Big Latto, Big Winner!

August 12, 2021

The Atlanta-based rapper formerly known as Mulatto has a new anthem, “New money, new crib, new whip, new name… LATTO.” While shattering records and winning at a game designed for men, Latto has navigated her experiences through Rap with a flow that fuses southern Trap and Hip Hop. While famously breaking out onto the scene with the industry-shattering single, “Bitch from da Souf,” Latto has risen to the top, and has left the negativity behind. A journey motivated by her Southern roots and a circle of women propelling her to greatness, Latto has prospered into an artist defying convention while upending an archaic industry.

Stepping on set, Latto epitomizes Southern royalty and triumphant energy that adds to her bright style and demeanor. While covered in hot pink tulle and crowned for the gods, Latto has entered an era where winning is second nature — the first is being a ‘Queen from da Souf.’ Succeeding decades of men occupying the Rap industry, a renaissance of female Rap has emerged, and Latto reigns supreme. From spitting bars at a young age to releasing her first mixtape at 17 ‘Miss Mulatto,’ the multi-talent has proved that she is made for this, and she isn’t going anywhere.

Text by Michael Hall
Interview by Tiana Randall
Creative produced by Tiana Randall and Oona Oglesby
Photos by Danni Ordonez
Styling by Miso Dam
Makeup by David Velasquez
Hair by Keshaun Williamson
Nails by Johnethea Johnson
Photo Assistance by Rheagan Dukes
Styling assistance by David Jung
Production assistance by Michael Hall and Oona Oglesby

With millions of patrons, The artist has built a platform that not only influences internationally but inspires little girls all over the South. With a growing following and a list of accolades, she desires a legacy disconnected from negativity. The beginning of 2021 marked a new era for the rapper where she replaced her former moniker, “Mulatto,” an identifier that many viewed as outdated and offensive. A newfound outlook allowed Latto to embrace constructive criticism highlighting her willingness to learn. Apart from a year of change, Latto remains a prominent figure putting out music that speaks to the complexities of her life.

Singles “Bitch from da Souf” and “Muwop” featuring Gucci Mane positioned Latto as a rapper with bars to match her drive. As she resonates on her upbringing in Atlanta, a mecca for up-and-coming rap, the lyricist released her first album ‘Queen from da Souf’ in 2020, solidifying her lifelong craft. In the essence of winning big and staying on top, Latto continues to show out, performing festivals, featuring on hot tracks, and starring in campaigns including Fenty. A vibrant personality and captivating persona makes Latto an artist to watch.

As she wraps up her year, she alludes to a new project that explores various sounds and styles with extraordinary features that embark on an endeavor that highlights her range and versatility. Adorned in fabulosity, mirroring the victories and drama of winning the crown, Latto stands front and center, expressing vulnerabilities and her creative process to office.

Read our exclusive interview with the Atlanta-based rapper below.

DRESS: EveRRythingRRouge EARRINGS: Nana Jacqueline

DRESS: MCQ

You're only 22, you're so mature for your age. What are some key events in your life that made you into the mature woman that you are today?

I think just like starting out rapping so young, eight years old, I seen a lot —good and bad that just exposed me to reality. So, I feel like that matured me. I had very open parents, a household that didn't really shield us from anything. It was more so like X, Y, and Z upfront. So you don't learn it elsewhere, you know what I'm saying? And then, I'm just like a very goal-driven person. So I think just comes off as mature because usually young people aren't as focused. So I think I've always been focused. I don't know if it's my Zodiac sign, my household —

Wait, what sign are you?

I'm a Capricorn.

Oh, definitely. They're very like money-driven, business-driven people.

Yeah. Very business savvy. And I've always been like that since a kid. Like people have always told me, "Oh, you're so mature for your age. You're so mature for your age" before I was rapping. So it might have something to do with that. It might all just be working as a collective, who knows!

DRESS: EveRRythingRRouge EARRINGS: Nana Jacqueline

And, what are those "things" that older women have instilled within you from an early age? What are some of those lessons?

Just being headstrong, independent, knowing that the world is not peaches and cream. You got to come in this thing knowing your goals or what your plan is, and knowing it like it's the back of your hand. I think like the women in my family were all like very strong women that are super independent, and just taught me to be the same way.

Congrats, you're moving into a new era. What are some things you're moving on from? And how do you think moving on from them will impact you positively?

I feel like I'm moving on just from the name [Mullato], and I think that just makes me move on from the negative energy. I feel like I was kind of holding myself back in a way with the name, and just being stubborn. And I was not willing to listen to the world, and what they had to say, and how it affected these people that were outraged by the term. So I feel like it's just turning over a new leaf, and just leaving that negative energy behind. And, Latto being short for the lottery, I feel this was not even just financially, but spiritually and just overall good fortune. And so, I'm excited for this new chapter.

How often do you take in some of the words that people say to you, whether it's online or in your real life? Because I feel like we often see artists or celebrities become a bit stubborn and avoidant with accountability. So how do you decipher what's constructive criticism from fans versus what's harmful?

Yeah, I feel like that it's just kinda like a live and learn type of thing. And I'm still learning and living. So I don't got it down pact yet. But I am realizing when they say don't read the comments, I can decipher like, okay, yeah, don't read the comments, but certain comments and certain feedback you do need to listen to because at the end of the day, as an artist, your target audience is gonna respond to you, and your actions, and your music. They're going to respond to anything that you put out. So to a certain extent, you do have to listen to them, read the comments, and be open ears to things that are going to change you, your beliefs, and your morals.

Right. And like you said, the more you travel, grow, and learn, the more you have an open mind towards ideals. If I would've stayed in my childhood town, where I grew up, I would've been so close-minded and stuck in my ways. You know, certain non-black races were saying the N-word, and I thought that was okay. And then when you grow up, you realize that's not okay. And you just kind of live and learn through those situations, but you're put on a pedestal, so it's amplified times 10.

Exactly, I think it's just about taking accountability and responsibility. It's just knowing that even though your intentions weren't ill, if they're being perceived in a way that you didn't intend for them to be received, then at that point you got to self-reflect.

DRESS: MCQ

Right. Getting into the shoot, on set, it seemed like you were super into the concept — When we were figuring out a concept for you, we were like, "Okay. So she's from the south. Let's think of some things that represent winning, a new era, reigning in victory in the south." So were like football, horseback riding, etc. And they were like beauty pageants! Do you have any like relationships with beauty pageants?

I don't! The only thing that's like similar is that I've been rapping, doing shows, and talent shows, open-mics, and all that since a young age. And I know the girls who do beauty pageants and stuff, it's pretty much like the same story, but that would be like the only similarity. I don't really have a history in beauty pageants, but I do get glammed up for shows in a similar way.

Yeah. And what are some southern traditions you miss?

I would say just like aesthetically, there's not really nothing I miss. Like everything I still do, like Southern traditions. There's like how we eat, big family cookouts, soul food, cooking in the kitchen with grandma, granny, auntie cousin TT and em'. I grew up on four-wheelers and dirt bikes, all that type of stuff. I feel like that's a southerner aesthetic.

And you were super confident too, and it just seems like you knew what you were doing at all times. Where did you grow this confidence from?

I think just like home, my parents just raised me to be super independent, super headstrong. Even my dad, like my dad, has two kids and we are both girls. So just raising us to be independent, strong women. And then the women in my family are also independent and strong. They're very, just like headstrong, like not really going with the gender roles, like the women in my family get money, and are just boss-bitches. So, I think it just comes from home, really.

So behind the shoot, the beauty pageant was supposed to represent an act of winning. what was the coolest thing you have done in your career thus far that made you feel like a complete winner?

I've had so many moments like that just because I've been rapping for so long. It's like everything is like super, — it was like a lot of work that went into all these accomplishments that I'm receiving now, like a lot of work and time, and effort that went into all the accomplishments. So I'm so grateful for everything. I'm trying to think of like my first like super like, 'okay. I'm winning' moment. Oh, probably my first certification, my first plaque, I got was when "Bitch From Da Souf" went gold. And I was like, 'Oh my god! I can hang a plaque up in my house or whatever!' And then my label calls me back or whatever. And they're like, "No, you're the first solo female rapper from Atlanta to go gold or be certified period." And I'm like, "No, no way, no way. I'm like no way. I'm like, nah, somebody definitely did it before me. There's no way that I'm the first one." And sure enough, we Googled it. And I literally was the first one. And I was like, 'oh my God, like, I literally am making history!'

So I feel like it's just turning over a new leaf, and just leaving that negative energy behind.

CORSET: What Katie Did SUSPENDER BELT: What Katie Did KNICKERS: What Katie Did STOCKINGS: What Katie Did EARRINGS: Nana Jacqueline

And the drama queen portion was supposed to show the juxtaposition of winning and being victorious. It's supposed to represent some of the more chaotic and darker moments of being a pageant queen, which relates to being in the limelight and having a career in entertainment. What are some dark moments you found within your career that have impacted you as the person you are today?

Yeah. It's so many, like as much as it is good, It's definitely not all glitz and glam. So, just like the critics, listening to the haters, and the comments, and stuff — at the end of the day, we're still human. So it does have an effect on us as artists. Like we're not numb to it. You know, we still have emotions and feelings like everyone else. So yeah, I can get caught up in the comments or like blogs and stuff like that, that can like get me feeling a little down. And it's just people just doubting you, period. It's people not believing in you. It's been so many times that a artists that I wanted to do a feature with, or before I was signed to RCA, labels that I wanted to be a part of, I wanted to sign with or whatever. There were like so many times people told me no, or, you know, "I don't see the vision. I don't believe in it." You know what I'm saying? So it's a lot of dark moments, but you know, at the end of the day, it's worth it cause those same people circled back.

I was going to say I never hear any —besides like the name controversy, I never hear of you doing something or having beef with someone, etc. I just kind of hear you rap and then you kinda go into your corner, and you're kind of quiet. So what are some like ethics and values that you hold true to yourself?

The main reason why I'm not into all that is just because I didn't grow up in that household. Like, I grew up in a very supportive and happy household. Like we weren't raised to be jealous or hateful towards other people. It was always like we were taught you sit back and wait for your turn and you put in the work for it to eventually for it to be your turn. But, you don't have any envy for anyone who's experiencing their moment at the time because your moment is going to come. Like in school and stuff, I was never like the mean girl that just picked on other girls, or hated other girls. Like, you know what I'm saying? So, in the industry, it's no different than cliques in school and stuff like that. Like, I am just super supportive. It's just literally not in my blood. And then I'm just so like business, goal-driven, and it's like, I'm so focused on myself. I really literally do not have time to even look your way to see what you're doing. I'm so busy trying to be a better me, that I really have no regard to what you're doing.

I think people who are often very jealous and envious of other people are insecure within themselves and feel like they lack something that that person has. So let's talk about the new album, what is the biggest difference that we can hear in this music versus what you've done in the past?

I feel like it's just the growth in the beat selections, the flows, the topics of the songs, the features, the producers— just everything is like growth. I really was like— through the pandemic, through just like not being able to perform like that, and not being able to just be outside, like how the industry normally works. You just had time to just like perfect your craft and just try to be a better artist. I feel like you're going to hear that in the music. I traveled across the country to just like catch a vibe, like catching a vibe, and just bring out different sounds out of me. I know my potential is crazy, so I just wanted to work with new people, and be in new environments that could like bring more of that out of me. So, you're gonna hear the elevation for sure.

I saw you're working with Pharrell, what was it like working in a studio with him? And did he give you one of his iconic speeches that he does in a studio session?

Oh, my god! Yes, he did. First of all, I was so nervous because I kept telling my manager "Are you sure he wants to work with me? Like, it's no way that Pharrel even knows who the fuck I am. Ya'll are playing with me!" And they're like, "No, he wants to work with you." I'm like, "Well, why does he want to work with me?" Like my mind could not grasp the concept that Pharrell wanted me to pull upon him in Miami, and lock in for a week. Nah, there's no way. But yeah, we did lock-in for a week and we got a lot of dope records out of it. He definitely gave me a couple of his iconic speeches, and just like made me see a bigger me. And the crazy thing is, is that those sessions were like kind of in the beginning stages of the album. So it was super necessary. It set the tone for the rest of the recording process. He was like, "You know, you gotta see your potential!" And he's telling me this thing called "house music," right?

You didn't know what house music was?

No, listen, he has his own definition for it. So he says "we're making house music." And I'm like, "I don't make the house music." And he's like, "no, no, no, no, no, "house music" is when you dropped this music, you gon' buy some more houses with this music." I'm like "Oooh! I'm making Birkin music" I'm like "yeah, I like that!" So every time we would take a toast, we would cheers to "house music."

I need to make some house music! And, in terms of your process with making music, do you usually start off with the flow or the beat, chords, lyrics first?

I feel like it all depends on my mood. It depends if there's a producer there with me because if the producer is there with me, then nine times out of ten, I'm giving him like a direction. Like, 'okay, I'm in this mood and I want to make this type of song, and it needs to have heavy 8 0 8s. It needs to have this sound in there, this BPM.' So in that case with the producers there and we both started from scratch, just cooking, I think it definitely starts with the sounds. But to me, I'm in there with the engineer, probably my ANRs, and just going in there and just going off top. Definitely start with a good beat that's already done. But I guess all and all, it really goes back to mood because both of those situations depend on my mood.

Who are the most exciting features you have? And is there any stories you can tell us?

I haven't locked in all the features yet, so I don't want to go too in-depth because I'm still waiting on some like heavy-hitters. But you can definitely expect like a plethora as far as gender, as far as genre, I'm like literally tapping into like a lot of new shapes. So it's going to be like lit as bitches, lit as niggas, and all type of different genres. Like it's going to be some R&B on there. It's going to be some real rap shit. It's going to be some OGs on there. It's like, it's lit.

You seem like an imaginative person. So let's say hypothetically we're living in Latto's world. Latto is the dictator. What does the world look like? What are some of the rules? What's going on?

Oo', First of all, girls run the world. So, we got to have a female president, female police officers, female CEOs, everything is just girly. It's boss-bitch ran. So for sure that, I'm heavy on like self-expression, I feel like I come from a household— like my parents didn't really shelter me from anything. They kind of just told me this is what it is. And that's the reality of the situation too. So, they were like very accepting of all beliefs and just everything—sexuality. It was just very accepting, self-expressive parents. So like we were allowed to like dye our hair, we were allowed to bring our friends that were bisexual, or, lesbian, or gay home and with no judgment. It made me a well-rounded person. I really take pride in like how my parents parented. Like it made me a real, well-rounded person. Like I can pretty much sit with any type of people and feel comfortable. You know what I'm saying? So my world be girl run the world. It would be very like accepting of — you know, everyone can come and just get themselves, but girls come first.

Last question, so you often say in interviews, these interviewers ask you "what do you do outside of rap?" Well, what is it?

Shittin' on bitches!

Period!

Music

Jesse Jo Stark Is in a Genre of Her Own

April 19, 2024

In the midst of a total solar eclipse, I got the chance to talk about music and style with Jesse Jo Stark.

As I’m on the phone with her from New York, Stark is on a tour bus with The Veronicas, driving through the Colorado mountains to enjoy some time off in between shows. The Veronicas have just started their Gothic Summer North American Tour, and Stark is opening the show. What’s special about this tour for the lifelong music obsessive is the sense of powerful feminine energy encapsulating the tour. “We just started [tour], but it’s been really lovely. I’m obsessed with the fact that we’re all women — it feels like a very powerful crew. The Veronicas are lovely, the crowds have been so fun, and the venues are beautiful. It’s gonna be a good month.”

Photography Sophia-Liv Maguire
Styling Marc Eram
Interview Angelina Hazzouri
Talent Jesse Jo Stark
Hair Antoine Martinez with PARADIS using Roz Hair
Makeup Sydney Szramowski
Photo Assistants Mia O’Neal, Rashaun Richardson
BTS Ms Josephine
Creative Producer Olivia Roper-Caldbeck

This is Stark’s second time touring since the release of her full-length debut album DOOMED in late 2022, which was very well received and led to Stark’s first sold-out international headlining tour on behalf of the album. Previous to her solo tour, she’s opened for various notable acts, such as Guns N’ Roses and Jane’s Addiction. I asked Stark, who’s been writing and playing music since age 11, what it was like to prepare for her first sold-out headlining tour. Unsurprisingly, before any tour, Stark goes into what she describes as “bootcamp mode” — dancing every day, vocal training, rehearsing with her band, and of course, working on her outfits. “That’s the sort of homework I love,” she says, smiling. (Even though we’re on the phone, I can tell she’s smiling when she talks about the outfit part. I’d smile too if I had her tour closet.)

What’s unique about Stark as a musician is that she has ultimately created her own universe by embracing every aspect of her creative upbringing, her raw talent, her fascinating influences, and her unwavering beliefs in not needing to fit into a certain box when it comes to her art. She creative-directs and styles all her own looks, referencing an ever-evolving list of influences that range from Vegas showgirls to Halloween to old films to her parents in the 90s. “I think when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from,” she tells me, “but now it’s just my blood. I constantly reflect on my childhood and everything I was taught and everything I saw. My brother and sister and I are constantly pulling influences from our parents from the past. I think, more than ever, I’m heavily influenced by them.”

Stark, the daughter of founders and owners of the self-made American fashion brand Chrome Hearts, and now its creative director and designer, is someone who always knew what she liked, but as she describes it, had to ‘go through the motions’ that come with growing up and knowing one’s identity. Today, her self-efficacy is palpable — and it’s inspiring.

...when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from, but now it’s just my blood.

When she’s on tour, Stark is growing with herself and with her art — she’s not afraid to take life as it comes and learn through the process. With every show, regardless of whether it was on her DOOMED tour or this tour with The Veronicas, Stark understands the importance of human connection through music. Seeing faces of music lovers like herself, meeting those who have traveled to see her, and visiting familiar and unfamiliar cities has reminded her that she loves being on the road. “The growth that happens on tour is so important to me as an artist.” Sometimes we have to leave behind what’s familiar in order to rediscover what’s important, and Stark is a proponent of this growth mindset.

Growth doesn’t just happen on tour with Stark — this evolution of herself happens within genre as well, and for Stark there’s no such thing. Since her first release Driftwood in 2017, the artist’s sound has shifted year after year, but in a harmonious way that still feels central to her gothic Americana roots. When asked if she’ll experiment with genre in the future, Stark confidently answers, “I think I’ve only experimented with genre. I don’t think anyone knows what genre I am.” (She calls herself a “horrific hillbilly” — a perfect descriptor.) Steadfast in her belief that we as humans can constantly evolve in our work, Stark thinks it’s antiquated to fit yourself into a certain box and focus on one specific trade in order to succeed. “If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time. I want to experience different things.”

Since Driftwood, a two-song EP rooted in rock and country, Stark has experimented with more robust beats and 808s on DOOMED, and her most recent single “skeleton” features a softer, grungier punk sound. Without fitting into a specific genre, Stark’s music is undoubtedly and wholeheartedly her own, transcending the boundaries of what many artists struggle with when finding their sound. “I don’t think we should have to label ourselves in any way, shape, or form; so I’m not going to. I will continue to make all types of different music.” Fuck yeah.

If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time.

This goes beyond just music — in terms of her personal style, the same mentality applies. We discuss the idea that clothing and dressing is a sort of playground, and personal style comes from within. Stark isn’t about following trends, but rather, she thinks it’s important to tap into different stylistic elements that amplify who we are at our cores. On her DOOMED tour, Stark wore a lot of leather and stuck to a fairly dark color palette. Right now, she’s into more bourgeois satin and lace, experimenting with different textures and wearing things that feel slightly daintier and more delicate. On this current tour with the Veronicas, Stark is making it more of a point to take everything in — absorbing inspiration from every city, writing songs on the road, recording video on a friend’s super 8 camera, styling and wearing new outfits, learning and performing new covers — ultimately growing through the whole experience.

It’s endearing and inspiring how well Stark knows herself. A Los Angeles native, she proudly tells me that the tour finishes on May 5 in her hometown, a show that she’s especially excited for. While we can’t predict what thoughtfully-curated outfit she’ll wear or what songs will be performed, with new music already underway, one thing is clear: Jesse Jo Stark is just getting started.

Music

9lives' Latest Single Continues to Push Sigilkore

April 19, 2024

The versatile artist, producer, and pioneer of the sigilkore genre, 9lives, has recently unveiled his latest single "CANADA" featuring jnhygs. In less than two years since his emergence onto the music scene, 9lives has carved out an impressive niche for himself as a prominent figure within the digitally-driven sigilkore movement. "CANADA" sees him teaming up once again with experimental dance artist jnhygs, following their successful collaboration on "XTAYALIVE".

With aspirations to establish himself within the mainstream arena of experimental music production and artistry, 9lives is blending his distinct dark production style with collaborations with a diverse array of influential artists who trust him to create innovative sonic landscapes. "CANADA" marks his second release of 2024, as 9lives continues to champion the burgeoning sigilkore movement, pushing the boundaries of genre, evolving into a multifaceted artist, and solidifying his status as a rising star with an expanding audience.

Image by Connor Pritchard

Reflecting on their latest project, 9lives shares, “In early 2023 jnhygs found my music and we started chatting through TikTok, releasing our first song together called "XTAYALIVE"." He adds, We’ve been friends since this song had a viral moment, and fans have been heavily requesting for us to work together again all over our videos.” Describing their creative process, he explains, “I sent a bunch of new ideas to jnhygs via Discord and she sent back vocals to “CANADA”, which I then used to create melodic layers and extra percussion to complete the song.

Music

Eclipsed at Vampire Weekend

April 16, 2024

It had been about a week since the goosebump-inducing communal howls at the moon, as it covered the sun through a cloudy Austin, Texas sky, left me needing to take a seat—suspended in awe of the totality of the event and the synergistic break from routine. I overheard someone say, “I mean, it feels like we’re all going to die, but in a way that’s okay, you know?" under the shadow of the eclipse's peak, ceremoniously brought in as the band performed “Jonathan Low,” (in Vampire Weekend's familiar ironic hue) a track they wrote for the third movie in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

It had been five years since the band had released an album. In celebration of their latest album, "Only God Was Above Us," ticket holders wrapped the streets in blocks outside the venue for the band’s first Stateside show in about two years. Event managers searched to replenish the venue’s stock of eclipse glasses, while the band prepped a show reminiscent of 'getting the boys back together again'.

Words and photography by Rianne Akindele

In between newly released songs like “Classical” and “Capricorn”, the boys filled the almost two-hour-long show with old favorites like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Diane Young” and a genre evolved rendition of “Sunflower” as the crowd danced barefoot feeling the Earth’s energy intertwined with their own and the vibrations from the amps on stage. People stole glances at the imminently darkening sky, artists doodled, friends grabbed onto each other to scream the lyrics in each other’s faces, and onlookers from the highest level of the parking garage across the street cheered on in a symphony of nostalgia and anticipation.

Adding to the layers of the celestial afternoon, the band invited to the stage the likes of Thomas Mars from Phoenix, Dave 1 from Chromeo, and guitarist Brian Robert Jones, inducing further levels of indie revival euphoria.

As the show drew to its close, and the zydeco/country-rock “Cocaine Cowboys” medley fiddled through the air, a conversation could be picked up between two sisters in search of their Lyft driver through closed-off streets,

“I wish this happened more often.”
“Eclipses or shows like this?”
“Both.”

It’s moments like these that remind us of our shared humanity and the power of collective experiences; a gathering of souls under the same sky, sharing the joy of music and a wonder of the stars above. Perhaps it’s the rarity that allowed such transcendence, reverence, and gratitude to be felt. Either way, what a beautiful moment in time it was.

Here are a few shots from the Monday afternoon: