Latto is her name, but you can also call her Big Mama, an alter ego she's created in alignment with her newfound sense of self and value.
“Everybody respect Big Mama. You don’t play with Big Mama because she’s gonna put belt to a**. That’s the energy," she tells Ebony of her character, whose name shares a title with her now-Grammy nominated song, up for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
The song has a special meaning to Latto, who recalls the people who doubted her and the song when it came out. “I think ‘Big Mama’ has just allowed me to just redeem myself, build up my confidence to an all-time high, and just have built this wall between me and outside commentary to where it’s nothing you can say that will make me feel less than myself,” Latto says. “This is my chance to redeem myself as in, to myself.”
The album that houses the song, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, also displays her growth as a woman, one who is finally reaping the benefits of her hard work.
“I feel like my whole career has been that – growing pains – and people telling me what I should and shouldn’t do,” says Latto. “So many times, I would let them get in my head, like, ‘This not popping off fast enough’ or this person surpassed me. But you just really do have to trust God’s plan and God’s timing because, you know, I’m so grateful for my journey now."
She continues, "I feel like me having this slow and steady incline has been more beneficial to me than just blowing up super fast and then setting this high tone that I’m forever gonna be chasing in my career. You know what I’m saying? I’m grateful for the baby steps.”