Current Events > Jack Harlow and The Infuriating Success Of White Mediocrity In Hip Hop

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https://www.theroot.com/jack-harlow-and-the-infuriating-success-of-white-medioc-1849014948

When it was revealed Wednesday that Jack Harlow was nominated for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist at the 2022 BET Awards and Lil Nas X received no nominations, social media called out the networks hypocrisy. Nas himself addressed the controversy in a now-deleted series of tweets when asked by a follower why he deserves to be recognized. He stated: idk maybe 3 of the biggest songs of last year & a critically acclaimed album i feel like that shouldve helped me a bit. Whats more even infuriating about this ordeal is that it postures Jack Harlow as a representation of Black culture. Why are untalented white artists constantly lauded in rap? One of Harlows biggest hits, Industry Baby, was Lil Nas Xs song that he jumped on as a guest. The fact that he is being rewarded for his unremarkable efforts with a nomination by an institution that celebrates and uplifts Black people is preposterous. Harlows sophomore album, Come Home the Kids Miss You, was a vapid display of lackluster songwriting and well...rapping itself. It was also panned by critics. That didnt stop Come Home from debuting at number three on the US Billboard 200. Apparently, talent isnt necessary to be a successful white rapper: a profound interest in profiting off of Black art is.

The Beastie Boys copied the cadence and rhyme flows of Black artists in the 80s and used their whiteness as a vehicle to reach mainstream heights. Vanilla Ice slicked on an unfathomable amount of hair gel and pranced around onstage claiming he was honoring Black cultureand made millions while doing it. At a point, white emcees were so elusive that VH1 made a reality series2007's The White Rapper Showto capitalize off of the innate spectacle. The most stark example of it is Macklemore & Ryan Lewis insipid 2012 album, The Heist. Not only did it win Best Rap Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards, its lead single, Thrift Shop, took home Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. The duo beat out actual rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Kanye West, J. Cole and Eminem. Even Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, couldnt deny this fact and sent that infamous text message to Lamar saying his group didnt deserve to win. White mediocrityand its inherent safetywill always triumph over talent. Its why Iggy Azalea thought it was ok to use her finest blaccent throughout her discography and why Action Bronson disparaged Ghostface Killah; Bronsons vocal similarity to the legendary emcee is one the biggest reasons for his success. Its why Post Malone and Machine Gun Kelly can embark on lucrative careers capitalizing off of Black art, then pivot away from it when theyve gotten what they want out of it. Back in 2018, the former stated during an interview with NewOnce: If youre looking for lyrics, if youre looking to cry, if youre looking to think about life, dont listen to hip-hop. Whenever I want to cry, whenever I want to sit down and have a nice cry, Ill listen to some Bob Dylan. The most infuriating part of white mediocrity in hip hop is that Black people have already been relegated from numerous genres of music like country, pop and rockeven though we created all of them. Rap is one of the few spaces in music where our genius is recognized. So the next time a white girl goes viral for reciting Lil Baby lyrics word for word, remember: America loves cosplaying Blackness since it means they can erase us from it.

Oh shut up

I like how the article contrasts "white rappers" and "actual rappers".

The Root is an obscenely racist publication.

Lebronwon posted...

Its why Post Malone and Machine Gun Kelly can embark on lucrative careers capitalizing off of Black art, then pivot away from it when theyve gotten what they want out of it.

I remember seeing someone say something similar about Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, and Miley Cyrus all doing something similar/the same thing

The really ironic thing is that while I agree that mediocre white rappers are celebrated, you could say the same about a lot of female rappers as well.

Sounds like a pretty racist article

Dear white people: just stop doing stuff. Other races are better at it so why even try? Give up.

Tbh the hip hop industry always tosses the ball to the most mediocre white rappers. So they're not wrong.

Article makes sense. It's a discussion a lot of (white) folks don't want to have.

ThePrinceFish posted...

I like how the article contrasts "white rappers" and "actual rappers".

Pretty sure it was comparing Macklemore's non-serious Thrift Shop, akin to a Weird Al track, with actual serious rappers, including Eminem, who is white.

Post Malone, Jack Harlow and Machine Gun Kelly wouldnt have the fan base they had if they stayed purely in rap.

I dont blame them for picking the more lucrative route. Most people would in that position.

Is making a point really worth millions of dollars?

Thrift Shop, took home Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. The duo beat out actual rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Kanye West, J. Cole and Eminem.

While I agree that Eminem is legitimately talented, it's kinda weird to include him on a list of rappers who were overlooked for a white rapper.

The article has a good/true premise because Jack Harlow fucking sucks, his album sucks, and hes very clearly only pushed by the industry because hes white and thus approachable

but the beastie boys and action bronson slander was unnecessary esp when they also praise eminem

There's some real issues about this sort of thing, but I feel this is not put in the best way right here. Like with stuff like this:

The most infuriating part of white mediocrity in hip hop is that Black people have already been relegated from numerous genres of music like country, pop and rockeven though we created all of them

Of course black artists were shunned or ignored, but to act like every genre of music here was created by only black people and us evil white people can only steal from others is a bit much. Like for example, country music has influence from European folk music along with all the black influences. It's wrong to deny either side of it's creation.

Also, popular but mediocre artists winning awards has always been an issue across all sorts of genres and across media in general.

I don't even think it's necessarily a white rapper thing, modern hip-hop as a genre has a tendency to elevate mediocre black artists as well. It's not like the 90's where being good at rapping is the reason you made it

TheGoldenEel posted...

The article has a good/true premise because Jack Harlow fucking sucks, his album sucks, and hes very clearly only pushed by the industry because hes white and thus approachable

but the beastie boys and action bronson slander was unnecessary esp when they also praise eminem

Early Jack Harlow is good. His new stuff I dont like as much though. Happens with most white rappers though. Lace Up by MGK was good, White Iverson era Post Malone was better(IMO).

Go back and listen to his album Loose and I bet you will feel differently.

DipDipDiver posted...

I don't even think it's necessarily a white rapper thing, modern hip-hop as a genre has a tendency to elevate mediocre black artists as well. It's not like the 90's where being good at rapping is the reason you made it

yeah but theyre not elevating black rappers so fast and so inorganically

the industry was grooming Jack Harlow to be a festival headliner already after one album unlike say Travis Scott whos been at it for years making his way through the ranks

Is the BET Awards Voting Academy made up of mostly white people or something? What are people complaining about?

MrDrMan posted...

Early Jack Harlow is good. His new stuff I dont like as much though. Happens with most white rappers though. Lace Up by MGK was good, White Iverson era Post Malone was better(IMO).

Go back and listen to his album Loose and I bet you will feel differently.

Jack Harlow has always sucked dude

Ive been familiar with him since his very start; he was booked at Bonnaroo 2017 and I always check out all artists on a festival lineup in advance so I dont miss out on anything potentially good.

he was definitely one of the worst acts on the lineup then and he hasnt gotten any better

DipDipDiver posted...

I don't even think it's necessarily a white rapper thing, modern hip-hop as a genre has a tendency to elevate mediocre black artists as well. It's not like the 90's where being good at rapping is the reason you made it

Ehhhhh. On one hand, this isn't totally wrong. But on the other hand, there's not legions of people claiming Young Thug is a modern Legend or whatever the way they do for some white artists.

But I def agree the standard for rappers overall is much lower nowadays.

TheGoldenEel posted...

yeah but theyre not elevating black rappers so fast and so inorganically

the industry was grooming Jack Harlow to be a festival headliner already after one album unlike say Travis Scott whos been at it for years making his way through the ranks

They did it with Chance

Run DMC will always be my fav and idgaf what other people think

One day my people will realize that hip hop does not belong to us and it is funded by white people.

TheGoldenEel posted...

yeah but theyre not elevating black rappers so fast and so inorganically

the industry was grooming Jack Harlow to be a festival headliner already after one album unlike say Travis Scott whos been at it for years making his way through the ranks

White people make up the majority of this country. White people also spend the majority of the money on concerts, merch and streaming.

Im not saying its fair or not but this happens for obvious reasons. White people make up a larger demographic.

A lot of black rappers also lose marketability due to talking about drugs and guns. You can like the music while also realizing some will be turned off by it. YSL is literally facing a RICO charge. No shit people dont want to be associated with that. Ive never been worried a white rapper might get gunned down. Its fucked up but its the reality. That street shit has consequences.

Yes, whine about white people "stealing" "black art" by saying they are just trying to profit off of something they didn't invent. If anything they should be praising them for being successful at it, I mean its worked out pretty well for black people and sports.

MrDrMan posted...

A lot of black rappers also lose marketability due to talking about drugs and guns. You can like the music while also realizing some will be turned off by it. YSL is literally facing a RICO charge. No shit people dont want to be associated with that. Ive never been worried a white rapper might get gunned down. Its fucked up but its the reality. That street shit has consequences.

Bruh Eminem was literally rapping about raping his own mother and at the time was the most marketable rapper in the industry.

Gamerguymass posted...

Yes, whine about white people "stealing" "black art" by saying they are just trying to profit off of something they didn't invent. If anything they should be praising them for being successful at it, I mean its worked out pretty well for black people and sports.

This isn't a great post

RchHomieQuanChi posted...

Bruh Eminem was literally rapping about raping his own mother and at the time was the most marketable rapper in the industry.

And they gave him the rolling stone cover

I'm not enough of a (modern) rap fan to have much context on who this Jack Harlow person is but you don't just throw the Beastie Boys under the bus, this article is trash.

Topic title sounds like a Percy Jackson spin off

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/7/8/AAP2ssAADTIK.jpg

DarkRoast posted...

Thrift Shop, took home Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. The duo beat out actual rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Kanye West, J. Cole and Eminem.

While I agree that Eminem is legitimately talented, it's kinda weird to include him on a list of rappers who were overlooked for a white rapper.

In this context, it's contrasting rappers that are in and out of "the culture" is rap and hip hop. While there is a minority of people in the hip hop community that accuse Eminem of similar things this article is throwing at Jack Harlow, Eminem is firmly considered by most to be firmly in the culture for various reasons.

That is a clickbait title if ever I've read one.

sevihaimerej posted...

I'm not enough of a (modern) rap fan to have much context on who this Jack Harlow person is but you don't just throw the Beastie Boys under the bus, this article is trash.

Yeah I thought that was weird too, since the Beastie Boys are pretty universally considered pioneers of hip-hop

They sound pretty fragile rn

FortuneCookie posted...

That is a clickbait title if ever I've read one.

Youre gonna love this one from the same site.

Amber Heard Verdict Sends A Message To Black Women Everywhere

https://www.theroot.com/amber-heard-verdict-sends-a-message-to-black-women-ever-1849004234

DipDipDiver posted...

Yeah I thought that was weird too, since the Beastie Boys are pretty universally considered pioneers of hip-hop

By who?

DipDipDiver posted...

Yeah I thought that was weird too, since the Beastie Boys are pretty universally considered pioneers of hip-hop

As is Blondie:

https://youtu.be/pHCdS7O248g

The joke was that white rappers always had the corniest lyrics.

YookaLaylee posted...

By who?

People who are knowledgeable about hip-hop

EthanInDeKlein posted...

As is Blondie:

https://youtu.be/pHCdS7O248g

And J Geils was able to perfectly fuse rap and rock in the 70s to bring it to the masses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW0hxbrmFhM

Everyone knows The Root is racist, nothing to see here.

Guide posted...

Everyone knows The Root is racist, nothing to see here.

It's literally the black version of Gawker

Imagine believing A) Music stars aren't selected by industry executives to fill specific niches in marketability, and B) 100% of those stars didn't also perform sexual favors for those executives in exchange for them.

deupd_u posted...

Imagine believing A) Music stars aren't selected by industry executives to fill specific niches in marketability, and B) 100% of those stars didn't also perform sexual favors for those executives in exchange for them.

What a dumb as fuck post

YookaLaylee posted...

By who?

They had the first hip hop album to reach number 1 in "the charts". Many articles to be found, just Google: Beastie Boys pioneers

YookaLaylee posted...

By who?

A quick google search tells me "every hiphop publication"

sevihaimerej posted...

They had the first hip hop album to reach number 1 in "the charts". Many articles to be found, just Google: Beastie Boys pioneers

Okay, thanks

BET is a notorious refuge of white supremacy

https://youtu.be/J9jAXn4pd4o