Louisville was never known as a hotbed of hip-hop but in recent years, the city’s profile has risen considerably thanks to the success of hometown heroes like Bryson Tiller, Jack Harlow, and EST Gee. Harlow especially has had a standout year; riding the wave of his No. 2 hit “What’s Poppin,” he managed to turn that buzz into a No. 5 chart debut for his debut album, Thats What They All Say, and turn himself into a fixture of pop culture thanks to a string of viral moments and his placement on Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby.”
A big part of Harlow’s rise was a boost from Tiller on the song “Thru The Night” from his 2019 mixtape Confetti. However, before that collaboration, Harlow counted himself one of Tiller’s biggest fans, telling Complex in a new interview today that he was actually “totally jealous” of his fellow Louisvillian when Tiller first crossed over in 2015 with “Don’t” and Trapsoul.
“I’d hear Outkast, or I’d hear Drake, or I’d hear Kendrick Lamar talk about where they’re from and rep it,” Jack explains. “And I was like, ‘Who’s going to do that for Louisville?’ Bryson Tiller comes out. I’m in awe. I’m inspired. And I’m totally jealous. And I’m just like, ‘Oh my God, this guy got it.’”
In addition to “Thru The Night,” the two Kentuckians also teamed up with their late fellow local Static Major for “Luv Is Dro” from Jack’s new album. You can read Complex‘s full profile on Harlow here.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
