more funny and cool than I.  

I will also never forget when I learned that Jack Harlow was 24-years-old after I had just very publicly declared my undying love for him. 

And I absolutely will never forget where I was the second Twitter started blowing up because Jack Harlow’s new album Come Home The Kids Miss You was bombing beyond belief. 

I think what’s really interesting ABOUT CULTURAL CHARACTERS

like Jack Harlow isn’t necessarily how they build their fame - but how we all respond to the fame being built. Do you all remember Lil Dicky? There is much debate on Twitter drawing comparisons between the two white men and it’s not surprising. But they can’t be compared. Lil Dicky is a comedy rapper that honestly reminds me of Simon Rex aka Dirt Nasty and I mean that offensively. For some reason, we all have a little more patience for the comedy rappers that are almost making a mockery of themselves and others like them. They’re a parody and we don’t actually have to take them seriously.

Jack Harlow is something completely different. He’s a white rapper, yes. But he has the attitude to help make the very blatant cultural appropriation “tolerable.” Or is it?  There are plenty of Harlow critics and still, his fame grows. There’s this weird fuzzy line in music - we all have to point to something about the persona of the white kid trying to be a rapper. It can’t “just” be about their talent. For Eminem, it was the unforgiving “no f’s given.” He didn’t really care if the rap community tolerated him. Jack Harlow seems earnest - like he doesn’t want to eff this up. Like he knows what he’s doing, the position he’s in, the timing of it all, and he’s treading lightly - pretty much the opposite of Eminem. It feels like our culture only has patience for one white guy trying to be a rapper at a time. And that’s PROBABLY true, especially today. But it’s been done before. 

I assure you my knowledge of music begins and ends with Taylor Swift’s entire discography so I don’t think I’m in any position to make a judgment call on the validity of whether Jack Harlow is actually a good rapper or not - I just sort of think it’s interesting how obsessed with him we are right now. That includes me. Why am I watching this 24-year-old talk about how he doesn’t drink on The Breakfast Club?

Why am I watching JIMMY FALLON just so I can see what he said about that Emma Chamberlain moment? And is it because we’re all waiting for him to eff it up? POSSIBLY! Who knows. Like I said, he’s not doing anything groundbreaking but the timing of it all seems to have us all holding our breath just a tiiiiiiny bit. Seems to have us all drawing comparisons, making justifications, and ultimately asking the question — is this allowed though?