Latto

Alyssa Michelle Stephens (born December 22, 1998), known professionally as Latto (formerly known as Mulatto), is an American rapper and singer from Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Jung Kook'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 777 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.