Fergie definitely makes those boys go loco — including a young Jack Harlow. On Oct 6., Harlow cohosted “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” revealing wholesome tidbits about life before he became famous.
The “Come Home the Kids Miss You” artist’s night on the talkshow was a full-circle moment for him, considering the first TV appearance of his career was as a musical guest for host Fallon in 2020. Since then, the two have become friends. In fact, Fallon appeared in the opening of Harlow’s “First Class” performance at the 2022 MTV VMAs alongside Lil Nas X, Chlöe, Saucy Santana, and more “legends,” as the rapper said.
During the Thursday interview, the two revisited some key moments from the rapper’s career thus far, including his wins at the VMAs and Fergie’s cameo during the performance that night, as “First Class” samples her 2006 hit song “Glamorous.”
As it turns out, Fergie has been a muse of Harlow’s since he was just a kid. “There was a talent show when I was in fifth grade. I tried to do ‘Fergalicious,’ ” Harlow recounted. “The lyrics are suggestive, I guess. To me, it wasn’t anything. But I didn’t even get to finish the audition. I was halfway through and they cut me off. They’re like, ‘You can’t do that.’ So that’s my rapper origin story.”
After running through Harlow’s rise to fame, Fallon returned to his guest’s roots once again. “Is your mom super proud of you?” Fallon asked. Harlow raved about his mom’s unconditional support, also saying that she was never afraid to match her son’s musical experimentation. “I would plug into the aux chord [in the car with my mom] and play beats from YouTube . . . and she would freestyle with me. We would go back and forth,” Harlow recounted. When Fallon asked what his mom would freestyle about, Harlow replied, “Oh, she was dark, man. She would say things I can’t even say on live TV.”
When the interview — which also included playing a clip of young Harlow’s homemade music video from his childhood — wrapped, Harlow and Fallon came into the audience to answer some questions, which POPSUGAR was able to witness firsthand thanks to behind-the-scenes access granted by Dancing Seahorse, a Web 3.0 company specializing in unique activations between fans and their favorite artists. Sweetly, Harlow’s parents were also among the intimate audience at NBC Studios in New York City, bringing the star’s praise for his mother full circle.
For Harlow’s full interview, watch the video above.