Bryson Tiller

Bryson Tiller is only a few years older than Jack Harlow (29 vs. 24, respectively), but that didn’t stop Harlow from looking up to his fellow Louisville, Kentucky native in his younger days. As Harlow is gearing up to release Come Home The Kids Miss You next week, he took a moment to shout out Tiller by sharing a DM exchange they had when Harlow was 17.

It started last night when Tiller offered some unsolicited support for Harlow, tweeting, “get ready for my bro Jack’s new album. soon you’ll see why he is number 1. MAY 6th.” Harlow responded by writing, “Dreams come true,” and sharing a screenshot of a DM exchange they had on June 30, 2015.

In it, Harlow starts by thanking Tiller for how well he has represented Louisville on a big stage. Harlow then noted the influence Tiller had on him while expressing confidence about where he himself would end up, writing, “I’m a massive fan dude and study your every move. I just turned 17 and I’m very confident in my craft and trajectory of my career.”

After Harlow concluded by calling Tiller a “hometown hero” and expressing his desire to meet, Tiller responded, “thanks man I appreciate it. keep working. anything is possible.”

Indeed, it does seem like anything is possible for Harlow: His debut album, 2020’s Thats What They All Say, went No. 5 and Harlow has two No. 1 singles to his name: “First Class” and his Lil Nas X collaboration “Industry Baby.”

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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.

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.