Jack Harlow Talks Being A White Rapper “I Have Serious Imposter Syndrome”

Jack Harlow’s popularity just keeps growing. He made a splash in 2020, this year he’s caused a tidal wave, most recently scoring a No. 1 hit with “Industry Baby,” his collaboration with Lil Nas X.  

It may seem as though the Louisville, Kentucky native has not a care in the world, his confidence is through the roof. Sharing news of his first time atop the charts he wrote: 

“My first No1. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see this coming while I was writing my verse.” 

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Jack Talks Being A White Rapper

However, Jack revealed that he suffers from “serious imposter syndrome” and steers clear of rapping about being white to avoid becoming a novelty rapper. During an interview with GQ, he addressed the fact that although he is mobbed by fans all over the U.S, he is less known in the U.K where mainstream Hip-Hop is not as popular.  

“It’s interesting,” he explains, “because it seems like there’s more of a counterculture mix going on here. In Britain, I see a lot more interracial dating. I see a lot more white kids hanging with black kids. It seems a lot more common over here. So the people that are into Hip-Hop, it’s not such a select crowd. I mean it is mainstream over there, too, but it’s like there’s still so much segregation.” 

The rapper then addressed his privilege as a white man in the industry and the barriers Black artists face that aren’t an obstacle for him.  

“I have serious imposter syndrome the whole way through,” he said. “And then you have to bounce with it and you feel like you are totally where you are supposed to be. Moments of self-doubt combined with moments of I am who I think I am. I think what has worked for me is that my music has never been about the fact that I am white.” He continued, “I don’t try to lean into the, ‘Hey, I’m the white boy.’ I try not to make it a novelty.”  

“I rap from the heart, rather than trying to do a white version of the art form.” 

Watch the video for Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby” below.