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The trio of “wine, women, and song” are a rite of passage for virtually every rapper, but last year’s XXL Freshman Jack Harlow says he hasn’t had a drop of booze in 2021 and doubts if he ever will again. “Going the rest of the year without it,” said the 23-year old Kentuckian posted to IG on Sunday. “Maybe I’ll never take another sip, who knows? My favorite vice was definitely drinking (I don’t like to smoke) but if I learned anything this year it’s that I don’t need it.”
In an interview last year with DJ Booth, Harlow spoke about how he used a number of substances to fuel his creativity in the past but has begun moving towards a future without them. “I’ve just tried a lot of the vices now, and I’ve realized there [are] more cons than pros,” he told the site while promoting his EP Sweet Action. “Not even in a smart, long-term fashion.”
“Smoking weed makes me self-conscious, so there’s no way I can write anything confidently,” he shared at the time. “Alcohol makes me bloated and tired, so I don’t have the energy to work. And psychedelics make me nervous and emotional… Adderall makes me delusional. Everything has this downside to it, and I realized that sobriety is my best bet.”
With his sold-out “The Creme De La Creme Tour” coming this fall, Harlow feels the readiest he’s ever been to hit the road again for the first time in almost two years. “I’m really grateful for how far we’ve come and I want you to know I appreciate all of you,” he continued on yesterday’s message.
Whether it’s a temporary or permanent change remains to be seen, but for someone who has repeatedly acknowledged he didn’t imbibe much in his youth, few would knock the “What’s Poppin'” lyricist for his refreshed outlook on making music and life. “…I’m hungrier right now than I’ve ever been,” he concluded to his fans on IG. “I’m prepared to become a well-oiled machine to take this shit to the next level. See you soon.”
