“Gang Gang Gang” by Jack Harlow
It feels like a hot minute since we last heard of Jack Harlow. His most-recent single was 2022’s “First Class“, which proved to be a smash hit.
The rapper’s third studio album, “Jackman”, was released on the day of this writing, which is 28 April 2023. Along with it came “Gang Gang Gang”, the fifth song on the LP’s 10-track playlist.
This track was put out through Atlantic Records and its imprint, Generation Now, both of which Harlow has been down with since 2018. The song was written by the rapper himself, alongside Tim Gane, Lætitia Sadier and Rashad Thomas, with the latter also producing the track.
Lyrics of “Gang Gang Gang”
Upon reading the title of this song (“Gang Gang Gang”) and delving into its early goings, it would be easy to assume that Jack is jumping on the hip-hop trend of presenting himself as a loyal gangbanger, one who would “ride” and ‘die for his dogs’, i.e. the fellow members of whatever clique he’s representing.
But the vocalist also puts forth that he would “lie for” them. And whereas gangbangers are known to protect each other at all costs, including being untruthful to law enforcement when compatriots are in trouble, all things considered that’s a pretty unusual statement to make.
Or put alternatively, the likes of these types of criminals are more known to present themselves as being always true to the game rather than liars.
“Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Ride for my dogs, lie for my dogs, die for my dogs
Because it’s— (Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang)
Because it’s— (Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, gang, gang)
(Gang, oh)”
But that particular statement may be intended to belie what the audience is met with via the rest of this song. That is to say that what Harlow is actually alluding throughout is how, even as far as gang-related ideologies of loyalty and friendship go, there are certain lines that you don’t cross.
And to illustrate the point, the first verse centers on one “Marcus” and the second, “Kevin”. Both are childhood friends of Jack and the rest of the gang. But as revealed, Marcus grew up to be a rapist and Kevin, a child molester.
This news is so shocking to Harlow that at first, he can’t believe it. But as implied, eventually he has to accept the hard truth that these guys he’s known and loved throughout his life grew up to be such unsavory characters.
That then brings us to the third verse, which reiterates the sentiment expressed above, that there’s just some type of people who you can’t f*ck with. In other words, the vocalist is forced to throw years of friendship out the window, because certain close buddies have developed into the types that are better avoided.
So whereas this song doesn’t specifically speak to gang culture as normally presented in rap music, the message, once again taking the nature of the title into consideration, is still the same. And that would be that whereas loyalty amongst brethren is idealized, there are limits as to who are ultimately defined as brothers.
