The song Jack Harlow quickly grew to dislike: “I don’t love the production”
Jack Harlow is no stranger to braggadocious lyrics, and he’s got the success to back him. The Louisville artist is one of the most popular rappers of the past decade with hits like ‘Whats Poppin’, ‘Industry Baby’, ‘First Class’, and ‘Lovin on Me’. That type of success will always lead to a boastful attitude, feeling like he’s a hero from his hometown.
In 2020, Harlow released a song called ‘Face of My City’ on his debut album, Thats What They All Say. On the track, he claims he’s the biggest artist from his city. Rappers have always done this to impose their authority, even when it isn’t true, but Harlow might have a point. When it comes to notable rappers from Louisville, there aren’t many big names outside of the late Static Major, EST Gee, and Bryson Tiller, if he’s even considered a rapper.
In the first verse, Harlow brags about winning in life and only attracting the hottest women. He raps, “Runway me, I’m fitting, fourth-quarter, ninth inning/ Ain’t no way we ain’t winning/ Back home for a week, ain’t no way we ain’t sinning/ If she came to stay with me, ain’t no way she ain’t pretty.”
Just two years after the song was released, he admitted he had fallen out of love with it. His opinion has more to do with the sound of the record than any of his lyrics, learning what type of music he prefers as his career progresses.
“I don’t love the production,” he told Rolling Stone. “It’s, like, deceiving, because it’s supposed to be an anthem, but it’s too fast. I’ve grown to know what tempos actually work for the up-and-down jump effect that our generation’s defined by in music.
“I think part of what sets me apart is with a lot my music, the tempo is not made for jumping. The tempo is made for swinging. That’s what I’m attracted to. But I still want to sneak in a couple of those [jumping songs]. I mean ‘What’s Poppin’ gave me that, ‘Industry Baby’ gave me the fuck out of that.”
Lil Baby also features on the track. While Harlow represents Louisville, the ‘Drip Too Hard’ rapper proclaims his status as the best out of Atlanta, telling his competition that they can’t “fuck with” him. Despite the quality of the feature, the song was ultimately too fast for Harlow upon reflection.
“Unfortunately, my taste is the swing, but it sets me apart,” he said. “I think for a second I thought ‘Face of My City’ was gonna be that until I performed it one time. Then I was like, ‘Oh, this is fast as fuck.’ They’re gonna jump for a second, just out of energy, but they can’t jump that fast. But I love all the little details of this shit.”
The song also includes a now-awkward Diddy line in the chorus that would never have been included after his sex trafficking and racketeering trial. He raps, “I’m the face of my city/ Co-signed by Diddy/ Hard liquor, I’m shitty/ Hotel with some biddy/ Got her doing my bidding/ You changed, no kidding/ Wasn’t always this pretty.” If anything, the track was a big learning curve for Harlow.