Even though Jack Harlow will never have bars, the one thing he will always have is the audacity. On his third LP, Jackman (which was released Friday), he does his best to conjure up semblances of authenticity and realness. However, it sounds like Harlow is trying to justify his place in the rap world. And sadly, the person heβs trying to convince the most is himself.
On the track βThey Donβt Love It,β he says: βThe hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters/And hold the comments βcause I promise you Iβm honestly better/Than whoever came to your head right then/They ainβt cut from the same thread like him/They donβt study, doinβ work to get ahead like him.β
Suggested Reading
The truth is, Eminem could effortlessly outrap Harlow on his worst day. Unfortunately, his desperate attempt to appear self-aware didnβt end there. On βCommon Ground,β Harlow recites:
βThe suburbs are filled with ebonics and trap sonics/Frat boys sayinβ, βNo cap, put racks on itβ/The dialect got a lilβ splash of some black on it/Cap and gowns bought by the money in dadβs pockets/White girls squattinβ tryna get that ass poppinβ/Caught back-talkinβ to their mom and dads often/Recitinβ rap lyrics βbout murder and cash profit/Get to feel like a thug but donβt have to act on it.β
Harlow thinks he deserves credit for calling out cultural appropriation and how white folks often engage with hip hop disingenuously. In other words, they try it on for size because they can always go back to the safety of whiteness whenever they feel like it. The irony is, Harlow is actually describing his own reality. Hopefully, people will stop buying into his act.
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