Proudly repping his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, 22-year-old rapper Jack Harlow has exploded onto the music scene this year. You’ve probably heard his hit song “Whats Poppin,” which was released at the beginning of this year and has since earned spots on the top charts. With its super smooth opening piano riff, strong beat, and clever lyrics, the song quickly became one of my all-time favorites. I’ve unintentionally memorized all of the lyrics & watched the music video more than a few times, but clearly I’m not the only one. The song was so popular that it was revamped this summer in the form of a remix. The new song, which features DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne, brings the same energy and flow as the original, but with each artist’s unique twist. And the remix has proven to be just as, if not more, popular than the original song, remaining near the top of Billboard’s Top 100 for several weeks now.
I first came across Jack Harlow about a year ago when one of his songs “Heavy Hitter” popped up in one of my Apple Music Mixes. I remember immediately vibing with his style & flow and thinking to myself, “Who is this guy?” before checking my phone to find out. I had never heard of him, but after that day I became a fan of his. And now, so have a lot of others. Along with the success of “Whats Poppin” which has gone platinum, Jack also earned a coveted spot in XXL’s 2020 Freshman Class, which recognizes the best up-and-coming artists of the year. Many artists featured on the list in past years have gone on to become some of the biggest names in hip-hop. All of that being said, the future is looking bright for our self-proclaimed “young boy genius” Jack Harlow. I, along with the rest of the world, will be looking forward to hearing what he does in the coming months and years!