Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Jack Harlow began rapping into a Guitar Hero microphone and recording music at the age of twelve. After the release of a handful of lesser known mixtape, Harlow took centerstage with his hit single, “Whats Poppin”. The track caught the eye of Lyrical Lemonade owner, Cole Bennet, who agreed to make the music video. The song then went viral on TikTok, attracted the attention of DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne (who all featured on the remix), and then was certified RIAA Platinum. However, the story of Jack Harlow is much deeper than this one hit. His story involves finding his own homegrown sound, growing as an artist, and continually wanting to be a breath of fresh air in the music industry. Below are Harlow’s albums, best to worst.

 

#1 – Loose (2018)

A mere two years before Jack Harlow was propelled to stardom with “Whats Poppin” he released Loose, a mixtape that Harlow fans would be playing for years to come. Opening up with a steel drum/bongo style beat, “SUNDOWN” lets the listener know that Harlow is coming at you with speed and confidence as he lays down punchy bars about his hometown lifestyle. The reason that Loose is such an incredible album is that it shows Harlow’s many sides. He has hard hitting rap tracks, such as “LIKE THIS“; but just as easily he delivers smooth, R&B-esque tunes that can be played while studying in a college dorm, like secret agent themed track “CODY BANKS“. The young rapper also has a lot to tell his listeners about his experience with girls. On the sixth track, “SYLVIA“, Harlow features frequent collaborator and fellow member of Private Garden (Harlow’s rap collective), 2forwOyNE. The song includes a synth, Stranger Things-like, 80’s themed melody and fast hi-hats and claps, as well as stops in the beat to add suspense and weight to the hook. The two exchange impressively smooth bars about the “bad little ‘ting” that looks like a Sylvia. One of the best tracks on the record, “9TH GRADE” is Harlow speaking to a girl that he has wanted since freshman year, telling her that now it is too late. Even though that she is now showing interest in him, he has “confirmation numbers all across the f*****’ map”. Maybe it took Jack dropping Loose for his dream girl to notice him, because for many fans of hip-hop, this was the album that put Harlow on the map as a serious artist, as it demonstrated his talent and versatility. Perhaps Jack knows this, as he raps on “PICKYOURPHONEUP“, “And she like the way I’m well-rounded”. If Loose showed anything, it was that Harlow is certainly well-rounded, and that he is here to stay on the rap scene.

 

#2 – Confetti (2019)

The Kentucky kid returns a year later with Confetti, a mixtape that demonstrates both Harlow’s growth as an artist and his ability to shape and perfect his craft, rather than completely change it. Interestingly enough, this record follows a similar pattern as its predecessor. Confetti opens up with an even harder hitting intro track: the bass heavy, sprint of a song, “GHOST“. Jack maintains his cool, smooth ability to deliver lyrics on tracks like “ICE” and “WALK IN THE PARK“, on which he seems highly unbothered, enjoying the music just as much as his fans do. Private Garden member, 2forwOyNE, reappears on the track “WARSAW“, which has a similar sound to the two’s collaboration on Loose. However, now the situation in slightly different for Harlow. Instead of writing a ballad to Sylvia, Harlow is now “overseas out in Warsaw stuntin'”. Just as “WARSAW” has a similar sound to “SYLVIA“, the track “GOIN BACK DOWN” on Confetti mirrors “CODY BANKS” on Loose. If you listen to the tracks side by side, it is easy to hear how one influenced the other. Harlow brings fellow Kentuckian and R&B superstar Bryson Tiller on the track “THRU THE NIGHT“, on which the two exchange speedy bars over a distorted sample of Usher’s “U Don’t Have to Call“. Confetti, is an extremely impressive project, especially for proceeding a mixtape as complete and exciting as Loose. However, Harlow wraps up Confetti with “RIVER ROAD“, an especially poignant mediation on what is yet to come. Jack is “Still working / Still waking up looking for real purpose”. At the release of Confetti, the youngster’s career was still getting off the ground, and he knew this, as he says on the last track, “It’s all a work in progress”.

 

#3 –Sweet Action (2020)

After the release of the hit single, “Whats Poppin“, Harlow cranked out Sweet Action, a seven song, sixteen minute EP. Leading with “WHATS POPPIN“, Harlow raps over bursts of piano notes and 808 kicks. However, Sweet Action has more to offer than just the top charts single. The third track, “I WANNA SEE SOME ASS” is produced by JestonMade (who also produced many of DaBaby’s hits) and has a Caribbean/beachy melody, reminiscent of something off of More Life by Drake( see “Blem” or “Madiba Riddim“). Later in the EP, Harlow brings us back to his staple sound: the smooth, R&B, head swaying song of the project. Each album has one of them, and “OUT FRONT” is the one on Sweet Action. “HEY BIG HEAD” is a very interesting track, almost sounding like a modern take on boom bap, with the same bass kick and snare drum, just a lot faster than a typical 90’s track. Due to the limited number of songs, Sweet Action simply cannot compete with Loose or Confetti, but because of Harlow’s growing creativity and steady ability to deliver lyrics, it remains an important project.

 

#4/#5 – 18 (2016) & Gazebo (2017)

I decided to place these two records in one category because there is not nearly as much to say about them as the other projects, and because they function very similarly in regards to their impact on Harlow’s discography. 18 was one of Harlow’s first projects, and because of that it is not very exciting. There are some songs worth mentioning, such as “Got Me Thinking“, which is an early taste of Harlow’s smooth, carefree delivery. For both of these mixtapes, it is clear that he was still trying to find his sound. At the same time, though, in looking at these projects we can see some of his most noticeable styles in their infancy. For example, one can listen to Gazebo and see how a track like “OnnaWay” is a precedent for a track like “SYLVIA“. Or you can listen to “Dark Knight” on Gazebo and see how this song would transform into “GHOST” on Confetti. While these projects are not the most exciting work that Harlow has to offer, they are absolutely crucial for both Harlow — in that these are the projects with which he perfected his abilities and sound — and us — in aiding the understanding of his progression as an artist.