Jack Harlow Once Played To Just Seven People

Jack Harlow is playing in arenas during his current UK and Europe tour. His songs blow up on TikTok and become instant hits. However, things haven't always been this way for the rapper.

His 2018 tour is what he dubs "the struggle tour" - when he performed in rooms with double-digit turnouts. In a new interview with British GQ, Harlow discussed the less glamourous of his career with sincerity his fans love him for.

While he's still getting used to arenas, Harlow will take them over the show he once played in Wisconsin, "pre-pre-pre What's Poppin", where he played to "about seven people, literally," he revealed. His fears and anxieties behind shows come from the feeling: "what if I put all this effort in and no one cares? My fear is like, I'm gonna have a birthday party, and no one's gonna come."

"What made it hard for me was that my family had come up and surprised me. And they had their family friends from up north there and, like, sat in the back. And there were more of them than the crowd. So I was not only embarrassed for myself but – and my family didn't care, they were proud of me no matter what – but I was embarrassed that that was the crowd I attracted… it's more vulnerable when your family is involved," Harlow shared. He doesn't want to be an anxious kid again or "That feeling of, like, the parents having to see their kid go through that. That type of shit could make me cry."

It's refreshing and humbling to know that one of the world's biggest stars has experienced the same horrific experience as any aspiring artist. 

Jack Harlow made his Splendour In The Grass festival debut this year. "From Route 66 about his early life in Kentucky to Side Piece, an insight into his relationships, Harlow proved himself a natural storyteller through his songs," we wrote about his set. 

Continuing, The Music found, "Of course, his breakout hit First Class was an undisputed set highlight, and the crowd was all too happy to back him up on the instantly recognisable chorus line lifted from Fergie’s Glamorous. While fancy lighting, graphics and smoke machines did a lot of heavy lifting for the set, Harlow’s natural confidence was a strong asset, and he never missed an opportunity to interact with the crowd."