“Jackman.” Album Review

[Jack Harlow] “Everybody know Jack but they don’t know Jackman…”

WELL, NOW FANS CAN FEEL LIKE THEY DO. ON FRIDAY, APRIL 28TH, JACK HARLOW RELEASED HIS THIRD STUDIO ALBUM “JACKMAN.” UNLIKE HIS OTHER TWO STUDIO ALBUMS, THIS 24 MINUTE STREAM OF BRAGS, CALL OUTS, AND NAME DROPS ALSO INCLUDES VERY SERIOUS TOPICS. 

THE ALBUM OPENS WITH THE ALMOST TWO MINUTE SONG, “COMMON GROUND”.

[Common Ground snippet]

THIS SONG CALLS OUT WHITE TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS APPROPRIATING BLACK DIALECTS AND TRADITIONS WITHOUT HAVING TO UNDERGO MANY OF THE STRESSES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BEING BLACK. IN PARTICULAR THE LYRIC “GET TO FEEL LIKE A THUG BUT DON’T HAVE TO ACT ON IT” ECHOES THIS SENTIMENT. THE MAIN LYRIC IN THIS SONG IS “COMMON GROUND AIN’T THAT COMMON,” MEANING THAT ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SIMILARITIES AMONGST ALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE, MANY OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THESE GROUPS FACE ARE NOT FACED BY EVERYONE.

[They Don’t Love It snippet]

THAT WAS A SNIPPET OF THE SECOND TRACK ON THE ALBUM, “THEY DON’T LOVE IT”, WHICH CHARTED AT NUMBER 54 ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 EARLIER THIS WEEK. IN THIS SONG, HARLOW CALLS OUT OTHER ARTISTS THAT ARE NOT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR THE RIGHT REASONS SUCH AS POPULARITY, FAME, OR MONEY. HARLOW, HOWEVER, BRINGS ATTENTION TO HIS GENUINE LOVE FOR RAP MUSIC. ADDING TO THIS SONG’S POPULARITY IS THE LINE “THE HARDEST WHITE BOY SINCE THE ONE WHO RAPPED ABOUT VOMIT AND SWEATERS” IN REFERENCE TO EMINEM AND HIS SONG “LOSE YOURSELF”. MANY FANS TOOK TO TWITTER TO EXPRESS THEIR DISAGREEMENT. SOME EVEN WENT AS FAR TO SAY THAT HE WAS DISRESPECTFUL TO THE LATE MAC MILLER, WHO DIED IN 2018. 

THE THIRD SONG ON THE ALBUM IS CALLED “AMBITIOUS”.

[Ambitious snippet]

IN THIS TRACK, HARLOW REFLECTS UPON KNOWING HE WANTED TO BE A RAPPER FROM A YOUNG AGE. “AMBITIOUS” TELLS THE STORY OF HOW HARLOW BECAME THE GRAMMY-NOMINATED RAPPER HE IS TODAY AND GIVES SHOUTOUTS TO THE PLACES AND PEOPLE THAT BROUGHT HIM THERE. 

[Is That Ight? snippet]

AS SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO KEEP HIS PERSONAL LIFE PRIVATE, “IS THAT IGHT?” IS HARLOW’S MESSAGE FOR THE MEDIA AND THE FANS. “NO SELFIES, JUST SAY HI” IS THE MAIN LINE IN THIS SONG, HIGHLIGHTING HARLOW’S WANT FOR GENUINE CONNECTIONS WITH HIS FANS RATHER THAN SIMPLY TAKING PICTURES TO GAIN CLOUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. UNLIKE MANY OTHER POPULAR ARTISTS, HARLOW PREFERS TO LIVE HIS LIFE AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHT AND CELEBRATE HIS SUCCESS WITH HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY.  

[Gang Gang Gang snippet]

ARGUABLY THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL SONG ON THE ALBUM, “GANG GANG GANG” FEATURES HARLOW SHARING THE STORY OF FINDING OUT TWO OF HIS FRIENDS WERE CONVICTED OF CRIMES WHEN RETURNING HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. FIRST, HE SHARES THE STORY OF MARCUS, WHO HAS ALLEGEDLY RAPED 7 GIRLS IN THE BACK OF A TARGET. IN THE SECOND VERSE, IT IS KEVIN, WHO ALLEGEDLY MOLESTED A 10 YEAR OLD BOY. TO CONCLUDE THE SONG, HARLOW SPEAKS ABOUT CONDITIONAL FRIENDSHIPS, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE DOES SOMETHING HORRIBLE. HE SAYS, “TRUTHFULLY IT’S FAMILY ‘TIL IT CAN’T BE, GANG ‘TIL IT AIN’T, TWINS, BUT IT DEPENDS, BROTHERS UNTIL SOMETHIN’ IS UNCOVERED,” AND SO ON. “GANG, GANG, GANG” ALSO MENTIONS HOLDING OUR LOVED ONES ACOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS, BUT ALSO RAISES THE QUESTION OF WHETHER WE DO SO BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, OR BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID OF GETTING JUDGED.

WEINBERG FIRST-YEAR TATUM BALDWIN STILL REMEMBERS HER REACTION TO THE SONG.

[Tatum Baldwin] “The first time I was so distracted by the ‘gang gang gang’ background that it was hard to actually listen to the words that he was actually saying. But then, when I actually listened to the words I realized how actually dark the song is.”

“DENVER”, THE SIXTH SONG ON “JACKMAN.” IS ABOUT HARLOW’S INTERNAL STRUGGLE WITH FAME. 

[Denver snippet]

ARGUABLY HARLOW’S MOST HONEST SONG ON THE ALBUM, HE EXPLAINS HOW FAME HAS BEEN BOTH A BLESSING AND A CURSE IN HIS LIFE. HE RAPS ABOUT FEELING GUILTY ABOUT CHANGING WHO HE IS, BEING WEALTHY WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE SUFFERING ALL AROUND HIM, AND DEALING WITH THE PRESSURES OF LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY HAVE SET FOR HIM. “DENVER” IS HARLOW BEING COMPLETELY CANDID, WHEREAS HE IS USUALLY BRAGGING ABOUT BEING RICH AND FAMOUS IN HIS PAST MUSIC, FURTHER PROVING HOW DIFFERENT THIS ALBUM IS FOR HIM.

[No Enhancers snippet]

IN “NO ENHANCERS”, HARLOW DESCRIBES HIS LOVE INTEREST BEING ALL NATURAL, AND HIGHLIGHTS MANY OF THE STRUGGLES THAT WOMEN HAVE TO FACE ON A DAILY BASIS. HE SAYS “JUST TO LEAVE THE CRIB THESE DAYS HAS BECOME SUCH A SKILL,” AS THERE IS INCREASING VIOLENCE AND CRIME HAPPENING AROUND US. AS THE RAP GENRE USUALLY FEATURES SONGS THAT OBJECTIFY WOMEN, HARLOW MAKES AN EFFORT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO NATURAL BEAUTY. 

[It Can’t Be snippet]

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HARLOW’S CAREER, MANY OTHER RAPPERS AND PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAVE ACCUSED HIM OF BEING AN INDUSTRY PLANT. AS IT IS HIGHLY UNCOMMON FOR NON-BLACK RAPPERS TO GAIN A HUGE FOLLOWING AND ACHIEVE SUCCESS, SOME LISTENERS SAY THAT NON-BLACK RAPPERS ARE PLANTED INTO THE MUSIC SCENE AS AN ATTEMPT TO CLAIM THE GENRE AS THEIR OWN. HARLOW HOWEVER, DISMISSES THESE ACCUSATIONS IN “IT CAN’T BE” BY STATING THE REASONS WHY HE BELIEVES HE IS MASSIVELY SUCCESSFUL.  

THE SECOND TO LAST SONG ON THE ALBUM, “BLAME ON ME” DESCRIBES HARLOW’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS YOUNGER BROTHER, CLAY. 

[Blame On Me snippet]

“BLAME ON ME” HAS RECEIVED HIGH PRAISE FROM HARLOW’S BIGGEST FANS, WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS BROTHER. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS TRACK IS THAT IT IS TOLD FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. THE FIRST VERSE IS MEANT TO BE CLAY TALKING TO JACK, THE SECOND VERSE IS JACK TALKING TO CLAY, AND THE FINAL VERSE IS THEIR FATHER TALKING TO JACK. EACH OF THESE PEOPLE BLAME THEMSELVES FOR JACK AND CLAY’S TUMULTUOUS RELATIONSHIP, AND STATE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT HAPPENED.

[Questions snippet]

THE FINAL SONG ON THE ALBUM, “QUESTIONS”, IS A FURTHER REFLECTION OF SEVERAL OF THE THEMES HARLOW HAS MENTIONED IN THIS ALBUM. HE RAPS A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS PERSONALITY, HIS HOMETOWN OF LOUISVILLE, AND HIS FUTURE. ONE LINE IN PARTICULAR STANDS OUT IN THIS SONG. HE SAYS, “THE MASSES NEVER HEARD YOUR BOY RAPPING SO HONESTLY.” WHICH IS THE PERFECT WAY TO DESCRIBE THIS ALBUM AS A WHOLE.

JIMMY MILAS, A USUAL JACK HARLOW HATER, HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT THE ALBUM:

[JIMMY MILAS]  “I didn’t really like a lot of his recent stuff, but this one. Just wow is all I can really say.” 

AS A WHOLE, “JACKMAN.” HAS HAD VERY MIXED REVIEWS. HOWEVER, IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT FOR HARLOW, IT IS AS RAW AND EMOTIONAL AS HE HAS EVER BEEN. 

FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M JESSICA WATTS.