Jack Harlow is an interesting case study for me. When I first heard his music back in 2018 (god that feels like a decade ago), I told myself "Thank god, a less corny white rapper". I didn't think he was anything groundbreaking but I felt his style fitted a certain demographic of people that will listen to his music. I've made jokes about rappers making "background music" or "Sports video game menu music" but I feel you need those types to make that style of art. Once they know they find that lane, they gonna be eating well. He made fun records like "What's Poppin", and "Nail Tech" and pretty fun guest features as well with artists like Lil Nas X and EST GEE. It sounds like an insult but he was the white Big Sean (the good parts) for the younger generation.
Something happened in 2020 where his music for me took a huge nose-dive and got bland. His debut album, I felt empty, I don't even remember anything from this album. That year I just don't even want to remember if we're being honest. His next album, which I do laugh at still. Fans and the music industry made it seem like *THIS* was the debut album. Another thing that I do remember saying was the expression "wearing their influences on their sleeves" and it was shown heavily with Drake being the major one. From the album title, production, boring and corny bars, and hell, He even got the boy himself on that album and he was the best thing about it. It makes me curious why he would make an album like this. Slow songs aren't even his bag, was it the label pressuring him to make a bland album and step away from the mixtapes days? I know people have said "Ah damn, he's finally washed" but part of me believed he could bounce back with the right record or feature to get his groove back, and after hearing this new album...I think he's beating those washed allegations for now.
I came into this with low expectations, the name and cover art made me say "OH BROTHER!", We are in for another fast-food-type project, are we? No! I did say Drake was a heavy influence on the last album, he is again but in a good way. Hear me out. This album reminds me of those "a time in the Day in a random city" tracks with a good sample in the beat and hints of Kendrick and Early J Cole in this album too, not a lot just that little sprinkle of that seasoning in here. The whole theme of the album is Jack talking about the things he has seen since fame began, which is the first thing he says to kick off this album. "Common Ground" has him taking digs at white rap fans embracing and how they appropriate the hip-hop culture from slang, clothes, and actions with their white privilege. I wonder if he did the Spider-Man meme in the mirror when he made this song (I'm joking around). He takes aims to rap journalists and media who mainly grew up in suburban households writing about what is real rap, who the best and worst, and urban myths. This needed to be said, you can debate if it's from the wrong messenger but this has to be said towards certain white hip-hop media guys you've seen on Twitter or Youtube. I don't want to start shit but god, some of these rap twitter pages are terrible and corny.
"They Don't Love It" feels like a freestyle you hear on the radio but I think it does the job it needed to be accomplished. Talking about himself in the third person about the changes in his life and adding a piece to the white rapper bingo card and mentioning Eminem as a white rapper and that you're the best white rapper. I just love his delivery and flow here, helps me enjoy this more. "Ambitious" has him rapping various perspectives from ages 14,19 and 24. I got a soft spot for these songs, looking back at the beginning of their journey doing shows at local dive bars, and early afternoon festival sets and you're now headling sold-out arenas and festivals. What you thought was crazy early on, is only going to get wilder from here on out. "Is That It?" is how I felt when I finished this song, it is alright.
"Gang Gang Gang" is easily the best track of the album. The theme of the song I think most people can relate to. Being friends with people who've done awful things, the awful friends in his circle still being friends with that person and supporting them and their horrible actions. I remember I dealt with this in my early 20s with someone and I was smart enough to cut them off after hearing what they did. The message of the story is we don't know our friends like they truly are no matter how long you know them. I know people were confused about this track but this honestly needed to be said with today's current climate of society we live in by rewarding bad people and giving them a pass. "Denver" sounds like a diet "How Much a Dollar Cost?" And I am trying my best not to sound super mean when I said that. I do like the message of the song, battling depression and social anxiety, to me, I've heard better songs talking about this topic in the last few years. Production is solid, I'll give it that, I need a lo-fi mix soon. "No Enhancers" in five words to describe it, Best sounding and less interesting.
"It Can't Be" production sounds like a video game menu music but the good kind that I said early on. I can hear young Simba-era J. Cole rapping on this. I did enjoy the lines in the second verse like "It can't be that I simply make ear candy, especially when the industry could just plant me" and how it ties back to how "First Class" was the only song that was a number one hit and the only track had talked about when the whole album came out. Also, taking digs at people who think he's an industry plant, making him question his success in his own words and mind. The song is nothing crazy but I liked it for what it is. "Blame on Me" is a heavy song, rapping with three different viewpoints, his younger brother, himself as the older brother, and their father. The younger brother felt he was abandoned when the older brother got older and didn't want to hang out anymore, gain new friends, being made fun of but trying his best not to care so he can be tougher when he gets older. He wants to talk about the good days but he's afraid of hearing his real answer so he rather just stay quiet. Jack's viewpoint admits he did his younger brother wrong and acted as if he hated him and would disagree with him even though in secret he did. He knows it wasn't an excuse for him to be a dick but he did it cause their dad was extra mean to Jack so he would take out that anger on him, Jack wants to bring it up and say something but he's also afraid to say nothing. The last verse is the father's and it's the main reason why he raised Jack and his younger brother cause their Dad's mother was the main reason why he parent them like that, which is very common. Jack's basically saying it's common that this parenting trauma gets passed down the bloodline and unless a person understands what they've done, the cycle is neverending and the trauma continues and sometimes it's too late. A simple but powerful message that people deal with and should be talked about more.
"Questions" is my least favorite song, I wished it ended a lot better with an album that I vibed to and was impressed with. Overall, this album was really good. I’m not in love with this album, better than I excepted though. I just vibed with and I’m glad he beat those allegations of being washed or was gonna fall off (for now). I love the humbleness and honesty on this, still has some development as an artist but overall a step up and an excellent switch from his previous album. The introspective bars is a plus and you can hear the passion and pain in the lyrics, even thought he sounds very low energy, it just works for the tone of the album. Production is more simple but they feel so grand and compelling than his last couple of albums. I do wonder if he going to continue to make songs like this or go back to the more fun records, I'll still look into what he does next. Nice work JACKMAN.
Favorite Tracks: Gang Gang Gang, Common Ground, Blame On Me, Ambitious, It Can't Be
Least Favorite Tracks: Questions
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