Jack Harlow has plans for greatness, and nothing will get in his way. As Rolling Stone’s latest cover boy, Harlow sat down with the famous publication to discuss the journey of his relatively recent come up, and then some.
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During the recent interview, nothing was off limits for the “Nail Tech” rapper, who discussed everything from him finding his place in the rap scene, to choosing sobriety. Harlow even announced the title and release date of his next album, Come Home the Kids Miss You, due out May 6.
Starting with the topic of his chosen sobriety, Jack (who’s only 24 years old btw) told RS that his decision to abstain didn’t stem from him having a problem. Rather, it was just a choice he made the year prior to help keep his priorities aligned.
"I'm sick of waking up with a dry throat, sick of feeling bloated, I'm sick of the decisions I make on it," he said. "I'm in my well-oiled-machine era. Because I can see my future right in front of me. And I feel there's so many people counting on me outside of myself.”
“And I feel there’s so many people counting on me outside of myself,” he added. “I just feel like I’m a man. I don’t feel like I need to do boyish things anymore.”
As for finding his place, Harlow credits that to his upbringing, and how getting to experience a normal teenage life prepared him for his career now. Recalling his high school days, Jake noted he had opportunities to sign with a label, however those all eventually fell through. Which lead him “to work on a local level,” something he now views as dodging "a bullet.”
"I got to go to public school. I got to go to parties. I got to lose my virginity in a normal way. A lot of dominoes had to fall the right way for me to be good at being a rapper," he said.
He continued, "because I'm still a white guy and I didn't grow up poor. I had to get perspective to say things that could be universally relatable. I got to finish high school. I got to be regular. I got to be humbled. I got to dress poorly. I got to figure myself out.”
Facts are facts, like he said — he didn’t peak in high school, he’s just out here getting cuter. But it’s obviously more than that, improved looks and whatever are great, but what propels Jack forward is his drive.
When it comes to finding motivation, like for most, it stems from his passion for the music and hunger for success. The core of which the rapper noted might differ from other artists, who are commonly driven by trauma, which to Jack makes sense. Harlow however, who "grew up with a lot of love,” says for him it’s the opposite, though he still doesn't quite fully understand it.
"I grew up with a pretty happy disposition. I'd say I had a great upbringing. So that's a great question. It's really a question I want to wrestle with with my therapist. Why do I care so much? Why am I so ambitious? But I just am," he said.
He continued, "It's me, bro. I wake up and I'm hungry. I think a lot of times you're right, ambition does come from damage. But it comes from passion for me. I want to live the richest life I can. I just want to feel everything that I could possibly feel. I'm not satisfied with living, like, average life.”
Check out Jack’s entire Rolling Stone interview here, and not that you needed convincing to do so, but at one point he said — “I am poetic but I want some a**” — so yeah there’s that.
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