On Monday (May 30) Lil Uzi Vert defended his label mate Jack Harlow, saying that the “First Class” rapper does not deserve the harsh criticism he’s gotten over his new album and that he doesn’t have white privilege. Although Harlow’s Come Home The Kids Miss You received several poor reviews, the album has sold well. Some fans wondered if the album’s success is a result of Harlow’s skin color.
“No,” Lil Uzi replied bluntly when a reporter asked if Harlow deserves all of the hate he is getting. “He is really good,” he continued.
When the reporter suggested that Harlow might have white privilege, Uzi replied, “Nah. He doesn’t have white privilege. He’s signed to black people.”
The “black people” that Uzi referred to is DJ Drama and Don Cannon, who own the record label Generation Now. Uzi was one of the first artists to ever sign to Generation Now, where Harlow is currently signed.
Lil Uzi’s comments may come as a surprise to some, considering his past relationship with Harlow and Generation Now. When Lil Uzi was embroiled in a feud with Generation Now in 2019, Uzi took a shot at Harlow on Instagram, essentially calling him a clown. Harlow originally posted a picture of himself and DJ Drama, but Lil Uzi reposted the picture with a clown emoji over Jack’s face. The post has now been erased.
Despite being on the same label, Jack Harlow and Lil Uzi Vert have never collaborated on a song together.
While Uzi defended Harlow, not everyone has been as kind.
In early May, Harlow got some friendly and unfriendly backlash following an appearance on Hot 97 where the rapper could not identify Brandy’s voice. While some took as a sign he didn’t know Black culture, Brandy took the whole thing in stride, trolling Harlow on Twitter and saying that she could out-rap him.
“I will murk this dude in rap at 43 on his own beats and then sing his ass to sleep,” she tweeted. To make it clear that she was joking, she later tweeted, “See, I can have a little fun too. hehe…all love.”
While Brady was able to joke about the situation, there were other artists who were not so nice. India Arie tweeted on May 12, “Just because you make Black music doesn’t mean you know Black culture. If U don’t know Brandy’s voice when you hear it…WHO EVEN ARE YOU?”
Jack Harlow’s Come Home the Kids Miss You debuted at No. 3 on the US Billboard 200, selling 113,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. The lead single for the album, “First Class,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first hip-hop song of 2022 to do so. “First Class” is the most-streamed song of 2022 so far.
Do you think Jack Harlow deserves all of the criticism that he is receiving? Does he benefit from white privilege? Let us know in the comments and follow us on Instagram, Twitter & Discord for the latest in Rap News.
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