Louisville, Kentucky has never been the hotbed for aspiring emcees and artists coming up, but Jack Harlow is trying to change all of that. Though he may feel as if his "youth is wasted" (probably because the Aaron Taylor Johnson looking mother fucker spent all that time and energy being Kick-Ass), he wastes no time in his music, detailing the coming of age stories that develop with sex, girls, and finding yourself. In terms of sound and ability, Harlow is no slouch in the singing or pure rapping department, often cartwheeling and backflipping the tight rope between R&B artist and underground emcee, though in an interview with online hip hop publication DJ Booth, Harlow emphasized that his focus as an artist lies in making real music; "it has to feel good to me every time, from the first bar I start writing. There has to be that feeling that 'this is me, this is real, this is genuine,' and when it's genuine, it really hits. That's how you make something profound, and profound doesn't mean deep or serious. Profound means something that feels real and feels right."
Profoundness, depth, emotion and imagination are as important to Harlow as having a Billboard Top 40 hit. So what more from a rapper can you ask for? The Louisville bred emcee details this in his latest project, Loose. Does this mean Harlow is finally warming up to the idea of becoming something special? Or is he moving "too fast" and Loose for his own good? Let's check out some observations from the up and comer's latest project below.
Potential As A Lyricist Is There
Harlow's efficiency with multi-syllabic rhymes and slick punchlines show immediate promise, though Loose lacks a definitive track to set the tone and give reasoning for opposing emcee's to fear him. "Sundown" gives just enough of foreshadowing into Harlow's abilities as an emcee, but also tows the line between "skilled emcee" and "talented artist" a bit too much: you wish it would be 100% one or the other at times and more focused. His heart is in the right place with attempts at catchy, lighthearted R&B songs ("VACATE" ft. Taylor, or "SLIDE FOR ME") but at times lack identity and sound like he's chasing a hit more than looking to make music for himself, as he so honestly says in his DJ Booth interview. One R&B highpoint of the project is the final track "TOO MUCH", where Harlow's distinctly high voice shine through in a track that has potential to have ladies everywhere jamming in their Uber to on Saturday nights, which is mind-boggling because just about halfway through (about the 2 min. mark), Harlow can be heard asking the producer how it sounds, which leads one to believe; wait, is Harlow freestyling the entire song off the top of his head?! If this is the case and such a song is made without any planning, I can't imagine what else Harlow could accomplish with some actual planning and song structure. Also, Harlow as a rapper has so much room for improvement that he's practically moving into a house of greatness as we speak; a house he may very well soon call his own.
(*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)
All in all, Harlow's potential to become more of his own artist is there, but I need to see it and hear it instead of think about it what he could become. He makes great music in terms of sound and sound quality, but I'm looking for more from Harlow. Where's that emotion that he was talking about in his DJ Booth interview? What would he sound like over a DJ Premier beat? DJ Mustard? What about a sample heavy beat from a master like No I.D.? These are the things I think about when I think of the many possibilities of Harlow's musical longevity. But for now, I'm not thinking too much about it, because as his project states; Harlow is just now getting Loose.
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