Jack Harlow

Born in Louisville and operating out of that city’s modern rap lineage, Jack Harlow began recording in 2015, steadily releasing EPs and mixtapes—The Handsome Harlow, 18, Gazebo, Loose, and Confetti—before signing with Don Cannon and DJ Drama’s Generation Now imprint under Atlantic in 2018. His early catalog revealed a nimble, conversational style, but it was still a local-building story.

The mainstream breakthrough arrived with 2020’s “Whats Poppin.” Sparked by TikTok momentum and propelled further by a remix with DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne, the track reached No. 2 on the Hot 100, earned a diamond RIAA certification, and scored a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance. It set up his debut album, Thats What They All Say, which went double platinum and landed him on XXL’s 2020 Freshman Class. Harlow kept scaling upward: a guest verse on Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” gave him his first No. 1, then he topped the Hot 100 on his own with “First Class” and “Lovin on Me.” His second and third albums, Come Home The Kids Miss You and Jackman, both debuted in the Billboard 200’s top ten.

Beyond the music, Harlow has moved into wider pop-cultural space: he joined Jungkook on “3D,” made his acting debut in the 2023 remake of White Men Can’t Jump, and earned recognition as Billboard’s Top New Artist and Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year. He carries the confidence of a mainstream hitmaker while still gesturing toward the studio craft that first made him one of his city’s sharpest prospects.