SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - FEBRUARY 18: Latto attends Hennessy Arena All-Star Weekend at Edison House on February 18, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Hennessy USA)
During a recent sit-down with Billboard, Latto reflected on her rise to the top, as well as how she strives to help other up-and-coming female rappers.
The Atlanta-bred artist started off by reflecting on her musical beginnings as an adolescent. She eventually dropped her 2020 breakout hit, “B*tch From Da Souf.”
Once she began to gain widespread attention, Latto notes that she received tons of love and support from noteworthy acts like Trina, City Girls, Lizzo, SZA, Queen Latifah, and Remy Ma.
Regarding the support she’s received from her contemporaries, Latto cooly noted, “Real recognize real.” IKTR!
“I get a lot of love,” she says with an exuberant smile. “Real recognize real.”
While on the subject, Latto also notes that—because she’s received so much love from fellow rappers—she wants to “utilize [her] power in uplifting others.” After all, she is “a girl’s girl.”
“My No. 1 thing has been being a girl’s girl. I utilize my power in uplifting others on my way up.”
In fact, she notes that she doesn’t charge “upcoming female rapper[s]” for features, as she wants to selflessly offer the same support she received.
“When you see Latto do a feature with an upcoming female rapper, I don’t charge them. The label got to cover the glam, but I don’t profit off that.”
However, Latto acknowledges that her journey hasn’t been entirely peachy, as she’s no stranger to public feuds, which she calls “disappointing.”
Despite this, Latto’s focused on persevering and pushing through any hardships that may come up throughout her career journey.
“It’s difficult navigating through situations like that because there’s a disconnect. I will look at myself as a fan of someone and they will view [me] in a whole different light. It’s disappointing. You just got to take it to the chin and keep pushing.”
Rather than focusing on the negatives, Latto’s ready to explore and embrace new content. As evidenced by a new track called “Lottery.” Additionally, she’s ready continue enjoying her role in bringing forth “the new wave of rap.” Which she’s “honored to be a part of.”
“The content I’m about to roll out is a whole fresh new leaf. I genuinely love to see the new wave of female rap, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
What do you think about Latto’s recent commentary, and what up-and-coming female rap stars would you like to see her link up with in the future?
