You may have heard that this record places persona before craft—that’s a generous assessment. Jack Harlow wants to be vulnerable without showing any shred of sincerity through his music. He and his team push CHTKMY into commercial acceptability, while harbouring the emptiness of a fuckboi without a phone. The writing, of which there is a lot, has an oblivious goofiness that undermines any smoothness in the beats. ‘Young Harleezy’ is capable of rapping in the way that a corrupt politician is capable of emoting. The music is nothing more than a vessel—on the moment of release, it achieved its goal of just existing. 

6/30

A favourite: ‘First Class’

‘Come Home The Kids Miss You’ is out now via Atlantic Records.