They dig into Jack Harlow's shift from rap toward neo-soul and R&B and the controversy around his comment about “getting blacker.” The conversation traces a pattern of white artists like Post Malone, MGK, and Jelly Roll pivoting genres. They weigh authenticity, costume versus lineage, and why some white rappers stay true to hip hop.
50:43
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Monica Is A Genre Pivot That Loses Jack's Persona
Jack Harlow's new album Monica is a deliberate pivot from rap into neo-soul and R&B.
Rhianna Cruz argues the shift feels like costume because it abandons the personality that defined his earlier rap hits.
insights INSIGHT
Monica Uses Neo Soul Tropes That Echo D'Angelo
The neo-soul sound on Monica explicitly references D'Angelo's Voodoo through loose timing, live bass, and muted trumpet textures.
Charlie Harding and Rhianna Cruz point out those elements make the record feel like a direct imitation rather than an original take.
insights INSIGHT
Cosplaying Neo Soul Feels Like A Costume
The hosts call Jack's visual and sonic choices a 'costume' because he borrows earth-toned neo-soul fashion and mannerisms without the underlying emotional or cultural depth.
Wearing Common-style turtlenecks and Kangol hats signals influence but not authenticity, Cruz says.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
On a recent podcast interview, Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow said that, to craft his new album Monica, he “got blacker.” The problem is… Jack Harlow is white. The statement, while extremely tone-deaf, speaks to his intentions with this musical pivot: musically, Monica turns to the historically Black genres of R&B and neo-soul to craft a new image designed to shed the stigma of being a “white rapper.”
The pivot is more costume than culture, but in doing so, Harlow seems to be following in the footsteps of several white rappers over the past decade. Artists like Post Malone, MGK, and Jelly Roll have all had radical shifts in sound and image over their career, separating themselves from their roots in hip-hop. So, in response to Monica, Reanna and Charlie ask: where have all the white rappers gone?
Switched on Pop