Jack Harlow: Hip Hop’s Most Non Essential Rapper

[@MrSquaky]

Why are White women (the demographic that CLEARLY spends the most money on artists) not considered part of the hip hop audeince?

[@hud1231]

why would they be? they are told they are hip hop, they think they're hip hop fans.....they are not

[@hud1231]

not

[@burnacco]

cause that same demo spends the same money on Taylor Swift

[@EmanonKing]

White women follow trends, so they like w/e the industry heads push financially, and they tend to like the artists they are attracted to. They don’t care about Hip-Hop.

[@EUCvibes]

Race doesn’t matter in hip hop it’s everyone’s culture who listens.

[@hakeemsesay15]

I remember when you try to gas him as the next Drake. I don’t forget.

[@ExpertPenguin]

He was though, lol. This is exactly the kind of rapper Drake paved the way for, and the kind the industry actually wants to maximize profit and visibility.

[@blankblank2924]

These guys just be talking

[@oneunderone7342]

😂

[@brendonwallace6640]

I mean don’t cap like he wasn’t on his way to superstardom until he dropped that mid pack ass album he gotta drake feature not to mention don cannon DJ drama and uzi co signed this dude he did it to himself

[@habibi1195]

​​@@brendonwallace6640 he had at best 3-5 hits most of which had nostalgia bait samples. He wasn't even early Drake who atleast had his own lane and identity (which he was getting clowned for early on)

[@ScottThePisces]

I wouldn't take anything Pitchfork says seriously. They also put Ice Spice's new album above Rihanna's biggest albums, and that Y2K is trash.

[@blackwarrior1897]

Are you serious??? A Rihanna album???

[@mathisleyenda8724]

😂😂 yo that writer needs to get fired

[@jojijoestar7233]

If there’s anything about music reviews, you never take Pitchfork and Spin seriously.

[@XenoGen3sis]

Professional haters. Its an embarrassing job to have imo. Most “critics” come off as failed musicians whose only value in life is tearing successful musicians back down to their miserable level of self hate. Who has ever listened to a song and thought “I wonder what the critics think of this?” No one…Because their opinions have zero impact on the world.

[@joseaguilera45]

A better example would be their higher rating of Ice spices album to Kings Disease III. Ridiculous.

[@quaerimuslux]

If you're a musician, follow David Bowie's advice. He once said that his worst album was an album he made thinking about what other people wanted from him. He didn't have fun, he didn't feel inspired, and the album flopped. And everyone can take this lesson to heart. You do YOU. Just let them talk because you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[@JaqkFrost]

Funny you say that bc that’s exactly why I respect MGK and the fans don’t. Weird because he’s never changed his style for fans. Hes only been himself and gets crucified.

[@Driblefanten]

Yesss David Bowie is the Goat

[@quaerimuslux]

@@Driblefanten Absolutely goated

[@Ionlydategoodgirls]

Bullsh*t. David Bowie lived for giving pepple what they wanted from him

[@joshuaBrooks.nicholas]

Speaking facts I warned people from day one not every single going to be a masterpiece

[@2KGbaby]

He looks like Drake's son, Adonis. 😂

[@Six-bw3ir]

I been saying this the whole time 💀

[@lowlowseesee]

Yo why did you do that?!?!?!

[@LembeckIsStaying]

Well, damn I can't unsee it now.

[@idesel]

😂😂😂

[@2KGbaby]

@@LembeckIsStaying heh heh hehhhh🤣😭

[@ho_vre]

the industry cycling trying to find a new white star every few years is so true

[@knos360]

And none ever gain popularity where it counts..THE HOOD...without the Hoods approval you will be a fly by night pop artist

[@jacobrox1632]

Quadeca been here

[@donkeykonghustler]

be a victim somewhere else

[@madderthanever]

... But it feels so empty without HIM.

[@TheBamaPrinceable]

​@@donkeykonghustler You OK? His words seem to have victimized you.

[@dbsuper2928]

Eminem was very aware of his whiteness and the effect it had he has countless bars talking about how he is using the black culture and getting paid from it

[@ScottThePisces]

and at the same time, Eminem is probably one of the most well educated rappers in the genre of Hip Hop. No one studies Hip Hop the way he has, it's a complete obsession. And then we have artists like Lil Yachty who've had a decade of success, and straight up told us he never listened to a Jay Z album until a few days ago...

[@myjciskate4]

​@@ScottThePiscesYachty is mostly meme-ing and using hyperbole when he says that. He's definitely listened to Jay Z albums. He's just using hyperbole to make a point that it's not his preferred subgenre to listen to.

[@brodieyake7735]

EXACTLY. He also came to the defense of black rappers and - by extension - the culture all through "White America" (particularly the third verse) where he criticizes white America and how they only cared about the perceived adverse influence hip hop lyrics could have on white children because Eminem was white and never gave a shit about how black artists were influencing black children. Liberal white America wasn't concerned about black children; only white children.

[@whoiamidontknow496]

"I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley To do Black music so selfishly And use it to get myself wealthy" Without me-Eminem

[@LxrdBreezy00]

@@ScottThePisces🎯 em is a student of hip hop. That’s the difference. Cant tell him he doesn’t appreciate the culture. May not be the hottest now but he has hits and he is genuinely a hip hop artist. Can’t hate him more than kid rock type niggas

[@MrQueezyAliTV]

In my opinion, 95% of rappers main goal is to get rich, not make mind altering music. That’s why almost all rap sounds the same these days. Skin color really shouldn’t have anything to do with it.

[@PeterGriffin11]

@@MrQueezyAliTV I agree 100%.

[@craigford33]

It shouldn’t but it does and it’s high time people stop acting like it doesn’t. Just because we don’t want it to be a factor doesn’t mean we get to ignore that it is a major factor. And the only people who never want to talk about it are always those who want to adopt and use the culture without recourse. Then they spin a story as if they only care about the music. But all the time Lining their pockets. Let’s not pretend otherwise

[@MrQueezyAliTV]

I always like the fact that artists like Tupac, Eminem, Brotha Lynch Hung (Lynch is a Sacramento Artist), Tech N9ne, OutKast etc… always have had songs about different subject matter. Like Pac has “dear mama”, “hit em up”, “me and my girlfriend (where the whole song is about his guns) and Em has “cleaning out my closet”, “Stan”, “guilty conscience”, “rap god” and “brand new dance”. Brotha Lynch raps about being a cannibal and eating baby guts lol, and smoking weed with the devil. Point being all these artists are super unique. Where rappers like Gucci Mane, Rick Ross and the Migos etc… (not to say they suck because music is all opinion) but not my cup of tea. Most of their songs (from what I heard) talk about 3 things: money(including selling drugs), killing and girls. For me that gets old after a while. There are only so many ways to make that sound interesting. I actually watch a lot of battle rap because the lyrics are the most important part for me. So an amazing beat and hook just don’t do it for me. Anyways what does everyone else think?

[@myjciskate4]

@@MrQueezyAliTV I think that would be better served for actual artists that aren't good and are repetitive. Guys like Migos and Rick Ross can get very lyrical when they want to, and they brought their own unique styles to the culture. It's moreso all the guys after them that copied their style. Same goes for guys like Future, Young Thug, and the generation right after them in Juice Wrld, Xxxtentacion, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti etc. They all brought their unique styles to the game and were super unique when they stepped on the scene and are very skilled at what they do and their respective subgenres. The problem isn't them. The problem is the 1,000 other no name guys that come after them and just bite their style and don't bring anything unique to the table.

[@jbmp1390]

​@@craigford33 Exactly. As nice as it would be for everyone to "not see color" that's not how most people work. And it's disingenuous to pretend otherwise. Race is obviously a factor in Hip Hop because this artform was LITERALLY CREATED as a response to racism and oppression by BLACK PEOPLE. Hip Hop can be participated in now by everyone and that's cool, but you still have to understand and respect the history of the artform you're stepping into. That's why artists like Post Malone are so lame and unacceptable. They USE the concept of what they believe blackness and it's associated culture to be in order to gain personal success and then drop it and become pop or country singers like they always planned. To be clear though, Jack isn't a part of that problem. I think he has an actual appreciation for the culture.

[@NoirNameless]

Biggest issue with Jack is that he spent a lot of his time trying to be the next Drake instead of being the next him. Jack has a lot of potential though, and has all the makings of someone who can be a star. But he’s falling into the same trap Logic did back in 2016-2018. Huge fanbase, but you wear your influences so heavy on your sleeve, people put you in a box and don’t think of you as, well, you.

[@anatorres-ym8ke]

Sad truth is alot of white rappers arent innovators they're just good at imitating their influences....They are good at rapping old styles that have already been mastered, and since raps been so watered down, anyone who can kinda spit like the 90s is seen as lyrical 😂😂 Rap like eminem or nas and your lyrical genius now

[@jbmp1390]

Very well said. I'm not a huge fan of Jack, but I don't dislike him either. I've seen his come up since he was like 17. He clearly has talent and cares about Hip Hop. But due to the fact that he's young, white and marketable, he's often been taken out of his own lane and pushed to do the superstar thing, which I don't see as the right trajectory for him. Every white artist in Hip Hop is not automatically destined to be the next Em or Drake. If people would just let him be and make the music he wants to make instead of pontificating on how he could be "the next" this or that, we could see more of what he is capable of HIMSELF.

[@cianbroderick7733]

So what makes a black rapper innovative? Genuinely just curious on your opinion ​@@anatorres-ym8ke

[@Ionlydategoodgirls]

That's illogical. Drake made himself by being others... copying others and succeeded incredibly. Copying the succesful takes you to the top. That "be yourself" thing is the greatest bs

[@Chicky1234-m3f]

Exactly so true. He is clearly far more talented than Drake too so it was painful to watch.

[@pipedreamteam4184]

Bro had this in his drafts since 2020

[@giantasparagus]

lol yeah fr jacks chilling and cooking $

[@Hotsauceonmy]

He makes pop rap. No one has ever propped him up as anything more than that

[@Driblefanten]

Just like his idol, Drake 🗑️

[@sawlty-suite5131]

If that wasn't the case then we wouldn't have videos and articles like these

[@Hotsauceonmy]

@@sawlty-suite5131 if thats the case I dont know how people heard "What's Poppin" and thought this guy was gonna drop a crazy amazing album

[@FKDame]

@@DriblefantenDrake only makes pop rap because he is popular everything he does is popular because he is. When he came in the game he was a pioneer of the melodic rap now everybody is doing it. You gotta remember when drake first came out people were hating on the way he rapped and now everyone does it

[@exilhannabal]

Jack Harlow is like salt Put him on some food, it might taste good Too much tastes like shit

[@Fayn757]

Forgot he even existed

[@Tadiztouch]

I heard a song of his today. I was in shuffle mode but ey.. I heard it 😅

[@saewutséhuh]

U ain’t lyin!😂

[@camerontheboy]

Damn you gotta touch grass fam. Or you’re super old

[@Fayn757]

@@camerontheboy naw , he’s trash and you have trash taste in music . I don’t go places where Jack Harlow is played like you .

[@Webbland]

lol right , he just had a #1 eight months ago , but go ahead keep talking 😂

[@tetsujin64]

Jack just sounds like white Drake to me. He has to carve his own lane and sound. His charisma is strong, though.

[@kauswekazilimani3736]

A less interesting white Drake.

[@CoNiCuZn]

He has little to no charisma 😂

[@tezcofield]

Define “charisma” . I’m confused AsF

[@SaudiSymbol]

You are 100 percent right. And tht white chick from Portland.

[@knos360]

Because he IS a white drake...lol

[@_Justin_Case]

Who's still taking Pitchfork ratings seriously? They're the worst of the worst when it comes to rating albums.

[@HelpMeHelpMePlease]

Them and TND

[@snoopfroggyfrog7220]

Were they wrong though? lol

[@madderthanever]

Who EVER took them seriously? They've always been trash, especially when it comes to hip-hop.

[@Six-bw3ir]

They were right this time tho

[@sw33tialucard]

They gave Ice Spice 7.6, lmao

[@michaelbrandon1222]

Dude's rap is the equivalent of cold pizza, he's alright 😂

[@lakeshoresubtleties]

Yeah, I wish this channel would do analysis of rappers worth listening to's careers. Give me Mick Jenkins or King Los or JID or Nick Grant, or you know, add your own here, people. But yeah, this guy is whatever.

[@Bigdog85-dv4xj]

I love cold pizza.. But I totally get what your saying😂😂😂

[@michaelbrandon1222]

@@Bigdog85-dv4xj yeah I admit I could have thought of a better example because cold pizza is still pretty good despite being cold 😂

[@burnacco]

bruh 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@awesomeguy641]

What's poppin was his only greatest

[@lightspaceman5064]

This is Drakes fault. But really it’s Eminem’s fault. But REALLY, it’s Elvis’s fault.

[@Chicky1234-m3f]

It’s mostly Drakes fault almost everything is😂

[@ryannichols819]

América can’t resist a dancing white man child boy

[@drakeoh2595]

Lmaooo only the top of your comment showed for me. I was coming to comment this ALL stems from Elvis

[@Freewill415]

Jack Harlow problem is that he is tooooo commercial, so commercial that I thought he was rapping on a kirkland water ads

[@residalgod]

I think so as well. All of his old songs are great... I don't like songs that are too commercial, though.

[@thaneros]

I’m not a fan of the guy but let me get this straight, Jack’s major criticism is that he doesn’t have a unique sound yet we’re in the era of mainstream hip-hop with rappers all sounding the same? All this sounds like to me is that his debut album lacked any catchy tracks.

[@knos360]

Without that real authentic Black sway..all these dudes will be one hit wonders

[@dagzey]

@@knos360 he's had 3 number 1's,wouldnt that be 3 hits???

[@ZEHAHAHA9697]

You are so misguided

[@habibi1195]

​@@dagzey Fetty Wap type shii

[@thaneros]

@@ZEHAHAHA9697 Eh?

[@kota8927]

I still don’t hear the similarities between him and Drake like the internet claims. Nothing he’s made sounds anything like Drake, he’s just rapping on 90s r&b beats.

[@ladidaix]

There isn’t thattt much similarity sonically. People only say this because they both appeal to women.

[@residalgod]

Facts... I never understood this either.

[@dirg3music]

Im just gonna say it, Jack Harlow is the definitive dime-a-dozen rapper. You can find a Jack Harlow in every single city in America. Who knows? He might do some cool artistic shit down the road, but if he doesn't, he's going to be forgotten very quickly outside of his top hits.

[@thembelamawelela9821]

@@dirg3music see I agree to some degree. You can probably find artists like him but how many have the marketability that his biggest singles have? Whether we like it or not, something has to marketable and if it blows up, it has it audience no matter how mid you might think it is. I think the majority of his discography is decent to good which is more than I can say for MOST of his contemporaries.

[@ArKaneAcrumProductions]

Yeah

[@thanos2271]

This is a narrow minded take

[@elijahthompson457]

Mac didn't need to try, he just started to take it more seriously and true fans of hip hop/rap really started to take notice (all without a Drake or Jay feature as said on Faces)

[@Bran-Da-Don]

If you followed Jack Harlow before he blew up then you would know he's a real hip hop person. Unfortunately when you cross over into pop culture it comes at a price of respect.

[@LxrdBreezy00]

Sadly. Trends.

[@guardian7568]

Facts buddy dropped what's popping and career took off so fast he wasn't ready yet

[@Chicky1234-m3f]

So true. The og music is so good

[@deadmanthehekatonkheire994]

Love that FD Signifier is finally getting the respect he deserves in Hip Hop circles, not just political ones.

[@DW51380]

Eh he just makes the whole thing about race and cries about white people constantly instead of saying anything remotely on topic it’s just weird

[@tim3line]

​@DW51380 you say it like the topics arent much related to race at all. the topics he chooses to discuss more often than not are strongly tied to race, period. It's clearly an avenue that he strongly cares about discussing. It's completely fair for him to highlight race in his social, political, and artistic videos. Ex: some of his recent videos are about Hip-hop Exploitation The justice system Entertainment Is race not a big part of these topics? He does complain about white people a lot tho.

[@blueprint7]

hes a beta male feminist

[@erboch7124]

FD is a dope creator

[@erboch7124]

​@@DW51380 womp womp

[@nezzylearns]

He just doesn’t have the IT factor. His rap style isn’t impressive or unique he doesn’t bring anything different. He just has connections

[@HaydenHale-ij4zx]

Genuinely curious about how you mean the IT factor; do you mean like someone uniquely standing out from the rest while not too avant-garde to blend in?

[@holdmyweight3597]

The IT factor isn't real. Just say you don't like an artist and move on.

[@yangasidziya3245]

​@@holdmyweight3597 The IT factor is clearly real, stop being childish

[@holdmyweight3597]

@@yangasidziya3245 No it's not. It's just a stupid way of saying whether you like an artist or not

[@imirandaiam]

G-Eazy was the best in all aspects before Jack came into it, I mean, he went platinum for 3 straight albums

[@Natak222]

Yh but look where his career is at now that his label have stepped back and jack is in the picture. I think he just sold 9-16k with his recent album. He was never the one in the driver seat of his career

[@extramile.5yago]

​@@Natak222I think G sabotaged his own career after the consistent interviews about him being a culture Vulture.

[@GarbageMan144]

​​@@Natak222 there might be some truth to that. He took a long time to drop between The Beautiful and Damned on 2017 (the album with "No Limit") and the album after that which was These Things Happen Too in 2021, killing all hype. I would imagine his label RCA played a part in that

[@steelliving8785]

😂😂😂

[@GarbageMan144]

@@extramile.5yago I never saw those. Interviews where other people accused him of being a culture vulture?

[@DrBeauHightower]

His arc feels like G Eazy s

[@Zeestar.7]

Exactly

[@maxk880]

yeah but he's not acting ''cool'' or ''hard'', which he isn't.

[@UltimaKombat]

Way better lyricist than G-Eazy

[@holdmyweight3597]

He's way bigger than G Eazy don't be fcking dumb. He has multiple #1 songs and has been in movies.

[@OmoruyiOmofonmwan]

@DrBeauHightower not only cracking backs but also facts!

[@mmrw]

Not everyone is gonna be hardcore or underground or a superstar. You can have a good career off being a just competent, popular hit making rapper 🤷‍♀️

[@yangasidziya3245]

But that's not what Jack Harlow wanted tho

[@ZappsPotatoChips]

I mean, the industry pushes any rapper with a marketable image/personality. I feel like Meg and Cardi B are always on TV. Ice Spice’s music is arguably more forgettable than Jack Harlow’s without her image and she’s everywhere too. The industry isn’t constantly looking to push white rappers. For male artists they more interested in hood rappers. Record labels actually pay cameramen extra to record videos in “bad” neighborhoods bc hood shit sells

[@soundslikeskrillex9799]

The thing is being one is one of the most important aspects of marketability due to the size and wealth of the white audience relative to the black one. In that sense putting on a rapper that’s also white, the same skin color as that lucrative demographic, is practically a goldmine for the industry when they find one with the right appeal like Jack Harlow. It’s an easy thing to lean into without knowing any better and it’s a curse because that becomes the main thing about you. The reason why rappers like Eminem and Mac Miller are respected by the culture is that they actively pushed against that their whole careers. Of course it’s not all important, but marketability involves a series of factors and being white is a very big one that makes it far easier to skip past a lot of the other ones. There’s tons of Jack Harlow type artists in the industry currently but none of them are white so they’re nowhere as big. And that’s ultimately harmful to hiphop, because what appeals to the casual white fan who doesn’t care as much about the culture often runs completely counter to the black roots of the genre. The industry exists in capitalism so it prioritizes profit above all else, even above the longterm wellbeing of the genre they’re squeezing money out of.

[@SpikeRazzor]

Ice ass ain't even phat no more, so she's worthless.

[@Kabra2012]

Agreed that 'Hood' sells better, but getting someone whose really about it can be problematic for business. The Risk/Reward for authentic hood rappers who are still prone to street conflicts/getting shot or locked up, isn't great a lot of the time.

[@ZappsPotatoChips]

@@Kabra2012 if you’re an industry exec, the risk/reward is fantastic. XXX, Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke have more posthumous albums than they do alive albums. Not saying these are hood rappers just saying being problematic/dead does not stop them from making money only stops the artist.

[@marqet14]

Coming from 2 months into the future, Ice spice is on her way out now too

[@maxhaupt7071]

Jack isn't just What's Poppin' and Lovin' on Me. Gotta release some "pop" tracks every now and then to break out and cater to a wider audience. Give Jackman. and Confetti a listen from front to back. I'd argue he's very underappreciated. River Road? 4:14 of bars from the heart.

[@i_am_gohan9232]

“Jackman” is fire tho, and that album proved a major point. Mainstream is not up on lyrical Hip-Hop rn, that jackman album flopped not because it wasn’t dope, it’s because it didn’t fit tik tok, it didn’t fit mainstream radio, it didn’t have a club, party, and festival sound.

[@quesostuff1009]

What’s popping was still such a fun record. That remix goes crazy

[@bosswarrior90]

Tory went off

[@quesostuff1009]

@@bosswarrior90 everyone was on 10. No weak links

[@HelpMeHelpMePlease]

One of the best posse cuts of all time.

[@haechanfullsun65]

@@quesostuff1009 Lil Wayne was a weak link. Bro copied Jack's whole flow on What's popping and somehow made it worse, and his bars were mid compared to everyone else.

[@quesostuff1009]

@@haechanfullsun65 you made me recheck out this track I will say that Wayne’s performance was the weakest out of all. But his verse was by no means bad or weak. I guess you either like Wayne’s offering or you don’t New magnums had me dying

[@sibahleziqubu4509]

Quoting pitchfork is crazy the same guys who rated ice spice's album higher than utopia😂😂😂

[@HelpMeHelpMePlease]

Gtfoh. You serious?

[@themaster804]

Don't ever compare Mac to someone like jack Harlow.

[@HelpMeHelpMePlease]

Exactly.

[@MerlautJones]

It was a compliment to Mac, I thought.

[@abrax.98]

It was more like contrast than comparison. He’s acknowledging that Harlow will never be respected the way Mac was.

[@Zoithane]

he's "non-essential" but he fills a demand in the market.

[@berjo]

You guys are wild for drawing a parallel between Vanilla Ice and Jack Harlow. Sometimes it’s better to just stay quiet. He is serving his audience who like his music and he can actually rap. What mainstream rapper doesn’t have endorsement deals in 2024 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@ryantristani5091]

I feel like the industry is pushing him into a box he doesn’t REALLY want to be in. Jackman shows us that he wants to be a lyrical/conscious rapper who’s taken seriously and he wants to be a great but his label would rather commercialize him. He needs to find a middle ground between substance and sales.

[@thembelamawelela9821]

It bothers me in Hip-Hop that most listeners will lean into narratives instead of listening and judging for themselves. Seriously, go to any Jack Harlow video or song before 'What's Poppin' and check the comments/response. People genuinely fucked with his music, a significant part of which is genuinely decent; industry plant or no. Which is more than I can say for a lot of black artists who are confirmed industry plants. And not everything has to be game-changing btw especially since we as black people enable artists like Ice Spice, Sexxy Red, every other mumble rapper you can think of etc and push artists that are actually good to the side, only to then wild out about guys like Jack and G-Eazy as if they're Post Malone levels of culture vulture, and remember when y'all liked guy? So the argument that Jack brings nothing new to the table is weak. It just feels like there's a pile on now so miss me with that. And I know we all loved Mac Miller(RIP) but I've been a fan of his music long enough to recall when he was getting beat over with the same stick during his Blue Slide Park days until people realized he could produce and go bar-for-bar with guys like Ab-Soul. We gotta do better people.

[@keyuantejohnson4373]

Hip hop is black culture not white culture

[@keyuantejohnson4373]

White people have no influence or power in hip hop

[@myjciskate4]

People were drawn to Jack Harlow more because of the narrative and lore surrounding him than the quality of his music. Fans listened to his music as an extension of his story and image, often expressing positive opinions regardless of the actual musical content. This phenomenon is pretty common tbh. Most artists receive overwhelmingly positive comments on their videos, with negative feedback being rare. Similarly, KZbinrs who venture into music also receive positive comments on their songs, even if the music isn't very good. It's all part of the allure and persona they create. Fans are drawn to the story and image he represents, which makes his music feel like an extension of his personality and life story. As a result, listeners are more likely to express positive opinions about his music, regardless of its actual artistic merit. This phenomenon isn't unique to Jack Harlow. Many artists benefit from the allure and persona they create, which leads to overwhelmingly positive feedback in their comment sections. Negative comments are often few and far between, as fans tend to support the narrative they have bought into. A similar pattern can be observed with KZbinrs who transition into music. IShowSpeed and DGG are perfect examples. Most people would agree their music isn't good, but, even if the music they produce is not objectively high quality, they still receive a significant amount of positive feedback in their comment sections. This is because their audience is invested in their broader story and is predisposed to support their creative endeavors. In essence, the lore and persona surrounding an artist or creator play a crucial role in how their work is received. People are more inclined to praise content that is part of a larger, engaging narrative, highlighting the power of storytelling and image in the entertainment industry. And yes, Jack Harlow offers nothing interesting outside of his lore and intersection with meme culture. Dude is incredibly mediocre. The thing with people like Sexy Redd and Ice Spice is that the meme/lore is essentially the music, and they aren't trying to prop themselves up as good artists. Jack is, and he doesn't have the meme directly tied to his music. Also, Mac Miller genuinely was talented and progressively got better with his writing and musical ability to the point where it couldn't be denied. Jack Harlow is just mediocre across the board, so that's not really a good comparison.

[@thembelamawelela9821]

@@myjciskate4 I get what you're saying but the 'persona' you're speaking of relates more to post - 'What's Poppin' Jack Harlow than his efforts prior. As someone who says he has listened to his entire discography I thought you would understand this, or perhaps you've listened to it after he 'blew up' which may have influenced your opinion. Seriously, there is a distinct difference between his output before and since 'What's Poppin'. Before that he was just casual rap, less sample based hooks and more backpack than the so-called Drake wannabe people claim he is now(no clue why people made any relation but it stuck). That was his lane and he rode through it without much fuss and fans genuinely fucked with his music it had nothing to do with his 'image' in fact back then you probably only needed to take one look at him and skip his shit. Plenty of artists look good and speak nice and have some narrative. Few have music that carries them for YEARS before they blow up IF they even get to those levels. And my point about Ice Spice and them is that we enable them to get bigger than they need to be. A meme is a meme for a reason. Yet they, or their teams certainly have no problem leaning into the fanfare, for lack of a better word, and people continue to give them airtime and feed the proverbial feast. Jack's team has leaned into his increasing popularity too so not sure why it's a problem with him cause the majority of his output is actually decent. Ice Spice(andbartists like that cause I'm not just picking on her) definitely props herself up as an artist to be taken seriously and no offence but that's an affront to people who take their craft seriously. I know what the issue with Jack is, it's cause he's white. I don't care what anyone has to say about that it's clear what it is. It was the same with Eminem the guy could always rap but a deal with Dr. Dre later and people give him an ear. I'm not sympathizing cause it doesn't bother me but it's clear as day what we do with these white rappers. They need some sort of co-sign with someone big who is 'for the culture' to be taken seriously. Look if you don't like Jack shit and think he's mediocre that's not the worst opinion in the world honestly, but if your reasoning that people only give him airtime cause of his image, that's not wholly accurate. And if it is to some degree it speaks to the very phenomenon you speak of where people CHOOSE to engage with someone or their music even if they think it's mid just to hate on it on socials thus again, feeding the proverbial beast. Case in point, you listened to his entire discography but you think he's mid. At what point did you realize that and why did you continue listening🤷‍♂️. And my point about Mac Miller(RIP) is that he too had a dedicated fanbase long before he blew up and was already working with people like Joey Badass, producers like 9th Wonder etc but after Blue Slide Park people gave him the Jack Harlow treatment, why? Cause he was white, until he took it upon himself to have full creative control and express himself more which resonated with more people. And it certainly didn't hurt that he produced which got him closer to beloved artists like Kendrick, Ab Soul and so on. You can write Jack off cause he hasn't made such a change but he's still like 24 or something and it's not like the onus is really on him to be the torchbearer for this new generation almost all of them are mid and he at least can say the majority of his output isn't objectively bad, criminally derivative or completely lacking in substance like most his contemporaries.

[@bluscout6440]

Aside from all of this, Jack Harlow is a really nice guy, he does his own thing and he does his best. He never puts anyone else low neither.

[@JeffHundo]

jack harlow had the same plot as roddy rich... lets be real. Both very similar

[@thembelamawelela9821]

Elaborate.

[@George_bonnaire]

Roddy has more of his own style imo

[@wandabooi4295]

We listening, I’m curious

[@myjciskate4]

Roddy at least has some decent melodic ability and has some unique flows/multisyllabic rhyme schemes every now and then. Jack is just mediocre across the board. I don't think you can really compare the two that well. Roddy still surpasses Jack by miles even then.

[@FoggyInc]

My guess: both hit superstardom before they were ready and therefore disappointing everybody with their releases after? I can kinda see that, but as others said here I think Roddy's highs in terms of rapping are just way above Jack's. Roddy was supposed to be a radio friendlier Young Thug stylistically whereas Jack didn't have a particular 'specialty' other than being very smooth and somehow getting away with the most committed and consistent blaccent

[@keithmutamba1395]

I love how in every generation THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE

[@goochmcduck4285]

Theirs only ever been one that stood the test of time, they just “poof” and you never even think about them

[@P2TheO]

That Vanilla Ice Ninja Turtles song was fire

[@TheNile7]

I still fw old g eazy, he was in his own lane and logic too

[@liveamazing9350]

I typically write off rappers like jack, cause I hate industry plants. I went to school with him. He’s always rapped. And he’s actually always been good. I used to be envious of him because yes, he did grow up in the typical white family and had money, but he’s always taken hip hop seriously and has always been respected in Louisville. he was talked about a lot here before he blew up. We all knew he was going to get there at some point. What’s popping came out an entire year before it blew up. His come up was completely organic and raw. He wasn’t forced. He wasn’t lucky. He didn’t have predated connections. Just talent and passion.

[@Mpiya281]

The gayest story I’ve ever herd

[@liveamazing9350]

@@Mpiya281 cool

[@Driblefanten]

@@Mpiya281How

[@LarynxBlue-ds3dg]

@@Mpiya281 What his parents being successful is something comical to you? Is that jealousy are your parents not successful lmao. I feel sorry for you then.

[@Nanomachinesson-bb9vf]

@@LarynxBlue-ds3dgwomp womp 🤣

[@Chicky1234-m3f]

Jack Harlow is so talented! What rap doesn’t need is more barely literate little xyzs. Y’all had an issue with Mac before he died, now everyone’s gassing him up. Jack in my opinion has stepped back from the spotlight because he’s not fake. He enjoy’s writing good music.

[@ladidaix]

😭 Lol. Jack Harlow is one of the most organic talents out. Took him 10 years to get to where he is cuz of hard work. He’s a good rapper who’s sure of who he is with a core fanbase. And he’s meticulously building his legacy in and out of music. The haters and doubters comes with the territory but trust. He’ll be around a long time.

[@maroastaansunkissastallaka1150]

I like jack. I feel like he gets too much shit and disrespected. Jackman was solid and he got bangers. Aint nobody putting him top 5 but 99% of rappers aint top 5 either.

[@StefanZanders]

Bro Jack has and will never be considered for top 5 tons of rappers are better then him

[@Tadiztouch]

I agree but he needs his own identity. Jackman sounded like him but it didn't sell soo... yea😅 if he can be him, just jack, I'll be his biggest fan

[@myjciskate4]

I wouldn't say it was solid. It was still pretty mediocre. It was pretty below average for both of the subgenres it was trying to appeal to.

[@residalgod]

nah he in my top 5. I definitely feel what you saying tho.

[@Topself24]

Jack looks like he belongs in the 70’s.

[@OfficialHavocOsiris]

We didn’t forget the “next Drake” vid. You’re still cool though Spencer. And admittedly I didn’t have a problem with this because it does highlight both sides of the coin with Harlow. Mainstream loves him. Hip hop circles, save for a few people, could miss bro and not really feel any FOMO

[@castfive4038]

I literally forgot about Jack until now

[@dante92ful]

Jack had his own sound before the mainstream. As soon as he got with Drake that went away.

[@ethanrobbo1372]

the issue is that if jack drops big hits with commercial success he’s labeled a sellout who isn’t true to the culture, but when he drops a high quality introspective album like jackman with no rollout people just don’t listen and it goes under appreciated, mf can’t win 😭

[@matthewstanley2627]

I honestly really appreciate your videos because your approach it with a none biased view. Thanks for the video

[@MMCLLC7]

macklemore got a lot of flack for being white because of his popularity, and i wont dispute that he gained that popularity because of it. but macklemore came up in the underground scene and was always a student of the culture. he was grateful to be accepted and he wasnt just there for a quick buck he had a story to tell and that was evident from the type of music he made and its lyrical content. he wasnt just white, he was different from anything wed heard. the grammys fd him over completely, because everybody blamed his whiteness for it and not the grammys whiteness which has been f ing the rap industry since they started nominated it 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@shanegarcia5573]

Strongly disagree that G-Eazy was spoonfed to fans by the industry. He came out of the mud independently.

[@PJC0007]

Am I tripping or is this like the 2nd or 3rd time he done remixed this video?🤔🧐

[@shakimeatmon6892]

Bro that's what I'm saying. He took the whole video added nothing to it. From both KZbinrs ‼️

[@joshd108]

Jack has a sweet spot in 2018 and 2019 that should not be slept on

[@consolas2514]

Love the F.D. Signifier title snag lmao

[@jona8201]

F.D. Is a video essay legend fr

[@blueprint7]

hes a beta male feminist

[@NuSwayze07]

Mac Millers freshman class was the dopest lineup

[@BLOXKAFELLARECORDS]

I enjoy all the artists in the game. I am making my way up.

[@calvinosantiago]

I really enjoyed Jack as an artist. I don’t think there is anything wrong with him and so what every person makes hits and whatever it is what it is, we’re gonna sit there and harp on an artist and I’m not white here so I’m gonna defend him only because I’m not white no that’s not how it is if he makes good music and everyone feels he makes mid music. OK that’s fine but I’m going to continue to keep supporting the guybecause he makes good music and I respect him as a man simple as that.

[@myjciskate4]

I mean no one said you couldn't. That doesn't really add anything further to the conversation. It's pretty much implied before hand in these kind of discussions that you can listen to whatever you enjoy. That doesn't really detect from the points they made, though.

[@mr.knowbuddy2149]

Jack would be better off as a podcaster or having a show like Dave

[@arseeoliveira6934]

That hype he had in 2021 stunted his growth. I don't know who started that "he sounds like Drake" bs, but that might've been the catalyst to his demise. His team or label seemingly took that has his gimmick to sell over the crowd and it backfired. They rushed his 2022 album to capitalize off that hype (which could've been extended with another hot single or maybe an ep with a good collection of songs to build up hype for his album), and once released we all realised the lackluster output and the forced "drake-ism" around it. Drake as his supposed "mentor" could've prevented that trash bin from getting released since he was apparently passing the torch on the song "Churchill Downs", but hey man, that wasn't his call right? Next time my guy Jack comea back around, he better be on his A-Game before he turns out being the new G-Eazy without noticing

[@sergekoffibeats]

Drake shouldnt have washed jack so hard on churchill downs bruh the discourse around jack harlow mightve been different

[@arseeoliveira6934]

I think he saw the hype around Jack of being "next up" and decided to one up him right there while sucking the energy out of him

[@carmichaelk.5214]

As someone who doesn't know a single Jack Harlowe song, watching clips of him without his actual music playing is pretty funny. I can objectively say this dude might as well be a generic rapper mime.

[@cloudbuster06]

I’m glad you mentioned EL-P!!! His Company Flow - Fun Crusher Plus album is a Classic underground album.

[@HelpMeHelpMePlease]

If you're a fan of hip-hop you know CoFlow and El-P

[@mateochavez5299]

Come home the kids miss you wasn't a great album, but he took the criticisms and made jackman, which is one of my favorite albums to listen to. It's got catchy songs and tells good stories with diverse beats throughout the album. Jackman has good songs to revisit because the songs on the album weren't overplayed on the radio like his other popular songs. I don't think the point of jackman was for it to be mainstream, but to show the doubters or casual fans that he can make good music that doesn't have to be loud or repetitive. Jackman has songs about generational trauma, trying to be loyal to childhood friends, also about how he bacame successful in the music industry but people only talk about his race. If you listened to the album you wouldn't be saying this crap. Jack is self aware which most artists are not. After the fail that was come home the kids miss you, jack was more quiet about the release of jackman. The album is more personal and feels like it. It's not distasteful or disrespectful when he talks about how his race isn't the thing that made him successful and it doesn't feel like a shot at black artists. He just points out how HE got here in life. Don't we want more humble artist who can take the criticism to become a better artist...I do

[@whattheysayk9558]

nothing makes Jack Harlow stand out besides him being white you’re telling me right now that if Jack Harlow was black, you would see him doing all these crazy features like with Drake man please Jack Harlow parents are rich af and they invested that money into the music industry this KZbin channel won’t tell you that though

[@KILLROYE]

glad FD Signifier is getting more reach! bro takes be mad accurate

[@Cherrypi393]

I take some issue with saying Macklemore didn’t bring anything new or unique. I thought his mix of conscious rap but made pop and catchy was something different. His songs didn’t feel like anyone else’s. Hate it or love it, He had his own voice. Jack’s sound is very generic.

[@Imadethistocomment13]

Taking skin color aside, talent will always rise to the top... Eminem is an unbelievable talented artist, Dr Dre is unbelievable talented producer and Tupac was an unbelievable worldwide icon, the skin color doesn't really matter. The reason Jack is probably falling off or fell off it's just because he just does not have anything memorable, same with people like Lil pump and Lil Yachty, it's all just temporary, there's nothing of value so it's not even a discussion to put them next to somebody like Eminem who has been producing powerhouse albums for the past 20 years

[@TheShadowrun.]

The only white rapper who has lasted and always will is Eminem because he's a genius and always interesting

[@Dripking770]

And Em embraced his whiteness, but these other white rappers trying to act black.

[@jovanreid6782]

Eminem is ass cheeks.

[@TayJayCee]

He has only drop trash for the last years. He does have some heat in the past

[@abramagain]

jackman is lowk one of my favorite albums of all time

[@cherrytonshawty9120]

$uicideboy$ didn't need a major label nor industry help, as they are indie. Jack Harlow could never do that, I don't think.

[@randolphsmith7552]

I’m no Jack Fan but I’m keeping it 💯, most mainstream rappers are mid regardless of color. Crazy how we as black folks champion most rapper who talk about destroying our own people but soon as anyone who isn’t black raps, we dump on them. It’s confusing to me. Can’t talk about us overcoming when you look at the culture lol. We love being the bottom of the barrel; we just don’t want to admit it.

[@SaudiSymbol]

Jack harllow killed that second album. Hes good but i cant lie. Not many people out here thats gone like that type of music

[@BrodySever]

Jackman was the most overlooked album in the last 5 years.

[@kobeisgoated29]

he will be fine.

[@BossMkII]

Pitchfork is not a reliable way to look at albums objectively. How are you going to diss someone for making an album that was for the people, complain that it did not sound like “him” and then diss him for going back and making something that was true to his roots and his first EPs. JACKMAN was a great album, and I hope to see more of that in the future as well as some fun songs for the radio. Y’all gotta stop worrying about what people are doing and this industry plant stuff will go away.

[@jchris333]

Jackman is the best thing he’s ever done. Which isn’t saying much, unfortunately

[@residalgod]

must have not heard Loose or Gazebo...

[@cameronknight1654]

been listening to jack since 2017 when i went to college and my friends from louisville introduced me to him. always thought of him more of local artist with some real talent and a charisma and when he took off in 2020-2022 it felt like watching a hometown homie takin off, never felt like an industry plant or anything like that cause he already had 4 albums i really enjoyed before whats poppin. but his most recent albums 2020-present were pretty lackluster to me compared to his older stuff. some of the hits were good and catchy but not a lot stuck. i really wish he had progressed his sound differently after confetti

[@bushebajiti7641]

You is REACHIN😂

[@longfeet14]

"i dont like no whips and chains" never sat right with me 😂

[@0uas]

Drake sucked the energy out of him with that Churhill downs feat lol

[@sympa_is_misanthropic]

The timing of this video is mad cause I was just going through some older stuff from Jack Harlow.

[@Will_S9]

Can we cut the bullshit on this argument that somehow there are black rappers that can do what Jack Harlow or Eminem can do?…cause WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY…?? I’ve never heard of them nor do they have the same appeal and charisma as these dudes have..(my point is not about color or race, there is unfairness in life. But to say that there are black rappers that can do the same if not better then show me). Again, my point is to say that these rappers came up organically. They weren’t forced fed to us. G eazy, Eminem, Mac miller, Jack Harlow, MGK…I think these guys have a God given talent. Why is there always this argument that a white guy is some how stealing food out of the black guys mouth in hip hop when the white rapper is the minority (they have more commercial success, but guess what that is what brings in money for rappers to flex their chains and ride around in Ferraris and Lambos). Thank Eminem for that. Also a couple months ago the topic seemed to be “how hip hop moved on from Geazy and embraced Jack Harlow” now you wanna yap about “hip hop is kicking Jack Harlow out the door” damn y’all quick. The hip hop/rap community just loves to shoot itself in the foot.

[@Trashbagcarwindows]

He will never have as much aura as yung lean

[@Thatguy55595]

Forgot he existed Ngl

[@erboch7124]

Jackman was pretty good tho, not a lot of bangers but he actually wrote decent tracks

[@kittybelly]

Still the next Drake but not the era he was aiming for

[@MrQueezyAliTV]

I always like the fact that artists like Tupac, Eminem, Brotha Lynch Hung (Lynch is a Sacramento Artist), Tech N9ne, OutKast etc… always have had songs about different subject matter. Like Pac has “dear mama”, “hit em up”, “me and my girlfriend (where the whole song is about his guns) and Em has “cleaning out my closet”, “Stan”, “guilty conscience”, “rap god” and “brand new dance”. Brotha Lynch raps about being a cannibal and eating baby guts lol, and smoking weed with the devil. Point being all these artists are super unique. Where rappers like Gucci Mane, Rick Ross and the Migos etc… (not to say they suck because music is all opinion) but not my cup of tea. Most of their songs (from what I heard) talk about 3 things: money(including selling drugs), killing and girls. For me that gets old after a while. There are only so many ways to make that sound interesting. I actually watch a lot of battle rap because the lyrics are the most important part for me. So an amazing beat and hook just don’t do it for me. Anyways what does everyone else think?

[@girlsnotblue3804]

.infinite did NOT sell 5000, it was 500, and em was far from acting black on it, he was just super positive and nothing about him stood out besides his multis

[@knos360]

At the end of the day..Hip Hop comes from Blacks..Eminem got the Hoods approval and thats why he is respected..white kids from the suburbs cant give Eminem the approval..Blacks do

[@HelpMeHelpMePlease]

Exactly what a ridiculous claim on Infinite

[@lukejones7164]

People thought Eminem copied AZ on Infinite

[@girlsnotblue3804]

@lukejones7164 .i never ever heard this and their styles don't match at all, em was really focused on his syllabics more than anything

[@DarkSoldier916]

@@girlsnotblue3804 Em says it himself on "Guts over fear".

[@darenalmonte1631]

as someone who has listened to jack for a while even before he blew up, I can definitely say he does know what his sound is. Unfortunately he has decided to chase the hits and the streams, which has worked out for him in that way.

[@PushinPierce]

Did Lovin on Me remind anyone else of The Motto by Drake

[@marcobelfrey1228]

I know, right? The beat is pretty much the same. 😂

[@jasminebenigno-hall1596]

@@marcobelfrey1228 Now that I think about it, it does sound similar.

[@marcobelfrey1228]

@@jasminebenigno-hall1596 I know, right?

[@DrBeauHightower]

His arc reminds me of G eazy

[@MatttPickklesss]

I feel bad that ppl think he’s an industry plant cause I was listening to him since sundown

[@thembelamawelela9821]

Me too. That's why it bothers me that people thought he came out of nowhere with 'What's Poppin' when he had been doing songs like that for years prior.

[@HelpMeHelpMePlease]

He definitely isn't that lol. He's been grinding for a while

[@ochomunna270]

Me too. I was freshman in College and playing Sundown, followed him since. He's no plant just because they're oblivious of his journey and growth.

[@blackwarrior1897]

I'm not the biggest Jack fan. I first heard him when CHTKMY came out. Then I had to dig for his previous project. And I liked both, including Jackman. I did research and that man built himself from back in the day. So in no way is he a plant. People need to do their research.

[@user-nr1vr4tb4c]

This whole documentary is So thirsty over Jack Harlow. Has a bit of a bitter undertone. How 'productive taking precious time and hours out of the day for a video that tries so hard to "humble" and downplay harlows actual stage presence talent.... They didn't do this to Lil pump. But jack harlow now obviously is The Most Essential Rapper in HIp Hop History (NO Lies Told)

[@Osei_Bean_8ryant]

I think you're closing the book too fast on jack

[@DaBeast646]

Dude was making movies instead of music smh

[@great.933]

I thaught that the Frat Rap trend was over the last decade 😂

[@NCPalma]

This title was accurate when it was Big Sean - I think Harlow has some runtime left. The album was bad and so we all forgot about him, but I think if he really taps in he’s capable of being a hit maker; especially with collaborators.

[@solomonpnq]

We need that iannn video