In 2018, lesser-known Louisville, Kentucky, rapper Jack Harlow signed to DJ Drama’s record label Generation Now. At the time, Generation Now’s most celebrated act was Lil Uzi Vert. But now, thanks to the belief of his boss DJ Drama, Harlow is one of the biggest names in hip-hop.
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During a recent interview, Drama spoke in-depth about his decision to sign Harlow. Discussing the internal debate he had inside his mind about signing a white rapper, Drama said he ultimately knew Harlow had outstanding potential.
“When I first met Jack I felt his ambition, his want to be one of the ones,” he said. “I remember even from the label they were like, ‘Eh, white rapper?’ And I’m like, ‘Look, it’s not 2001. We’ve had plenty of examples of successful white rappers since Eminem. It can exist in the culture.’”
Later in his conversation with Home Grown Media Group, Drama elaborated on why Harlow was such an attractive prospect, regardless of skin color.
“And Jack was dope! Obviously, you see his skin color and it’s a big factor but the kid made incredible music,” he said. “Lyrically, he was dope as fuck. Personality-wise, he was just never trying to be something he wasn’t. He was very comfortable in his own skin in the culture within hip-hop. I love that about him.”
This particular talking point regarding race is something Harlow touched on in his recent album Jackman. Essentially calling himself the best white rapper since Eminem, the 25-year-old embraced the fact that he’s a white artist in a predominantly Black genre.
Ya boy’s strivin’ to be the most dominant ever
The hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters
And hold the comments ’cause I promise you I’m honestly better than whoever came to your head right then
In fact, Harlow’s hyper-awareness can be heard in his lyrics all throughout his career. During his 2022 song with Drake titled “Churchill Downs,” which reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, he pointed out how he held his own as a Generation Now artist constantly being compared to Lil Uzi Vert.
The label used to wonder how I’m supposed to stand next to Vert
Prolly never thought that I would get these legs to work
With this retrospective brag, it’s clear that Harlow knows he made DJ Drama look like a very smart man for signing him.
Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
