Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998), known professionally as Jack Harlow, is an American rapper from Louisville, Kentucky. After building a local buzz for much of The New '10s, Harlow began rising to national fame in 2018-19 with his mixtapes Loose and Confetti. In 2020, he broke through into the mainstream with his hit single "WHAT'S POPPIN", which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, following it up with his debut album Thats What They All Say. Going into The New '20s, he solidified himself in mainstream hip-hop, scoring his first Billboard No. 1 hit in 2021 as a feature on Lil Nas X's "INDUSTRY BABY", and following it up with his solo tracks "Nail Tech" and "First Class", the latter becoming his first solo Hot 100 No. 1, along with collaborations with hip-hop icons such as Kanye West and Drake.
Discography:
Mixtapes
- Extra Credit (2011)
- Finally Handsome (2014)
- 18 (2016)
- Gazebo (2017)
- Loose (2018)
- Confetti (2019)
Extended Plays
- The Handsome Harlow (2015)
- Sweet Action (2020)
Studio Albums
- Thats What They All Say (2020)
- Come Home, The Kids Miss You (2022)
- Jackman. (2023)
Tropes:
- Author Appeal: A former high school soccer player, he regularly makes soccer references in his lyrics, which show a far greater knowledge of the sport than one might expect from an American rapper.
- Celebrity Song: Both "Tyler Herro" (named for the NBA player, a high school friend of Jack's) and "Dua Lipa".
- Location Song: At least one example on each of his first three studio albums.
- "Baxter Avenue", from Thats What They All Say, named after a Louisville street known for its nightlife. Though it has a Non-Appearing Title, it essentially tells the story of his upbringing.
- "Churchill Downs", from Come Home, The Kids Miss You.
- "Denver", from Jackman. While the song itself only name-drops Denver, its video shows Harlow cruising by many spots well-known to locals. Not to mention a cameo from Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. The lyrics also mention "Shelby County", specifically the Kentucky county immediately to the east of Louisville.
- Sampling:
- "First Class" samples "Glamorous" by Fergie, who performed the song with Jack at the 2022 MTV VMAs.
- "Thru The Night" samples Childish Gambino's cover of "U Don't Have To Call" by Usher
- Shout-Out:
- Raps "Dark haired bitch and she look like Shego" in "WHAT'S POPPIN".
- Also namedrops Lord Farquaad in “Lovin’ On Me”.
- Token White: One of the most popular white rappers in recent memory.
