Jack Harlow Compares Himself to Eminem on New Album

Jack Harlow put out his third official studio album, Jackman, on April 28. Containing only 10 tracks spanning 24 minutes, Jackman sees the 25-year-old pack a lot of heavy subject matter into a short amount of time.

Throughout the LP, there are songs where Harlow discusses white hip-hop fans stealing black culture, ending friendships with problematic people, and not feeling respected as an artist. However, one of the most eye-opening moments in the entire project comes during the second song, “They Don’t Love It,” where Harlow claims he is the best white rapper since Eminem.

Referring to Eminem’s lyric from his 2002 hit “Lose Yourself,” Harlow aims to leave no doubt on “They Don’t Love It” that Em is the only white rapper that has ever been better than him.

Ya boy’s strivin’ to be the most dominant ever
The hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters
And hold the comments ’cause I promise you I’m honestly better than whoever came to your head right then

While aligning himself with an already certified legend is contentious in itself, disregarding other excellent white rappers who have come before him could surely spark heated debates. Artists like Mac Miller, El-P from Run The Jewels, Paul Wall, Macklemore, and members of the Beastie Boys were all beloved Caucasian emcees.

But, with his “whoever came to your head right then” comment, it seems Harlow is already aware of his competition in the category. And he feels he has already surpassed them.

Although this specific bar can be argued with, what cannot be debated is the significance of Jackman for Harlow’s career. Releasing about a year after his 2022 sophomore effort, Come Home The Kids Miss You, which received poor and mixed reviews, this new album sees a return to more focused lyricism and less radio-friendly songwriting for Harlow.

On Monday (May 1), Harlow also put out the music video for “They Don’t Love It,” which is the first visual offering for the new LP. Projected to sell around 50,000 copies in its first week, Jackman and its bold decrees are a step back in the right direction for the Kentucky-bred artist.

Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for iHeartRadio