Charlamagne tha God thinks Jack Harlow’s new album didn’t have the intended effect that the rapper was hoping for.
On Monday’s episode of The Breakfast Club, Harlow’s latest offering, Monica, and his recent controversial commentary on his album became a topic of conversation. Last week’s episode of The New York Times’ Popcast podcast saw the 28-year-old say, “I got Blacker,” when the hosts asked about his decision to delve deeper into a sound more aligned with Black music.
“Let me tell you something. I like Jack Harlow. I've met Jack Harlow,” Charlamagne said at the 1:40:37 hour mark. “We've interviewed Jack Harlow. Jack is a nice guy. But I told y'all on Friday that this album made him whiter. And saying the music made you Blacker is exactly why I said this album made him whiter.”
Charlamagne continued, “You got to be really white to say that this music made you Blacker.”
While at one point, the radio host called Jack’s remarks “sarcasm,” Charlamagne said, “Sometimes you swing, and you miss with sarcasm. I do it all the time.” He also doesn’t appear to be a fan of Monica, calling the album “not that dope,” and if it were, “people would accept it.”
Elsewhere in Harlow’s conversation with Popcast, the Kentucky native also answered questions about embracing Black music, even though he could have pivoted to a more traditional white sound, as some of his peers did.
"It certainly made what I already wanted to do even more appealing," Harlow said. "I love Black music. I love the sound of Black music, and of course, I'm hyper aware of the politics of today, that safer landing spot that a lot of my white contemporaries have found."