# Latto

Alyssa Michelle Stephens (born December 22, 1998), known professionally as Latto (formerly known as Mulatto), is an American rapper and singer from Atlanta. She first appeared on Jermaine Dupri's reality television series The Rap Game in 2016, where she was known as Miss Mulatto and won the show's first season, but rejected its award of a recording contract with Dupri's So So Def Recordings.
Latto rose to prominence after releasing her 2019 single "Bitch from da Souf," which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Upon signing with RCA Records, it was issued as the lead single for her debut studio album Queen of da Souf (2020), which performed moderately on the Billboard 200 and spawned the platinum-certified single "Muwop" (featuring Gucci Mane).
After a name change to Latto, she reached wider mainstream recognition after the release of her 2021 single, "Big Energy." The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, received triple platinum certification by the RIAA, and landed at number seven on the Year-End Hot 100 chart; its live performance was nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance, while Latto herself was nominated for Best New Artist at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. "Big Energy" served as lead single for her second studio album 777 (2022), which trailed the song commercially at number 15 on the Billboard 200. Her guest appearance on Jungkook's 2023 single "Seven" became her first song to peak atop both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200, while her single "Put It on da Floor Again" (remixed featuring Cardi B) peaked at number 13 on the former chart that same year. The latter served as lead single for her third studio album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea (2024), which matched her previous on the Billboard 200.
Latto has won two BET Awards, a BET Hip Hop Award, a Billboard Music Award, a MTV Video Music Award, and two Grammy nominations. She was included on the 2020 XXL Freshman Class, and was named MTV's "Global Push Artist of the Month" in 2021. Latto was recognized as Variety's "Breakthrough Artist" of 2022, and at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards, Latto won Song of the Year for "Big Energy" and was nominated for Album of the Year for 777. She also won the BET Awards for Best New Artist in 2021 and Best Female Hip Hop Artist in 2023.

## Early life

Alyssa Michelle Stephens was born in Columbus, Ohio, on December 22, 1998 to Misti Pitts and Shayne Stephens. She attended Lovejoy High School in Hampton, Georgia, south of Atlanta and outside of the metro area. She credits Clayton County as the place which gave her street credibility. Her mother is white and her biological father is African American. Alyssa was bullied in school for being "light-skinned" which inspired her to later adopt the stage name Miss Mulatto when she began her rapping career, after the "mulatto" racial classification. At the age of ten, she decided to become a rapper and began writing her own rap songs. Prior to being in music, she was in drag racing.

## Career
### 2016–2018: Career beginnings and The Rap Game

In 2016, Alyssa Stephens was a contestant on the Lifetime reality series The Rap Game, produced by Jermaine Dupri and Queen Latifah. The boot camp-style series followed young aspiring rappers in a competition against one another over a span of eight weeks. Latto, under the stage name "Miss Mulatto" at the time, was the overall winner of the competition. She was offered a recording contract from Dupri with So So Def Records but ultimately turned down the deal claiming it was not enough money, opting to be an independent artist.
Stephens' second mixtape, Latto Let 'Em Know, was released in April 2017. The tape featured artists like Molly Brazy, Lil Key, Crucial, and Silentó. The single "Response Diss" is a diss song directed toward Young Lyric, a fellow competitor from The Rap Game. The ongoing feud between the two resulted in diss tracks from both parties with insults about drug use, homosexuality, and past experiences from the show.

### 2019–2020: Breakthrough and Queen of Da Souf

In January 2019, Latto released the song "B_ from da Souf". In May 2019, she was invited to perform at the Rolling Loud, an annual hip hop festival, located in Miami. In June 2019, she released a second extended play, titled Big Latto, which was preceded by "Bitch from da Souf". The single became a breakout hit, peaking at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States. The song later received a remix, featuring rappers Saweetie and Trina, which was later included on Mulatto's third EP, Hit the Latto, which was released on December 12.
In March 2020, it was officially announced that Latto had signed with RCA Records. On April 23, Latto released the promotional single, "No Hook". On May 21, she released the second promotional single, "He Say She Say". In July 2020, she recreated some of rapper Gucci Mane's album covers, starting with 2009's The State vs. Radric Davis, to which Gucci reacted positively. She then announced the release of her single "Muwop", featuring Gucci Mane, which was released on July 30. The song samples Gucci's 2007's single, "Freaky Gurl". Latto made a cameo appearance in American rapper Cardi B's music video for her single "WAP", which was released on August 7, 2020. On the same day, Latto was featured on NLE Choppa's single "Make Em Say", taken from his debut studio album, Top Shotta. On August 11, she was included in XXL's 2020 Freshman Class. On August 12, she announced the release of her debut project through RCA, titled Queen of da Souf and it was released on August 21, 2020. The project was preceded by two singles, which were the remix to "B_ from da Souf" and "Muwop" featuring Gucci Mane; as well as the promotional singles "No Hook" and "He Say She Say". The album peaked at number 44 on the US Billboard 200.
On September 4, Latto was featured on the remix of the Chloe x Halle song "Do It", alongside Doja Cat and City Girls. Also on that day, Latto was featured on G-Eazy's single, "Down". Music videos for the third and fourth singles from Queen of da Souf, "On God" and "In n Out" featuring City Girls, were released in September and October 2020, respectively. On September 29, it was announced that she had been nominated for Best New Hip Hop Artist at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards, where she was a performer. On December 11, Latto released the extended version of Queen of da Souf, which included five new songs and spawned the single "Sex Lies", featuring American rapper Lil Baby.

### 2021–present: Name change, 777 and Sugar Honey Iced Tea

In January 2021, it was announced that Latto would be changing her stage name from "Mulatto" after the controversy about the word being deemed colorist. In February 2021, it was announced she would be MTV's Global Push Artist of the month. In March 2021, she became the first female rapper from Atlanta to have a solo record be certified gold and platinum with "B_ from da Souf" (2019) and "Muwop" (2020).
In May 2021, she confirmed in various interviews that she had officially settled on a new stage name after scrutiny for the racially charged nature of her name. On May 18, it was reported that on streaming platforms, Mulatto's name had been changed to simply Latto, a change first reflected on her guest appearance on Toosii's album Thank You for Believing, where she was credited as Latto. She released a new single titled "The Biggest" along with the announcement of her new name. On September 24 of the same year, Latto released the lead single from her then-upcoming second studio album, "Big Energy". The song became Latto's highest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number three. American singer Mariah Carey appeared on the official remix, which was released in March 2022. A followup single, "Soufside", was released on November 5.
On March 9, 2022, Latto announced that the song "Wheelie" would be released on March 11, and confirmed it would feature fellow Atlanta rapper 21 Savage. All three songs were included on Latto's second studio album, 777, which was released on March 25. On July 15, she released the song "P_". She was featured on Chloe Bailey's single "For the Night". In February 2023, Latto was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. She released the single "Lottery" on February 17. In July, she appeared as a featured artist on South Korean singer Jungkook's debut solo single "Seven". It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first song to reach the top spot of that chart. She was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2024 music. On Oct. 12, 2023, Latto released "Did Somebody Say HipOpera," a Rap opera collaboration with singer Christina Aguilera.
In January 2024, Latto was featured on the remix version of Jennifer Lopez' song "Can't Get Enough", the first single out of Lopez' upcoming album This Is Me...Now. On February 5, 2024, Latto announced her single "Sunday Service" via social media. The cover artwork depicts a collage of prominent women rappers printed on a cyclorama back. The eyes of Latto and all the featured rappers are concealed by a black box or horizontal black bar.

## Other ventures

In 2017, Latto opened her own store, Pittstop Clothing in Jonesboro south of Atlanta.

## Philanthropy

In 2021, Latto founded the Win Some Give Some Foundation to “empower at-risk young women by providing them resources and support to achieve a lifetime of success.”

## Personal life

In May 2019, Latto was arrested for theft when she was mistaken for another woman. She released a track, "Fuck Rice Street", attesting to her innocence and frustration toward the police.
In July 2024, footage of an officer confronting Latto for running a red light was uploading onto YouTube via bodycam, which was originally captured on September 28, 2023. The rapper underwent a breathalyzer test as a result and explained that she committed the crime due to concerns about being chased by her fans.

## Filmography

Television series :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2016 | The Rap Game | Herself | Winner; credited as "Miss Mulatto" |
| 2019 | Love & Hip Hop: Miami | Herself | Episode: "Take It to the House"; credited as "Miss Mulatto" |
| 2020 | Queen of Stylez | Herself | Episode: "Can Tokyo Save The Day With This Look?" |
| 2021 | Wild 'n Out | Herself | Season 16, Episode 2 |

## Discography

* Queen of da Souf (2020)
* 777 (2022)
* Sugar Honey Iced Tea (2024)

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Nominee | Category | Result |
| American Music Awards | 2022 | Herself | New Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| American Music Awards | 2022 | Herself | Favorite Female Hip Hop Artist | Nominated |
| American Music Awards | 2022 | "Big Energy" | Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Song | Nominated |
| Asian Pop Music Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Top 20 Songs of the Year (Overseas) | Won |
| Asian Pop Music Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Collaboration (Overseas) | Nominated |
| Asian Pop Music Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Music Video (Overseas) | Nominated |
| BET Awards | 2022 | Herself | Best Female Hip Hop Artist | Nominated |
| BET Awards | 2022 | Herself | Best New Artist | Won |
| BET Awards | 2023 | "Big Energy (Remix)" (with Mariah Carey and DJ Khaled) | Best Collaboration | Nominated |
| BET Awards | 2023 | Herself | Best Female Hip Hop Artist | Won |
| BET Hip Hop Awards | 2020 | Herself | Best New Hip Hop Artist | Nominated |
| BET Hip Hop Awards | 2022 | "Big Energy" | Song of the Year | Won |
| BET Hip Hop Awards | 2022 | 777 | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| BET Hip Hop Awards | 2022 | "Pussy" | Impact Track | Nominated |
| BET Hip Hop Awards | 2023 | "Put It on da Floor Again" (featuring Cardi B) | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| BET Hip Hop Awards | 2023 | "Put It on da Floor Again" (featuring Cardi B) | Best Collaboration | Nominated |
| Billboard Music Awards | 2022 | Herself | Top Rap Female Artist | Nominated |
| Billboard Music Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Top Global K-pop Song | Won |
| Billboard Women in Music | 2023 | Herself | Powerhouse Award | Won |
| BMI Pop Awards | 2023 | "Big Energy" | Award-Winning Songs | Won |
| BMI Pop Awards | 2024 | "Seven" | Award-Winning Songs | Won |
| BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards | 2023 | "Big Energy" | Award-Winning Songs | Won |
| The Fact Music Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Music (Fall) | Nominated |
| Give Her Flowhers Awards | 2022 | Herself | Big Femme Energy Award | Won |
| Golden Disc Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Digital Song | Won |
| Golden Disc Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | 2023 | Herself | Best New Artist | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | 2023 | "Big Energy (Live)" | Best Melodic Rap Performance | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | 2025 | "Big Mama" | Best Melodic Rap Performance | Nominated |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2023 | Herself | Best New Hip Hop Artist | Won |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2023 | "Big Energy" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2023 | "Big Energy" | TikTok Bop of the Year | Nominated |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2023 | "Big Energy" | Favorite Use of a Sample | Nominated |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Music Video | Won |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | K-pop Song of the Year | Nominated |
| iHeartRadio Titanium Award | 2023 | "Big Energy" | 1 Billion Total Audience Spins on iHeartRadio Stations | Won |
| Korean Music Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best K-Pop Song | Nominated |
| Korean Music Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| MAMA Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Collaboration | Won |
| MAMA Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Dance Performance Male Solo | Won |
| MAMA Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Music Video | Nominated |
| MAMA Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| Melon Music Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Millions Top 10 | Won |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | 2021 | Herself | Best Push Act | Nominated |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | 2022 | "Pussy" | Video for Good | Nominated |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Song | Won |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2021 | "Sex Lies" | Push Performance of the Year | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2022 | Herself | Best New Artist | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2022 | "Big Energy" | Best Hip Hop | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2022 | "Pussy" | Video for Good | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2022 | "Big Energy (Remix)" (with Mariah Carey and DJ Khaled) | Song of Summer | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Song of Summer | Won |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best Collaboration | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Best K-Pop | Nominated |
| People's Choice Awards | 2022 | Herself | New Artist of 2022 | Won |
| People's Choice Awards | 2024 | Herself | Hip Hop Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| People's Choice Awards | 2024 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | Collaboration Song of the Year | Nominated |
| Soul Train Music Awards | 2021 | "Go Crazy (Remix)" (with Chris Brown, Young Thug, Future, and Lil Durk) | Best Collaboration | Nominated |
| Soul Train Music Awards | 2021 | "Go Crazy (Remix)" (with Chris Brown, Young Thug, Future, and Lil Durk) | Best Video of the Year | Nominated |
| TikTok Awards Thailand | 2023 | "Seven" (with Jungkook) | International Song of the Year | Won |

### Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement :
| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Ref. |
| MTV | 2021 | Global Push Artist of the Month (February) | |
| Variety | 2022 | Breakthrough Artist | |

### World records

Name of publication, year the record was awarded, name of the record, and the name of the record holder :
| Publication | Year | World record | Record holder |
| Guinness World Records | 2023 | Most streamed track on Spotify in one week (male) | "Seven" (with Jungkook) |
| Guinness World Records | 2023 | Fastest time for a music track to reach 100 million streams on Spotify (male) | "Seven" (with Jungkook) |
| Guinness World Records | 2023 | Fastest time for a music track to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify (male) | "Seven" (with Jungkook) |

## Tours

Headlining
* Big Latto Tour (2019)
* 777 Tour (2022)
* Sugar Honey Iced Tea Tour ( 2024)
Supporting
* Lizzo – The Special Tour (2022-2023)