Rappers are often asked about their influences and what has helped them become the stars that they are, and not many have spoken about Harry Potter. Jack Harlow has been a force in recent years as he and his team have carefully shaped his successful career, and the Kentucky native was recently bestowed the title ofVariety‘s Hitmaker of Tomorrow. The outlet hosted their Hitmakers award ceremony this past weekend and when Harlow gave his speech, he mentioned J.K. Rowling’s uber-famous book-to-film series.
“When I was in the second grade, I went to an elementary school that had a competitive program,” Harlow said. “You could read a book and then take a quiz on that book, and if you passed the quiz, indicating you had really read the book, you would get awarded a certain amount of points. The bigger more challenging the book, the more points you earned.”
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After reading through the entire Harry Potter collection, the young Harlow acquired the most points and earned himself recognition. However, his shy ways kept him from seeking the spotlight.
Harlow added that as a kid, he was more of an introvert. “I wasn’t silent, I had friends, but I was much more comfortable just observing and enjoying my own thoughts,” he said. “I think if you took a picture of me on this stage and showed that kid, he’d be pretty blown away. But to be honest, all the ingredients were there. It was a competition and it brought out the competitor in me, which is a big part of the genre I’m in. All that reading is what made me the writer I am now, and I’m pretty sure it’s what’s going to make me the Hitmaker of Tomorrow.”
Watch Harlow deliver his speech below.
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