{"id":349854,"date":"2026-03-17T00:21:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T00:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/349854\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T00:21:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T00:21:10","slug":"jack-harlow-slammed-for-saying-he-got-blacker-on-new-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/349854\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack Harlow Slammed For Saying He ‘Got Blacker’ On New Album"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jack Harlow<\/a> says his new album represents a re-entrenchment in his musical style, but his problematic claim about his latest sonic approach isn\u2019t exactly winning him new fans. <\/p>\n

Appearing on The New York Times\u2019 \u201cPopcast\u201d<\/a> last week, the Kentucky-born rapper and singer said he\u2019d opted to emphasize his love of R&B while recording \u201cMonica<\/a>,\u201d released Friday, rather than delve into genres like country or pop-rock. <\/p>\n

\u201cI got Blacker,\u201d Harlow, who is white, said. \u201cI love Black music. I love the sound of Black music. And, of course, I\u2019m hyper-aware of the politics of today \u2014 the safer landing spot that a lot of my white contemporaries have found.\u201d<\/p>\n

The six-time Grammy nominee went on to note that he hoped to take \u201cthe route that might not be expected,\u201d but is \u201cthe one I genuinely want to take\u201d in the studio this time around.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Harlow\u2019s remarks to draw a blistering response online, with many slamming him for cultural appropriation<\/a> \u2015 which he and his musical peers, including Machine Gun Kelly<\/a> and Post Malone<\/a>, have been accused of before \u2015 as well as just a cringey choice of words. <\/p>\n

\u201cGot Blacker is wild,\u201d rapper and producer Terrence \u201cPunch\u201d Henderson Jr., who has worked with Kendrick Lamar and SZA, wrote<\/a> on X<\/a>. \u201cHow exactly does one get \u2018Blacker\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

On Instagram, another person wrote<\/a>: \u201cI don\u2019t care what point anybody is trying to make. I don\u2019t ever want to hear a white man say \u2018I got Blacker\u2019 ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""I\u2019m“I\u2019m hyper-aware of the politics of today \u2014 the safer landing spot that a lot of my white contemporaries have found,” Jack Harlow said when explaining his decision to delve deeper into “Black music” on his new album.<\/p>\n

Taylor Hill via Getty Images<\/p>\n

While others blasted Harlow as \u201cGhostface Vanillah<\/a>\u201d and the \u201cmost performative white dude ever<\/a>,\u201d some pointed out the many white performers who have referenced the work of Black musicians without acknowledgement, and commended<\/a> him for \u201cbeing honest about the influence.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bold move that shows he\u2019s committed to authenticity and respecting the roots of the music,\u201d one person wrote<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Representatives for Harlow didn\u2019t immediately respond to HuffPost\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n

Whether the rapper and singer\u2019s comments will impact the success of \u201cMonica\u201d in the long term remains to be seen. <\/p>\n

Early reviews of the album, however, have been mostly positive, with Variety calling it<\/a> \u201ca reverent but respectful reflection of its influences.\u201d <\/p>\n