Jack Harlow is claiming the entire state of Kentucky as his home on his “No Place Like Home Tour.”
Harlow played before a packed crowd at Truist Arena Sunday night. He hails from Louisville — about an hour and a half southwest of Highland Heights — but it was clear that the locals claim the rapper as one of their own.
It feels like Harlow’s name hasn’t circulated the media as much this year as it did at the beginning of the 2020s. There was a time when his red carpet interview shenanigans, bold and sometimes awkward flirtations with women and smash hits dominated pockets of pop culture. But his quieter approach to fame hasn’t seemed to cost him much. In 2023 he made his acting debut on “White Men Can’t Jump,” his surprise album “Jackman” dropped to mixed reviews but notable success and his recent single “Lovin On Me” debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
When Harlow made an astronomical ascent into hip hop’s upper ranks, his heartthrob antics had much to do with it. He made a shtick out of the cool-whiteboy-who-can-rap image, but he hasn’t necessarily run with it to this day. His recent musical efforts show his integrity for hip hop’s traditions as an art form and a desire to grow as an artist through experimentation and penmanship. “Jackman,” with its pithy storytelling, peppy melodies and instrumentals buttressed by sophisticated vocal samples and steeped in boom bap grooves, is a short and sweet body of work with punch that proves his resolve to be known foremost as a rapper.
Still, his reception as an artist is tinged with his off-the-mic reputation. Part of this is because of his unswerving loyalty to Louiville, his hometown, which courses through his music. His home state has clearly reciprocated that loyalty. Amid the ebbs and flows of his early career, nativity seems to be the aspect of his artistic identity with the most longevity — and the most pay off, as shown by the grip he had on the crowd at Truist Arena Sunday night.
When the doors opened, fans flowed into the arena, crowding the merch stand, lining up to buy craft cocktails and planting themselves in their vantage points.
Before the show started, trivia about the state of Kentucky adorned the all-black big screen, humbly bragging about accomplishments set in the state, like Post-it Notes being invented and produced in Cynthiana, Kentucky and the Lexington Public Library rotunda being home to the world’s largest ceiling clock. The factoids seemed to set the scene for Harlow, implying that he himself is one of the many success stories the state has to tell.
A deejay by the name of DJ Warren Peace took the stage promptly at the 7:30 p.m. start time, playing a mix of mainstream rap hits, crunk classics and R&B slow burners.
Supporting act and singer James Savage was next up. He told the crowd that he’s an up and comer from Kentucky and expressed his gratitude to Harlow for hosting him on the tour. His brief performance was underlined by his soft voice coated in the hypnotic drone of autotune and a laid-back stage presence that made for a heady open.
Then came the Black Sheep Mobb, a band composed of over eight members that all seemed to have an absolute blast on stage. I definitely had fun watching them work. The collective played an eclectic mix of post-rock and alternative rap with splashes of funkadelic. With three vocalists and a bloc of instrumentalists, about every inch of space on stage was utilized, especially considering how kinetic their stage presence was. The three vocalists, unmoored to an instrument and therefore showing zero restraint, were zipping around the stage and running into each other. This is the type of opening act that grabs your attention and makes you want more.
About 15 minutes after Black Sheep Mobb exited the stage, the arena’s lights dimmed and Harlow rose from beneath the stage in sync with the start of “Route 66.” In the first line of the song he raps that he’s from Kentucky, befitting the theme of state pride.
Harlow rocked a fringe jacket, some fitted sweatpants and a pair of New Balances. He also sported a mullet. This collision of streetwear and cowboy aesthetics worked be it a tad goofy.
After performing his hit song “Nail Tech,” Harlow told the crowd he wanted to play some tracks from his latest album, “Jackman.” While he admitted that the project wasn’t really designed for concerts, the crowd seemed happy to listen. He emceed these songs impressively, staying on tempo and not leaning on backtracks other than during choruses. He demonstrated command of his raps throughout the show.
Harlow proceeded to go on a tear that made me realize just how deep his bag of hits truly is. He rattled off the essential parts of tracks like “21C / Delta,” “Way Out” and “Dua Lipa” as the crowd sang along with every hook and watched intently as he spat verses.
This was also the part of the show where Harlow’s idiosyncrasies boiled over. At one point between songs he broke out into a stretch. He moved around the stage with bursts of energy and fluid movements. It was clear that he has yet to outgrow the temptation to make boyish displays for women.
About half way through his set, a pattern in the script was discernible. He played a flurry of pop rap songs, mostly relying on the hooks to keep the audience engaged as he sped through their truncated versions, and punctuated these irresistibly catchy tracks with triumphant jams and deep cuts, like “Industry Baby” or “Churchill Downs.”
The show’s rhythm worked well. With plenty of notable songs in his catalog — most of them recognizable mostly for their sugary hooks — this format allowed him to get the most out of his raft of viral songs and offer respite through tracks with more bite.
At one point he played a series of songs that predate his rise to the mainstream in 2020. He repeatedly asked the crowd if they knew the track, careening across the stage to parts of the crowd where he spotted people singing along.
Harlow’s crowd engagement was remarkable. He riveted the packed arena and somehow treated the large space like it was an intimate venue. He had one fan pass their sign through the crowd to him so he could read it. He singled out multiple fans in the stands that he saw having a good time. He was obviously thankful for the individuals that constituted the sea of people. He went on to close the show naturally with two smash hits that made the crowd erupt: “First Class” and “Lovin On Me.”
Harlow said that the concept of this tour is to explore the corners of his home state that he’s not as familiar with. This show felt like a celebration of Kentucky, but he localized it to the northern region with subtle touches like inserting NKU references where he would traditionally nod to the University of Louisville.
Sometimes the Kentucky-native spiel gets old when it comes from a figure who appears so far-flung from their origins in terms of status, but I think Harlow pulls off the tour’s concept gracefully. He designed an experience that resonates with locals, platforms other local artists and expands his roots. As a non-Kentucky native, it seemed to be the consensus that being from Kentucky is a little more exciting when you have Jack Harlow to root for.