Joe Budden Reviews Jack Harlow's 'Monica' Album | "There's White Privilege in This"

TL;DR

Joe Budden and crew critique Jack Harlow's R&B album Monica as a genre-switch case of white privilege — taking Black music styles without the authenticity.

Key Points

• 1.Monica is a 9-track, 20-minute R&B/soul album — not a rap record. The panel notes it's officially classified as R&B/soul on streaming, and Joe says there may not be a single rap song on it, calling it 'neo soul coded' and 'coffee shop music.'
• 2.Jack Harlow went three years without a release, which the panel ties to his Drake association. They joke that artists Drake cosigns at events like the Kentucky Derby tend to disappear for years afterward before resurfacing.
• 3.Joe Budden explicitly calls the genre switch 'white privilege.' His argument is that white artists like Jack Harlow can borrow deeply from Black musical traditions — referencing Glenn Lewis and Jill Scott vibes — in a way framed as artistic evolution rather than appropriation.
• 4.The panel compares Monica unfavorably to Jackman, Harlow's previous project they respected. They describe Monica as a 'departure,' and one panelist says it 'sounds like sad white Gunna without the ad-libs,' drawing a sharp contrast to authentic trap artists.
• 5.DJ Drama's absence from the album credits raises eyebrows. The crew notes there is no Generation Now logo attached — just Atlantic Records — suggesting Drama either wasn't involved or declined to add his signature screams, which they interpret as a telling sign about the project's direction.