Kentucky Derby

Jack Harlow And Dannielynn Smith Link Up At Kentucky Derby

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May 6 marks the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, the premier horse race in North America. The Derby is a cultural institution, that brings tens of thousands to Kentucky every year. Furthermore, the race and the week leading up to it are defined by mint juleps and fancy hats. Not only is it a prestigious horse race, it is also a crucial high society event.

However, plenty of drama has already befallen the 2023 proceedings. Several horses have died or been put down at Churchill Downs. The number is so unprecedented that officials have opened an investigation. Furthermore, the race favorite, Forte, was removed from the race on Saturday morning. It’s just the third time in race history that the morning-line favorite has been pulled from the race. A morning-line favorite scratch also occurred in 2009 and 2019.

Jack Harlow And Dannielynn Smith Seen At Pre-Race Event

The Kentucky Derby is famous for the famous faces amongst the crowd. And TMZ spotted one particularly intriguing link-up at a pre-race event, the Barnstable Brown Gala, this week. Jack Harlow is coming off the release of his new album Jackman, which is expected to chart in the top 5 this week. Meanwhile, Dannielynn Smith is the daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith. She showed out at the event in question with a dress and hairdo that paid homage to her mother’s iconic style. Smith and her father, Larry Birkhead, have been attending the Derby together since 2008. Additionally, Birkhead originally met Anna Nicole Smith at the Derby.

“NEW BESTIE ALERT ‼ Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter Dannielynn Birkhead hung out with Jack Harlow at a Kentucky Derby bash,” read TMZ‘s Instagram caption. With the Derby notoriously strict about dress codes, Harlow dressed up in a tan suit, adding wire-framed glasses to the ensemble. However, it’s unknown how the picture came about. Perhaps Smith is a fan of Harlow’s. Or perhaps Harlow simply wanted to meet the famous, who are regular fixtures at the Derby. The comments of the TMZ Instagram post are filled with people saying how much Smith looks like her mother. Additionally, be sure to follow HotNewHipHop for all the latest celebrity link-ups.

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear Explained His Friendship With Jack Harlow At The Kentucky Derby

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Jack Harlow Kentucky Derby 2023
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Jack Harlow is Louisville through and through. Around the April 28 release of Jackman, his third LP, Harlow set his “They Don’t Love It” video in his hometown and launched the Kentucky-centric Jack Harlow Foundation.

Harlow was a fixture at last year’s Kentucky Derby. Just like this year, he was fresh off an album release, Come Home The Kids Miss You, and he filmed the video to his and Drake’s “Churchill Downs” during a glamorous day at Churchill Downs. People are still talking about Harlow getting carried across the track:

Today, May 6, Harlow is back to enjoy the 149th Kentucky Derby. He reportedly walked the red carpet and declined to do any press.

However, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear used the Derby red carpet to gush over Harlow and why the two have become unlikely friends, according to Matthew Glowicki of the Courier-Journal:

“Jack and I have become friends. What I love about him is he could live anywhere in the country right now — he’s on the top of the world — and he chose to move back. He chose Kentucky. He chose Louisville,” Beshear said. “He’s here, and it’s thrilling. I, of course, thought our friendship was a closely held secret, and then I woke up one morning and a song apparently put it out there.”

The presumption is that Harlow references Governor Beshear on his Jackman track “It Can’t Be” when he raps about “havin’ dinner in Frankfort with Andy.” (Frankfort is Kentucky’s capital city.)

Harlow got into the Derby spirit at the Barnstable Brown Gala on Friday, May 5. According to People, Harlow “arrived to plenty of screams from his hometown fans, as he posed for selfies and even signed a few items while surrounded by police officers.”

See pics from the Barnstable Brown Gala below.

@missionaryjack

Derby season

♬ original sound – Jack Harlow

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

Lil Yachty Says Drake Only Needed 11 Minutes to Write “Churchill Downs” Verse

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Drake’s “Churchill Down” bars are already up there in the conversation for the verse of the year. His lengthy float stole the show on Jack Harlow’s Come Home The Kids Miss You album, and there is an interesting fact about it.

Appearing on DJ Akademiks’ Off The Record podcast, Lil Yachty said he learned that Drake wrote that entire verse in just 11 minutes while on vacation with Harlow.

PETA heard those bars and was unfazed. The animal rights organization calls out Jack Harlow for glamorizing horseracing and the Kentucky Derby in his new Drake-assisted single and video “Churchill Downs.” PETA notes the winner of the race was struck in the face and that three horses die on U.S. race tracks every day. In addition, PETA is calling out Harlow to donate the funds from the song to take care of horses cast aside by the industry, which can reach up to 7,500 horses a year.

“Jack Harlow’s glamorized portrayal of horse racing is missing the whips, drugs, and deaths rampant in the industry,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “Profiting from the abuse of others is never acceptable, and PETA is calling on Jack Harlow to pony up and pay for the care of American Thoroughbreds who would otherwise be shipped to foreign slaughterhouses.”

At this year’s Kentucky Derby, the winning Thoroughbred Rich Strike began biting the man on horseback, leading him to the winner’s circle. Rich Strike was likely in a frenzy after being whipped and forced to race along with the pandemonium of the winner’s circle. The man continually beat Rich Strike instead of allowing him time to calm down.

PETA uncovers that trainers employ mixtures of medications to enhance horses’ performance and force them to gallop despite agonizing ailments, which increases the danger of catastrophic breakdowns, in a video narrated by Succession star James Cromwell. When horses quit making money, their owners get rid of them.

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Jack Harlow And Drake Take In The Kentucky Derby For Their New ‘Churchill Downs’ Video

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It was unsurprising to see Jack Harlow at the 2022 Kentucky Derby back on May 7, given that he’s a proud Louisville native and his new album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, has a song called “Churchill Downs,” named after the famous venue where the storied horse race has been held for nearly 150 years now (this year’s race was the 148th). He and Drake (who features on the song) made some noise at the event, whether it was Harlow getting carried around, Harlow trying to match Drake’s bets, or Drake crashing a Harlow interview.

It turns out that while the pair was there, they also shot a video for their collaboration, which was shared today. Along with B-roll of race attendees, the event atmosphere, and running horses, the video is mostly clips of Harlow and Drake rapping at the camera and otherwise enjoying the event. The clip actually also includes a bit of footage of Harlow in a baseball bat factory, presumably that of Louisville Slugger (or at least at a different factory but in reference/homage to the esteemed bat brand).

Watch the “Churchill Downs” video above.

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

Jack Harlow Lost ‘A Lot Of Money’ Trying To Match Bets With Drake At The Kentucky Derby

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Drake’s penchant for sports betting is becoming almost as well known as his biggest hits. Likewise, Jack Harlow’s admiration for Drake has become common knowledge. However, Jack recently learned the hard way that following in his hero’s footsteps isn’t always the best move.

During an interview with The 85 South Comedy Show he admitted that trying to keep up with Drake — who has a lot more money to blow at this stage in his career than Jack Harlow — lost him “a lot of money” recently at the Kentucky Derby. “I just told Drake I would bet what he bet,” he confessed. “So I copied him.”

Meanwhile, the two rappers have spent a lot more time together, vacationing in Turks & Caicos, visiting the Kentucky Derby, and of course, working on music. Their collaboration “Churchill Downs” — named for the Kentucky Derby’s famous racecourse — appeared on Jack’s new album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, after leaking early a week before its release.

That’s where knowing Drake came in handy; Jack shared the encouragement Drake gave him after the leak, which helped him put the disappointment in the past. Maybe the next bit of advice Drake can give him is how to turn his most recent faux pas, when he admitted to not knowing Brandy and Ray J are siblings, to his advantage the way Drake always has. Although considering his recent Instagram response to Brandy’s battle challenge, maybe he’s already getting some guidance in that respect as well.

‘Drunk’ Drake Had Nothing But Jokes After He Crashed Jack Harlow’s Kentucky Derby Interview

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Drake 2022 Toronto Raptors game
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This weekend was quite the active one for Jack Harlow and Drake. The former released his second album Come Home The Kids Miss You which featured an appearance from Drake as well as Lil Wayne, Pharrell, and Justin Timberlake. Harlow and Drake’s collaboration, “Churchill Downs,” is named after the famed horse racing complex in Harlow’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. It’s also the site of this year’s Kentuck Derby which Harlow and Drake both attended on Saturday along with other big names like DJ Drama, Michael Jordan, Lewis Hamilton, and David Beckham.

Jack Harlow took a moment to speak with an NBC Sports reporter during his time at the Derby, and it’s here that things took a hilarious turn. In the middle of the interview, Drake steps in and says, “I was just trying to listen to what you guys got going on, adding, “I just want to hear the conversation. I’m not really here to speak on nothing.” That didn’t last too long as an intoxicated Drake soon took a moment to show some love to Harlow. “I just had to show up. I’m so proud of this guy,” Drake said before adding, “And we’re drunk.” He’d quickly correct himself and clarify that he was drunk while Harlow was sober.

The duo was then asked if they placed any bets on a horse. “We got a lot going on,” Drake said. Harlow added, “We were forced to make a move, on the one and only Happy Jack. He’s really giving a good description of how I feel right now. [If there] was a Happy Aubrey, we’d run that too.” Unfortunately for Harlow at least, Happy Jack finished in 14th place while Rich Strike, who entered with an 80-1 shot of winning, took home the Kentucky Derby crown.

Towards the end of Harlow and now Drake’s TV interview, the rappers seemingly received a cue from the production crew to wrap up the interview, but Drake wasn’t quite ready to end things. “You can’t give the wrap-it-up signal,” he said. “What are you gonna cut to? What are you gonna cut to? A shot of, like, poorly manicured grass, or something?”

You can watch clips from Drake and Harlow’s time at the Kentucky Derby above.

Come Home The Kids Miss You is out now via Atlantic. You can stream it here.

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

Jack Harlow and Drake make Music Video at Kentucky Derby

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Jack Harlow Drake KY Derby

Rick Strike may have been the winner of the 148th Kentucky Derby, but Jack Harlow and Drake may have been the center of attention. Jack Harlow and Drake didn’t just make a surprise appearance at the famous horse race, but also shot part of Harlow’s “Churchill Downs” video (Drake is also on the track).

Harlow is a Kentucky native and often references the state on his tracks. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Harlow (in an all-white suit) made a surprise appearance on the event’s iconic red carpet with his parents and friends, including Louisville rappers The Homies before making his way to his box seats that he shared with Drake. Footage from the event will reportedly be used for the “Churchill Downs” video.

Harlow was also given the honor of calling “Riders Up” to kick off the event, a task that he performed in his trademark style.

“Churchill Downs” is a track off of Harlow’s second studio album, “Come Home The Kids Miss You.” The album was released Friday and includes several big-name collabs, including Lil Wayne, Pharrell and Justin Timberlake.

Harlow had also made an appearance on Friday at a pre-Derby party at 21c Museum Hotel and made an appearance at Guestroom Records, a local Louisville record store on Sunday.

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