How Jack Harlow Stays Humble
Kentucky-bred rapper Jack Harlow might be a world-famous rapper today, but he maintains his Southern hospitality and humble approach to life. But with two No. 1 hit songs to his name already, it could become easy for a hip-hop breakout star like Harlow to get a big head. Instead, he always ensures to keep his ego in check.
Jack Harlow grew up in Kentucky
Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Jack Harlow got his start in music at a young age. In elementary school, he wanted to perform Fergie’s hit song “Fergalicious” at the school talent show. And in middle school, he started recording music and handing out mixtapes in school.
Harlow released his debut album That’s What They All Say in 2020. The record was supported by the single “What’s Poppin'”, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2021, he earned his first No. 1 hit with “Industry Baby,” his larger-than-life collab with Lil Nas X.
Harlow released his sophomore album Come Home the Kids Miss You in 2022. The single “First Class” became his first solo No. 1 hit single.
Jack Harlow stays down-to-earth
Harlow stopped by The Breakfast Club the day of Come Home the Kids Miss You‘s release to talk about music and much more. When asked about how he remains humble as his career and life continue to change, he admitted that it was natural for him to stay down-to-earth.
“I think my nature might just be self-conscious enough, even maybe in an insecure way sometimes of just like, ‘How can I be better aware of myself?'” he said.
“I would be embarrassed to lose touch. I would be embarrassed to become arrogant,” he continued. “I keep all of my friends around — everyone I came up with. I’m a part of a collective called Private Garden that I started when I was in high school in Kentucky; it’s like eight or nine of us. And the families continue to grow, but the core of us is just stuck together. We tour together. We go everywhere together.”
“Being from Kentucky is something that we’ve used to our advantage, because so many people don’t come from a place where you had a chip on your shoulder,” he added. “We want to lift this place up, you know?”
He expressed a similar sentiment in an Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe. “I’m starting to realize that humility is just more important than ever right now,” he said. “Just keeping a hold of that because it’s a long way down if you get with the hype.”
His career continues to grow
Ahead of his sophomore LP’s release, Harlow spoke to Rolling Stone about his career as he enters this next stage and what he wants his music and his image to mean in the future.
“I want to be the face of my s***, like the face of my generation, for these next 10 years,” he said honestly.” We need more people in my generation that are trying to be the best, and you can’t do that with just ear candy, vibe records. You got to come out swinging sometimes.”
“My new s*** is much more serious. Right now, my message is letting m*********ers know I love hip-hop, and I’m one of the best in my generation,” he said of Come Home the Kids Miss You. “You can’t do that with nonchalant, like, ‘Eeey, I got the b****es,’ in clever ways over and over again. I got to dig deeper this time.”
