Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper and singer. He began his recording career in 2015, and released severalEPs andmixtapes until signing withDon Cannon andDJ Drama's record label Generation Now, an imprint ofAtlantic Records in 2018.
Jackman Thomas Harlow was born on March 13, 1998, inLouisville, Kentucky.[6][7][8] He is the son of Maggie (née Payette), a businesswoman, and Brian Harlow, and was raised on a horse farm nearShelbyville.[9] He has one younger brother. He is of French and Irish descent.[10]
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 aGuitar Hero 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 andMusic for the Deaf.[citation needed] He attendedAtherton High School, where he played on the boys' varsity soccer team.
Music career
2015–2018: Early mixtapes and Private Garden
In November 2015, Harlow released his first commercial record, theEPThe Handsome Harlow. It was released onGill Holland's sonaBLAST! record label.[6][11] Throughout high school, he often played sold-out shows at Louisville venues likeMercury Ballroom, Headliners, and the Haymarket Whiskey Bar.[6][7] In March 2016, he opened forVince Staples in Louisville.[12]
In June 2016, less than a month after graduating fromAtherton High School, he released the mixtape18, which was the first album on his label and music collective, Private Garden.[13][14] The collective also features Harlow's frequent collaborators, the Homies, composed of Louisville rappers and producers Ace Pro, 2forWoyne, Shloob, Quiiso, and Ronnie Lucciano.[6] Over the course of the next year, Harlow performed atSouth by Southwest,[15]Bonnaroo Music Festival,[16] and theForecastle Festival.[17]
In the summer of 2017, Harlow released the single "Routine".[6] In October of that year, he released another single, "Dark Knight", with an accompanying music video. He creditsCyhi the Prynce with helping him work through hiswriter's block and finish the song.[18][19] "Dark Knight" became the lead single on Harlow's mixtapeGazebo, which was released in November 2017.[7] 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.[20][21] In May 2018, Harlow opened for indie rock bandPortugal. The Man on select tour dates.[22][23] The next month, he was featured alongsideLil James and Sixteen on theSkeme song "Get Sumn".[24]
2018–2020: Generation Now Records,Loose, andConfetti
Harlow in 2020
After moving toAtlanta, Harlow worked at the Chick-fil-A in theGeorgia State University cafeteria to supplement his income. A month after working at the cafeteria he was introduced to DJ Drama at Mean Street Studio.[citation needed]
In August 2018, it was announced that Harlow had signed toDJ Drama andDon Cannon's Generation Now record label, in conjunction withAtlantic Records. He also released a video for his single "Sundown" on the day of the announcement.[25][26] On August 17, Harlow released his major label debut mixtape,Loose.[27] The album featured guest verses from CyHi the Prynce,K Camp, 2forWoyne, and Taylor.[28] In November 2018, Harlow embarked on a North American tour in support ofLoose which ended in December.[29][30][31] That month, he also released a video for the song "PickYourPhoneUp", featuring K Camp.[32]Loose was nominated for Best Mixtape at the2019 BET Hip Hop Awards.[33] On August 21, 2019, Harlow released the single "Thru the Night" featuring fellow Louisville nativeBryson Tiller. He then released the 12-track mixtapeConfetti, which features Tiller, 2forWoyne and EST Gee. On September 19, 2019, Harlow released the single "Heavy Hitter," a tribute to Louisville attorney and internet personalityDarryl Isaacs.[34][35]
2020–2021:Thats What They All Say
On January 21, 2020, Harlow released the single "Whats Poppin", as the lead single from his second extended play (EP),Sweet Action.[36] The song was widely shared on theTikTok social media platform,[37] and theCole Bennett-produced video has surpassed 135 million views as of May 2021.[38][39][40] On Harlow's 22nd birthday, March 13, 2020, he released the EP.[41] On April 29, 2020, Harlow released a collaboration withG-Eazy, "Moana". On June 24, 2020, Harlow released the remix of "Whats Poppin", which featuresDaBaby,Tory Lanez, andLil Wayne. The remix propelled the song to reach number two on the Hot 100.[42] On August 11, Harlow was included inXXL's 2020Freshman Class.[43] On October 22, 2020, Harlow released the single "Tyler Herro", the lead single from his debut studio album,That's What They All Say.[44] The song received a music video that stars Harlow and theNBA player of the same name. The song was praised for the "easy, weightless charisma" of Harlow's lyrics and delivery.[45] On December 2, 2020, Harlow announced the album. The second single, "Way Out", which featuresBig Sean, was released on December 9, 2020. The album was released on December 11, 2020. It also includes "Whats Poppin" and its remix.[46][47] On March 27, 2021, Harlow appeared as the musical guest on the46th season ofSaturday Night Live. He performed a medley of "Tyler Herro" and "Whats Poppin" for his first set and performed "Same Guy" withAdam Levine for his second set. He also appeared and performed a verse in the pre-recordedNFT-themed parody ofEminem's 2002 single, "Without Me".[48] On March 30, 2021, "Already Best Friends", which featuresChris Brown, was sent tourban contemporary radio as the third and final single fromThat's What They All Say.[49]
On May 28, 2021, Harlow released a collaboration with Eminem andCordae for the remix of Eminem's 2020 single, "Killer". On July 23, 2021, he released a collaboration withLil Nas X, "Industry Baby".[50] 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 withPooh Shiesty, "SUVs (Black on Black)".[51]
2022–present:Come Home the Kids Miss You andJackman
On February 18, 2022, Harlow released the single "Nail Tech", the lead single from his upcoming second studio album and his first release in six-and-a-half months.[52] The song performed well on the Hot 100 with a number 18 debut and peak and also received praise fromKanye West,[53] 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.
On March 16, 2022, Harlow announced that his second studio album is titledCome Home the Kids Miss You. The album was released on May 6.[54] It debuted at number three on the U.S.Billboard 200, earning 113,000album-equivalent units (including 8,000 in pure album sales) in its first week. It became Harlow's second U.S. top-five debut on the chart. The album also accumulated a total of 137.05 million on-demand official streams for the album's songs. The album also peaked at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart, Harlow's highest debut and first top ten entry.[55] The second single, "First Class", became his second number-one on theBillboard Hot 100, and the year's first hip-hop song to reach that position.[56]
On April 26, 2023, Harlow took to his social media accounts to announce his third album,Jackman, along with its release date and reveal its cover art.[58] The album was released on April 28.[59] It debuted at number 8 on the U.S.Billboard 200, earning 35,500 album-equivalent units (including 1,500 pure sales) in its first week.[60] It became Harlow's third top-ten debut on the chart. It also earned 43.40 million on-demand streams in the first week.Jackman also debuted at number 9 on the Canadian Album Chart, his third top-ten debut there.[61] On November 10, he released the single "Lovin on Me", which became his first number 1 song on theUK Singles Chart[62] and third number 1 song on theBillboard Hot 100.[63]
On February 28, 2024, Harlow announced the launch of a two-day music festival in his hometown of Louisville, to be called Gazebo Festival, which was to take over theForecastle Festival's usual location and dates atWaterfront Park over Memorial Day weekend.SZA and Harlow co-headlined the festival, which was to "feature 26 acts on two stages and highlight some of Louisville's local food and culture".[64] However, the second day of the festival on May 26 was canceled due to severe weather.[65]
Harlow's craft has been characterized by critics as blending playful confidence with emotional sincerity in both his music and lyrics,[68][69] which often explore themes such as sexuality, partying, and drug use.[70] Harlow's music has been categorized broadly aship hop. Publications have further tagged his music as blendingtrap beats[71] with instruments such as pianos anduilleann pipes.[72][73]
In 2020, Kate Hutchinson ofThe Guardian opined that Harlow's most interesting songs are his more introspective ones, dealing with topics such as being uncomfortable with his acclaim, and hiswhite privilege.[72] Thomas Hobbs, another writer forThe 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".[74] He has described his own music as emphasizing rhythm, and his lyricism as being "personal but fun",[75] and geared toward "connect[ing] with people".[76] In 2022, following Harlow's surge in popularity, Terry Nguyen ofVox also described his music as breezy, comparing it toDrake.[2] Nguyen praised Harlow's lyricism for its wise wordplay and for its introspective content.[2]
Harlow supports theBlack Lives Matter political movement, having attended a rally to protest thekilling of Breonna Taylor, which occurred in his hometown.[82] Harlow has stated that, being white, he "can never truly know what [the experience of racism] is like", and that it is his responsibility as a white rapper to approach his work with that knowledge in mind.[83]
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 andMetro United Way.[84][85] Citing the spirit and pride he holds for his hometown, Harlow stated that "People need hope, they need love", when announcing his donation plans.[84]KFC andInstagram pledged to match up to $50,000 of what Harlow raises through the social media platform's fundraising tool.[84]
In December 2021, Harlow teamed up with KFC and its parent companyYum! Brands to donate a joint $250,000 to the American Red Cross to support those impacted by a deadly tornado in western Kentucky.[86]
In 2023, he founded the Jack Harlow Foundation to “reinvest, uplift and support organizations aiming to make the city that raised him a better place.”[87] That same year, he headlined a rally alongside Kentucky'sDemocratic governorAndy Beshear ahead of thegeneral election.[88]
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