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Ben Marshall turned “Saturday Night Live” into a roast session when he channeled Jack Harlow for a pitch-perfect Weekend Update impression that had Michael Che struggling to keep it together.
The “SNL” cast member didn’t just nail Harlow’s mannerisms and voice; he went straight for the jugular with material that’s been haunting the rapper for weeks.
Marshall came equipped with a Kangol hat and an arsenal of jokes about Harlow’s controversial “I got blacker” comment about his pivot to R&B on the Monica album.
The impression included a hilarious rundown of nicknames the internet’s been throwing at Harlow since his borderline insensitive remarks about his musical direction.
Marshall rattled off gems like “Mos Def-initely Not,” “LL Cool Whip,” “D’Angelo,” “Jay-ZZ-Top,” “Lil’ Wayne’s World,” and “Kan-Yay, it’s Friday” while Che sat there barely holding it together.
The skit also took shots at what R&B actually stands for, with Marshall’s version including “Raised Near (but not with) Black people” as one of the definitions.
The bit was so convincing that it fooled people who actually know Harlow.
The real Jack Harlow confirmed just how spot-on the impression was when he shared his reaction on Instagram.
“My aunt texted me and told me she was proud of me for going on SNL and addressing everything. My aunt That I am related to Actually thought that was me,” Harlow said.
His own family member couldn’t tell the difference between the real rapper and Marshall’s version, which speaks volumes about how accurate the impersonation actually was.
This roasting comes at a rough time for Harlow, who’s already been catching heat from multiple angles.
Beyond the “got blacker” backlash, he’s been getting clowned for the oversized utility hat he wore in his “Say Hello” music video, which sparked its own viral moment on social media.
Between the controversial comments about his musical evolution and the questionable headwear decisions, Harlow’s been the subject of constant internet mockery.
The “SNL” bit racked up over 400,000 views on YouTube within 20 hours of dropping, proving that audiences were hungry for someone to address the elephant in the room.
Harlow’s Monica album sales projections have been underwhelming compared to his previous work, suggesting the backlash might be affecting his commercial performance.
