Full Look – Alabama Blonde

Talent: Latto
Photography, Creative Direction, and Production by: Mike Ruiz
Editor-in-Chief: Dimitri Vorontsov
Stylist: Jennifer Austin
at Opus Beauty
Hair: Keshaun Williams
Makeup: Melissa Ocasio
Casting Director: Bobby Gutierrez
Special thanks to The Q Club NYC
Location: New York, New York

Dress – Harry Hamlin, Shoes – Louboutin

Let’s talk about Soufside – It’s the heaviest track by far. When did you decide to record it?

Soufside was pretty much me reintroducing myself to the new fans that I gained from dropping Big Energy, which was more like a rhythm pop record. Yes. I just gained a lot of new fans from that. I got a wider audience, so I wanted to reintroduce them to my true sound. The real Latto that got me to where I’m at today. I wear all the hats. I’d be on the phone with the directors for my videos. I’d be tweaking the beats with the producers in the session. I wear a little bit of all the hats. I don’t like to put labels on myself.

Are we going to hear Soufside remix anytime soon?

Yes. I got two suggestions for the remix, and my manager was like, “We might need to make that happen.” I don’t know. There might be a remix in the works.

What inspires you to make music? Can you tell us about your personal touch?

Yes. I think in school growing up, I was very into school. I loved school as a kid. I think that my passion for school, specifically language arts was my favorite subject. I loved writing essays and dealing with words and wordplay and poems and stuff. I fell in love with just the play on words in school. That love just turned into rapping honestly. I started writing lyrics instead of poems. That’s really where it came from, school, honestly.

What are the earlier beats or any artists that you got inspired when you were growing up?

This is funny because Gucci Mane was always my favorite rapper as a kid. My earliest songs, I would be talking about stuff that I had no idea what I was [laughs] because I had this Gucci Mane influence.
My dad was my manager at the time. My team at the time would be more family friends and my dad, whatever, and they would be like, “No, you got to rap about stuff that’s more kid-friendly and stuff.” It started off as heavy Gucci inspired and talking about the streets and what I’d seen growing up. Then it was like, “No, you need to be rapping about this.” Then I would make songs about reading and having a crush on a boy. Stuff like that. Gucci was definitely an inspiration growing up. Then Nicki Minaj came out and I fell in love with her wordplay, her animated style, aesthetic, or whatever. Yes. As a person, I credit Nicki and Gucci, for sure.

 

Full Look – VEX Latex

How does it feel for you to collaborate with Gucci these days on your track, Muwop? How does it feel for you to actually be rapping about him early in the day or writing lyrics about him and now actually working with him?

Right, that was definitely a bucket list feature for me. That was huge. It’s always different. You look up to someone, and they’re an inspiration for you, but when you meet them and they’re everything that you expected them to be, just so humble, just so down to earth. Just cool as hell. Gucci was definitely that, so that was definitely dope as hell.

Can you tell us about your creative process? Do you prefer to write the rhymes first or do you work on the beats?

I think because I’m so young and growing as an artist and as a woman at the same time, it’d be all over the place to be honest. At first, it was strictly writing physically, like a pen and a pad right into a beat. Then I started learning how to freestyle more. Actually, before that, then I started writing in my notes on iPhone, on my notes. Then I started learning how to freestyle more. I would go in the booth and just hear the beat and start just dropping lines, like bar for bar or whatever, punching it. Then now, up-to-date, I pretty much just do a blend of everything, just depending on my mood or what space I’m in at that time. I could make the beat with the producer and then go from there. Or I’ll have a topic that I specifically already want to talk about anyways, and then build the song around that topic. It could just go anyway because I’m just growing. I’m still growing.

You have awesome creative collaborations so far. How do you choose your collaborations?

I think a lot of the collaborations be just organic. I’ll really actually hear that person on the beat, or when I’m making a song, I have them in mind. Either/or, but before or after the song is made, I choose them. Then I’ll either reach out to them personally, like in the DM or we might have a mutual friend or something like that, or I have the label reach out. It’s 99.9% of the time me saying, “Oh, I hear such and such on this beat. Let’s reach out.”

 

Collar -VEX, Dress- Harry Hamlin, Shoes- Louboutin

You mention AP – Audemars Piguet watches on quite a few tracks. What makes AP most attractive to you?

Honestly, what made me talk about that so much is because I got them. I want to be like in the Gucci watch, Audemars Piguet is them watches that I own, so I’ll be like – talk about stuff that I actually have. I like the watch and stuff, and then being that I actually own it, I rap about stuff that I actually own, because I’m writing my lyrics.

What message do you want to get to your fans?

I come from a small place that is called Clayton County. It’s even smaller than the City of Atlanta. There’s never been a female to go mainstream where I’m from. I think I just want to be that living proof more so to say like, if you work hard and pray hard, your dreams can come true. I’ve been rapping since I was eight years old. I don’t have rich family members that put me on or related to somebody that was already famous in the industry. I didn’t have no support or easy access to get my foot in the door. I just really worked hard and prayed hard, and I was dedicated and persistent since a child. I think I just want to be living proof if you’re consistent, it’ll happen.

We know any creative industry is a hard industry. If you could have changed anything about it, what would it be?

It’s so much because, for one, I’m young, and then on top of that, I’m a female. Sometimes you’d get frustrated and feel like all odds are against you, being in a male-dominated business. I’ve experienced all ends of the spectrum, honestly. What would I change? I feel like it could be more authentic. When you get closer and closer to the top, it just becomes so artificial. Everybody is money hungry. They’re cool with you for a purpose or for a benefit. I think if I could change anything, I would probably change the authenticity of the industry because everyone just starts to get money hungry.

 

Full Look – Alabama Blonde, Shoes- Louboutin

Can you tell us when the first time you heard yourself on the radio? How was it and where were you?

I do remember the first time. All this stuff be like milestones for me. I damn near remember everything, just because I’m really living my dreams as eight-year-old Latto. I’m really living her dreams. I’m so appreciative of every milestone, so I could probably tell you everything.

Oh, please do.

The first time I heard myself on the radio, it was right before the pandemic. Yes, right before the pandemic, I was driving to a video shoot, and my song, Bitch From Da Souf the remix, with Saweetie and Trina, came on the radio. I recorded it while I was driving, then that wasn’t working out, so I had to pull over and make my little video. I still got that video till this day.

You mentioned your milestones.

Probably my biggest one today, or my favorite one today, at least, is my song Bitch From Da Souf. I keep referring to that song because that song got me to where I’m at today. That was literally just me in the studio, every single word I wrote by myself and picked out the beat, and so it was just so authentic. It’s crazy how just me and myself and I got that song, and I wrote a hit. That’s crazy, but that song, it went gold, and then, now it’s platinum. That song made me the first solo female rapper from Atlanta to go gold, and then solo female rapper from Atlanta to go platinum. That was huge.

Congratulations.

Thank you. When I got that plaque I was like, “Oh, shit. It’s getting real.”

That’s amazing. Atlanta is a massive city. That’s impressive. Congratulations.

Yes. Thank you. Yes, it’s crazy because Atlanta has been at the forefront of Hip-hop for a long time. It’s mainly just the males, though. It hasn’t been a female face for Atlanta, so I’m glad to take on that role.

Are there any causes that are important to you?

Yes, I think just for the kids. I’m all for the kids. I give away during the holidays. My birthday is in December, so usually around my birthday, I’m with different kid’s organizations or charities. Whether it’s less fortunate or kids that are sick. I relate with the kids, just because I’ve been working since I was a kid, so I know how important childhood is, and dedication, and just having the right foundation, and drive, and right people around you. Anything dealing with the kids, I’m there, and I’m 100% all in.

 

Dress- FCC

Do you have any songs that you would listen on repeat?

Yes. Well, my favorite song ever is Jagged Edge, Good Luck Charm. That would probably be the song that never gets. That’s a little random, right? That’s definitely a song that will never get old. That’s my favorite song.

If you had a chance to collaborate with anyone present or not present all-time greatest artists, it doesn’t matter what genre, who would it be if you had a chance to collaborate? Any legend that you would pick?

I’ve never been asked in consideration of any artists that have passed, so that shook things up. My ultimate dream collab is definitely Nicki. I love her as an artist and it will mean more to me than anything just because of her inspiration. I feel like she’s part of the reason why I rap now. That would fulfill my childhood for sure.

If you had a chance to give your younger self advice, what would it be?

Be patient. I would get so frustrated all the time because I’ve been rapping since I was eight years old. It will be from eight to now 22, you can imagine how many times I wanted to give up or I just got distracted being so young. Naturally, you want to hang out with your friends and boyfriends, all that. I had so many distractions, just being a kid trying to make it in the industry. I would just tell myself, probably be patient. I got discouraged a lot and I wanted to rush things, but it’s God’s timing and his plan. I’ll probably just tell myself, be patient, because it ended up happening anyways. I was trying to rush it, but it’s happening. It’s unfolding right now anyway, so if I just calm down, I would tell her just, “Girl, just wait. It’s coming. Just wait.”

 

Dress – Serpenti, Neck Piece – Ritual, Shoes – Guiseppe Zanotti

How did you feel about the photoshoot? You worked with Mike Ruiz. Can you tell us about it?

I loved it so much. I think the aesthetic was so raw. It was so me and edgy. I loved it because it was like beauty and the beast to me. I kept saying that on set.

What music did you grow up listing to?

On my mom’s side of the family, I love country. I know a little country music sometimes. I can’t name you the songs or the artists, but coming from a diverse background racially, I think I’m open. I’ve heard a lot of different genres growing up. My grandma love her some jazz, soul, R&B, all that slow jams, all that. I couldn’t recognize the songs. I can’t name them to you now. This is from childhood, a long time ago. I definitely grew up in a well-blended genre musically, household for sure.

Your inspiration in life comes from your family, like growing up and listening to a blend of sounds?

Yes, for sure. I didn’t even realize that, but definitely probably for sure, because I would be at one side of the family house and hear this type of music, then go to this side of the family house and you hear a whole different type of music. That probably definitely benefited me in the long run.