Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper from
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
. He started his career in 2015 and released several
EPs and
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
s before he was signed to
Don Cannon
Donald Cannon (born August 2, 1979) is an American DJ, record producer, songwriter, and record executive. Cannon is a co-founder of the Atlantic Records imprint, Generation Now. He was also a member of the prominent Atlanta mixtape collective, ...
and
DJ Drama
Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American DJ, record executive and music promoter. He is the co-founder (with Don Cannon) of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists including ...
's record label Generation Now in 2018, an imprint of
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
.
Harlow's first major breakthrough came with the release of his 2020 single, "
Whats Poppin
"Whats Poppin" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Jack Harlow, released as the lead single from his EP ''Sweet Action'', by Generation Now and Atlantic Records on January 21, 2020. It was also included on his debut studio album, ' ...
." Aided by its popularity on
TikTok
TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
TikTok is an international version ...
,
and following a remix with rappers
DaBaby
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly known as Baby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he rose to mainstream prominence with his debut albu ...
,
Tory Lanez
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and convicted felon. He received initial recognition from the mixtape ''Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story'', rel ...
, and
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
, it peaked at number two on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and went on to receive a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination. Harlow was included on ''
XXL'' magazine's "
2020 Freshman Class"
before he released his debut studio album, ''
Thats What They All Say
''Thats What They All Say'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Jack Harlow. It was released on December 11, 2020, by Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from Lil Baby, Big Sean, Chris Brown, A ...
'' (2020), which was certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
in the US. In 2021, Harlow released a collaboration with
Lil Nas X
Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single " Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popula ...
, "
Industry Baby
"Industry Baby" is a song by American rappers Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow, released on July 23, 2021, through Columbia Records. The song features co-production by American rapper and record producer Kanye West and production duo Take a Daytrip. I ...
," which reached number one on the Hot 100, becoming Harlow's first chart-topper. Harlow released his second album ''
Come Home the Kids Miss You
''Come Home the Kids Miss You'' is the second studio album by American rapper Jack Harlow. It was released on May 6, 2022 through Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The production was handled by multiple producers including Harlow himself, Phar ...
'' in 2022, and its single, "
First Class," became his second number one on the Hot 100 and first to debut atop the chart.
Harlow has received several award nominations from various institutions, including
Top New Artist at the
2021 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. In the same year, he was named ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''’s "Hitmaker of the Year" and was included in
''Forbes'' 30 Under 30.
In 2022, it was announced that Harlow will make his acting debut in a
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
of the 1992 film ''
White Men Can't Jump
''White Men Can't Jump'' is a 1992 American sports comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton. It stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in the United States on March 27, 1992, by 20th Century ...
'' directed by
Calmatic
Charles Kidd II (born September 25, 1987), known professionally as Calmatic, is an American filmmaker from Los Angeles known for music videos and commercials. He gained widespread fame in 2019 for directing the video for " Old Town Road" by Lil Na ...
.
Early life
Jackman Thomas Harlow was born on March 13, 1998, in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
.
He is the son of Maggie (née Payette), a businesswoman, and Brian Harlow, and was raised on a horse farm near
Shelbyville. He has one younger brother, Clayborn Harlow. He is of French and Irish descent.
Harlow moved from Shelbyville to Louisville with his family as a child and began rapping at age 12. He and his friend Copelan Garvey used a ''
Guitar Hero
''Guitar Hero'' is a series of music rhythm game video games first released in November 2005, in which players use a guitar-shaped game controller to simulate playing primarily lead, bass guitar, and rhythm guitar across numerous songs ...
'' microphone and a laptop to record rhymes and songs. They made a CD, ''Rippin' and Rappin'', and sold copies at their school,
Highland Middle School. When he was in seventh grade, Harlow acquired a professional microphone and made his first mixtape, ''Extra Credit'', using the moniker Mr. Harlow. He formed a collective, Moose Gang, with various friends; during this time, he worked on two mixtapes that were ultimately never released, ''Moose Gang'' and ''Music for the Deaf''. He attended
Atherton High School, where he played on the boys' varsity soccer team.
Career
2015–2018: Early mixtapes and Private Garden
In November 2015, Harlow released his first commercial record, the
EP ''The Handsome Harlow''. It was released on
Gill Holland
John Gill Holland, Jr. (born November 7, 1964) is an American film producer and co-developer of The Green Building in Louisville, Kentucky.
Early life and education
Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Holland was raised in Davidson, North Caro ...
's sonaBLAST! record label.
Throughout high school, he often played sold-out shows at Louisville venues like
Mercury Ballroom
The Mercury Ballroom is a music venue in downtown Louisville, downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The 900-capacity venue, housed in the Wright and Taylor Building at Fourth and Chestnut streets, operated by Live Nation Entertainment, Live Nation's Hous ...
, Headliners, and the Haymarket Whiskey Bar.
In March 2016, he opened for
Vince Staples
Vincent Jamal Staples (born July 2, 1993) is an American rapper and singer. Staples was once a close associate of Odd Future, Mike G and Earl Sweatshirt in particular. He is currently signed to Motown and Blacksmith Records.
Staples rose to ...
in Louisville.
In June 2016, less than a month after graduating from
Atherton High School, he released the mixtape ''18'', which was the first album on his label and music collective, Private Garden.
The collective also features Harlow's frequent collaborators, the Homies, composed of Louisville rappers and producers Ace Pro, 2forWoyne, Shloob, Quiiso, and Ronnie Lucciano.
Over the course of the next year, Harlow performed at
South by Southwest
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
,
Bonnaroo Music Festival, and the
Forecastle Festival
The Forecastle Festival is a three-day music, art, activism festival held annually in Louisville, Kentucky. The festival was founded in 2002 as a small gathering of local musicians in Tyler Park, and steadily grew into a national attraction that ...
.
In the summer of 2017, Harlow released the single "Routine".
In October of that year, he released another single, "Dark Knight", with an accompanying music video. He credits
Cyhi the Prynce
Cydel Charles Young (born September 15, 1984), known professionally as CyHi the Prynce, is an American rapper and singer. In 2009, Young signed his first major-label contract with Konvict Muzik, with the backing of Def Jam Recordings. In 2010, ...
with helping him work through his
writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...
and finish the song.
"Dark Knight" became the lead single on Harlow's mixtape ''Gazebo'', which was released in November 2017.
Harlow went on a 14-city Gazebo Tour in support of the album. The Homies opened for Harlow, and the tour ended in January 2018.
In May 2018, Harlow opened for indie rock band
Portugal. The Man on select tour dates.
The next month, he was featured alongside
Lil James and Sixteen on the
Skeme
Lonnie Kimble (born January 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Skeme, is an American rapper from Inglewood, California. Skeme has collaborated with various West Coast rappers such as the group Black Hippy, Bizzy Bone, The Game, Dom Ken ...
song "Get Sumn".
2018–2020: Generation Now Records, ''Loose'', and ''Confetti''
After moving to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Harlow worked at the Chick-fil-A in the
Georgia State University
Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the ...
cafeteria to supplement his income. A month after working at the cafeteria he was introduced to DJ Drama at Mean Street Studio.
In August 2018, it was announced that Harlow had signed to
DJ Drama
Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American DJ, record executive and music promoter. He is the co-founder (with Don Cannon) of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists including ...
and
Don Cannon
Donald Cannon (born August 2, 1979) is an American DJ, record producer, songwriter, and record executive. Cannon is a co-founder of the Atlantic Records imprint, Generation Now. He was also a member of the prominent Atlanta mixtape collective, ...
's Generation Now record label, in conjunction with
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
. He also released a video for his single "Sundown" on the day of the announcement.
On August 17, Harlow released his major label debut mixtape, ''Loose''.
The album featured guest verses from CyHi the Prynce,
K Camp
Kristopher Thomas Campbell (born April 27, 1990), better known by his stage name K Camp (stylized as K CAMP), is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is signed with Interscope Records and released his debut EP ''In Due Time'' in 2014. H ...
, 2forWoyne, and Taylor.
In November 2018, Harlow embarked on a North American tour in support of ''Loose'' which ended in December.
That month, he also released a video for the song "PickYourPhoneUp", featuring K Camp.
''Loose'' was nominated for Best Mixtape at the
2019 BET Hip Hop Awards. On August 21, 2019, Harlow released the single "Thru the Night" featuring fellow Louisville native
Bryson Tiller
Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer and rapper. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his career in 2011 with a mixtape entitled ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. Tiller initially gained mainstream success in 2015 follo ...
. He then released the 12-track mixtape ''Confetti'', which features Tiller, 2forWoyne and EST Gee.
2020–2021: ''Thats What They All Say''
On January 21, 2020, Harlow released the single "
Whats Poppin
"Whats Poppin" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Jack Harlow, released as the lead single from his EP ''Sweet Action'', by Generation Now and Atlantic Records on January 21, 2020. It was also included on his debut studio album, ' ...
", as the lead single from his second extended play (EP), ''Sweet Action''. The song was widely shared on the
TikTok
TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
TikTok is an international version ...
social media platform, and the
Cole Bennett
Cole Michael Bennett (born May 14, 1996) is an American business executive, videographer, and music video director. His multimedia company, Lyrical Lemonade, started in 2013 as an internet blog while he was in high school.
Early life
Cole Be ...
-produced video has surpassed 135 million views as of May 2021. On Harlow's 22nd birthday, March 13, 2020, he released the EP. On April 29, 2020, Harlow released a collaboration with
G-Eazy, "Moana". On June 24, 2020, Harlow released the remix of "Whats Poppin", which features
DaBaby
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly known as Baby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he rose to mainstream prominence with his debut albu ...
,
Tory Lanez
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and convicted felon. He received initial recognition from the mixtape ''Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story'', rel ...
, and
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
. The remix propelled the song to reach number two on the Hot 100. On August 11, Harlow was included in ''
XXL''s 2020
Freshman Class. On October 22, 2020, Harlow released the single "
Tyler Herro
Tyler Christopher Herro ( ; born January 20, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one year with the Kentucky Wildcats.
After bein ...
", the lead single from his debut studio album, ''
That's What They All Say''. The song received a music video that stars Harlow and the
NBA player of the same name. The song was praised for the "easy, weightless charisma" of Harlow's lyrics and delivery. On December 2, 2020, Harlow announced the album. The second single, "
Way Out", which features
Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...
, was released on December 9, 2020. The album was released on December 11, 2020. It also includes "Whats Poppin" and its remix.
On March 27, 2021, Harlow appeared as the musical guest on the
46th season of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''. He performed a medley of "Tyler Herro" and "Whats Poppin" for his first set and performed "Same Guy" with
Adam Levine for his second set. He also appeared and performed a verse in the pre-recorded
NFT
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, that is recorded in a blockchain, and that is used to certify authenticity and ownership. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the ...
-themed parody of
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
's 2002 single, "
Without Me".
On March 30, 2021, "
Already Best Friends
"Already Best Friends" is a song written and performed by American rapper Jack Harlow featuring American singer Chris Brown. It was originally released on December 11, 2020 through Warner, Generation Now, and Atlantic Records, as a track from ...
", which features
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
, was sent to
urban contemporary radio
Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...
as the third and final single from ''
That's What They All Say''.
On May 28, 2021, Harlow released a collaboration with Eminem and
Cordae for the remix of Eminem's 2020 single, "
Killer
A killer is someone or something that kills, such as a murderer or a serial killer.
Killer may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
* Killer (''Home and Away''), a character from ''Home and Away''
* Killer Kane, ...
". On July 23, 2021, he released a collaboration with
Lil Nas X
Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single " Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popula ...
, "
Industry Baby
"Industry Baby" is a song by American rappers Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow, released on July 23, 2021, through Columbia Records. The song features co-production by American rapper and record producer Kanye West and production duo Take a Daytrip. I ...
". The song reached number one on the Hot 100, giving Harlow his first number-one single on the chart. On August 3, 2021, he released a collaboration with
Pooh Shiesty
Lontrell Donell Williams Jr. (born November 8, 1999), better known by his stage name Pooh Shiesty, is an American rapper. He is signed to Gucci Mane's 1017 Records and Atlantic Records. He rose to fame in 2020 from his collaborations with the ra ...
, "
SUVs (Black on Black)
"SUVs (Black on Black)" is a single by American rappers Jack Harlow and Pooh Shiesty, released on August 3, 2021, by Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The song was produced by Go Grizz and Smash David.
Background and composition
Harlow teas ...
".
2022–present: ''Come Home the Kids Miss You''
On February 18, 2022, Harlow released the single "
Nail Tech
"Nail Tech" is a song by American rapper Jack Harlow, released on February 18, 2022, through labels Atlantic Records and Generation Now. The song was produced by Boi-1da, Rogét Chahayed, Jahaan Sweet, Coleman, Babetruth, and Fierce, with extra ...
", the lead single from his upcoming second studio album and his first release in six-and-a-half months. The song performed well on the Hot 100 with a number 18 debut and peak and also received praise from
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
, who previously was involved in the production of "Industry Baby". On February 24, Harlow was featured in West's song "Louie Bags" on his album, ''
Donda 2
''Donda 2'' is an album by American rapper Kanye West. Although unfinished, it was exclusively released on the Stem Player, with four songs made available on February 23, 2022, and additional songs later included in updates, the first of which ...
''.
On March 16, 2022, Harlow announced that his second studio album is titled ''
Come Home the Kids Miss You
''Come Home the Kids Miss You'' is the second studio album by American rapper Jack Harlow. It was released on May 6, 2022 through Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The production was handled by multiple producers including Harlow himself, Phar ...
'', it was released on May 6. The second single, "
First Class", became his second number-one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and the year's first hip-hop song to reach that position.
On September 3, 2022, Harlow performed at the 2022 college football season opener of the
No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, which was a 21–10 win against the
No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Acting debut
In March 2022, it was announced that Harlow will make his acting debut in
a reboot of the 1992 film ''
White Men Can't Jump
''White Men Can't Jump'' is a 1992 American sports comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton. It stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in the United States on March 27, 1992, by 20th Century ...
'' directed by Calmatic.
In October 2022, Harlow appeared on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' as both host and musical guest for the Halloween episode.
Artistry
Style
Harlow's craft has been characterized by critics as blending playful confidence with emotional sincerity in both his music and lyrics, which often explore themes such as sexuality, partying, and drug use.
Harlow's music has been categorized broadly as
hip hop. Publications have further tagged his music as blending
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
beats with instruments such as pianos and
uilleann pipes
The uilleann pipes ( or , ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes", their current name is a partial translation of the Irish language terms (literally, "pipes of the elbow"), from thei ...
.
In 2020, Kate Hutchinson of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' opined that Harlow's most interesting songs are his more introspective ones, dealing with topics such as being uncomfortable with his acclaim, and his
white privilege
White privilege, or white skin privilege, is the societal privilege that benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, particularly if they are otherwise under the same social, political, or economic circumstances. With root ...
.
Thomas Hobbs, another writer for ''The Guardian'', wrote that Harlow embraces "being a dorky outsider", while additionally having "enough charisma" to pull off "using language that is usually cringeworthy coming from suburban white people". He has described his own music as emphasizing rhythm, and his lyricism as being "personal but fun", and geared toward "connect
ngwith people".
In 2022, following Harlow's surge in popularity, Terry Nguyen of
''Vox'' also described his music as breezy, comparing it to
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
.
Nguyen praised Harlow's lyricism for its wise wordplay and for its introspective content.
Influences
Harlow cites a range of influences across multiple genres, including
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
,
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
,
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
,
Outkast,
Paul Wall
Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse Records, and has released several albums under the label and collabor ...
,
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
,
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
,
Hall & Oates
Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...
,
Fergie, and
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney (born April 9, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama ''All My Children'' as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo mus ...
, among others. Harlow has also identified cinema as an influence, aiming for his songs to be "like short films". His favorite filmmakers are
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
,
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
, and
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
.
Philanthropy and activism
Harlow supports the
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
political movement, having attended a rally to protest the
killing of Breonna Taylor
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American woman, was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky apartment on March 13, 2020, when at least seven police officers forced entry into the apartment as part of an investigation into drug dealing op ...
, which occurred in his hometown.
Harlow has stated that, being white, he "can never truly know what
he experience of racismis like", and that it is his responsibility as a white rapper to approach his work with that knowledge in mind.
In October 2021, Harlow donated to five Louisville-based organizations: AMPED, the Center for Women and Families, the Grace M. James Academy of Excellence, Louisville Urban League and
Metro United Way
Metro United Way is a non-profit organization based in Louisville, Kentucky and is part of the United Way Worldwide system of 1,800 community-based offices located across 45 countries and territories. Founded in 1917, Metro United Way serves to i ...
.
Citing the spirit and pride he holds for his hometown, Harlow stated that "People need hope, they need love", when announcing his donation plans.
[ KFC and ]Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
pledged to match up to $50,000 of what Harlow raises through the social media platform's fundraising tool.[
In December 2021, Harlow teamed up with KFC and its parent company ]Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands, Inc. (or Yum!), formerly Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc., is an American fast food corporation listed on the Fortune 1000. Yum! operates the brands KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill, except in China, where the br ...
to donate a joint $250,000 to the American Red Cross to support those impacted by a deadly tornado in the western region of Kentucky
Personal life
In December 2022, it was reported that Harlow is dating Dua Lipa.
Discography
* ''Thats What They All Say
''Thats What They All Say'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Jack Harlow. It was released on December 11, 2020, by Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from Lil Baby, Big Sean, Chris Brown, A ...
'' (2020)
* ''Come Home the Kids Miss You
''Come Home the Kids Miss You'' is the second studio album by American rapper Jack Harlow. It was released on May 6, 2022 through Generation Now and Atlantic Records. The production was handled by multiple producers including Harlow himself, Phar ...
'' (2022)
Tours
Headlining tours
* Créme de la Créme Tour (2021)
* Come Home The Kids Miss You Tour (2022)
Awards and nominations
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harlow, Jack
1998 births
Living people
21st-century American rappers
American male rappers
American male songwriters
American people of French descent
American people of Irish descent
Atherton High School alumni
Atlantic Records artists
Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky
People from Shelbyville, Kentucky
Rappers from Kentucky
Songwriters from Kentucky
Record producers from Kentucky
Southern hip hop musicians
Pop rappers