Jack Harlow claims he “got Blacker” with his new album
Jack Harlow has claimed he got “Blacker” with his latest project.
The Louisville rapper has taken a bold new direction on his new album, Monica, which was released on March 13th.
With the body of work, Harlow opted for R&B/neo-soul – a stark difference from his typical hip-hop sound.
During his recent appearance on Popcast, host Joe Coscarelli stated that Harlow “didn’t retreat into a whiter genre.” In response, he proclaimed, “I got Blacker.”
Explaining more about his new direction, he said, “I love Black music. I love the sound of Black music. Of course, I’m hyper-aware of the politics of today, that safer landing spot that a lot of my white contemporaries have found.”
He continued, “Of course, it appealed to me to do something that I felt like, at a time when there’s plenty of people expecting me to take some of the routes that y’all be taking. To take the route that not only might not be expected, but is also the one I genuinely want to take. So all the stars aligned in that way for me, to be honest.”
Harlow stated he wasn’t oblivious to the benefits of changing his direction, diving deeper into his favourite parts of R&B.
“I’m not going to pretend like what you’re talking about, I was like, ‘Huh, I guess you’re right,'” he said. “I knew that there were multiple things appealing about this route. But I also came to the decision, I’m proud to say, off of what feels good to my ear.”
He added, “I love R&B music. I love the sound of soft, intimate, melodic music. So I want to be understood. I want to write melodies that invite people to sing along.”