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30 Under 30 2022
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This Is What The Future Sounds Like: The 30 Under 30 Honorees In Music

GUERIN BLASK FOR FORBES

Why Jack Harlow is no longer an “industry baby.” Plus, the 29 other young music executives, artists and founders.


On October 27, 2017 aspiring rapper Jack Harlow clocked out of his job buttering buns at Chick-Fil-A on Georgia State’s campus and plopped into a movie theater seat for a date. The Louisville native could not focus on the film, though. His phone continually vibrated with people chattering across the internet about his “Dark Knight” music video. Garnering millions of views on his YouTube of his rap about mortality and ambition, Atlanta record label executive DJ Drama signed Harlow to his label.

“I’ve networked with anyone who would shake my hand,” says Harlow, recalling his days of fast food labor and nights at open mics. “I have a fear of not reaching my potential. It drives me all the time.”

As he quips in his Grammy-nominated collaboration with Lil Nas X, “Industry Baby,” Jack Harlow did not peak in high school. He’s on the rise and set to only reach new heights, making him an honoree on Forbes’ 2022 30 Under 30 Music list.

The list features 30 of the music industry’s top young artists, executives, producers and entrepreneurs, nominated by the public and selected by a panel of expert judges: pop icon Miley Cyrus, Creative Artists Agency agent Phil Quist, The Darkroom founder Justin Lubliner and cross-genre hitmaker Tayla Parx. To be eligible, candidates must be under age 30 as of December 31, 2021, not have appeared on a previous Under 30 list, and show their ability to accelerate the future of the music industry.


“I’ve networked with anyone who would shake my hand. I have a fear of not reaching my potential. It drives me all the time.”

Jack Harlow

Harlow says he had a premonition that his ambition would translate to commercial success, but the Louisville-bred rapper was not prepared for this much, this soon: In the last two years, he’s earned approximately 1 billion Spotify streams of his breakout hit “Whats Poppin” and 765 million for “Industry Baby.”

He notes that he’s been approached by many brands for sponsorships, and turned them down because they feel inauthentic. Rather, he’s executed partnerships with New Balance (his favorite kicks), Tommy Hilfiger (a former neighbor of his grandfather) and pushed his own merch to reverential fans who often wave bras, panties and homemade signs declaring eternal love at his packed concerts.

Though Harlow is largely focused on making music, and is in the process of recording his second studio album, he is also paying it forward to Louisville—announcing that he will donate to five hometown charities and headline five Louisville venues in 2021. “I can make a million hit songs, but I don’t think it compares to coming back home and saying, ‘I want to lift you up with me.’”

Community engagement is something the Forbes 2022 Under 30 Music listers have in common. Fanmade cofounder Jaime Bilotti enlisted a “virtual street team” of 750+ members across 27 countries to bring music superfans together and build activations for their favorite artists during the pandemic. In October, Fletcher reimagined the Katy Perry pop classic "I Kissed A Girl" to release "girls girls girls," a version better suited for LGBTQ+ identifying listeners.

Members of the 2022 Music class were also behind some of the biggest songs of the year. TikTok users “caught a vibe” with former child star turned alt-rock musician Willow Smith’s “Meet Me At Our Spot” and, of course, sang their hearts out to Olivia Rodrigo’s breathtaking breakup ballad “driver’s license” that quickly propelled her to music stardom.

Behind the scenes, innovators like Crush Music’s Head of Streaming Strategy & Promotion William Tenney and Capitol Records Director of Global Research & Insights Klaudia Zadlo are using data to rethink campaigns, strategies and projections for music performance on streaming services.

This year’s list was edited by Abigail Freeman and Alexandra Sternlicht.

For a link to our complete Music list, click here, and for full 30 Under 30 coverage, click here.


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