Latto success, rivalry, and backlash

Alyssa Michelle Stephen, better known by her stage names Latto and Big Latto is an Atlanta, Georgia-based rapper.

Big Latto made her television debut in 2016 on the reality show The Rap Game, which was hosted by record producer Jermaine Dupri and rapper Queen Latifah.

The young artist was known as Miss Mulatto and won the first season.

For the rapper, the name Mulatto has always been a source of controversy. A 15-year-old Mullatto had hoped to change the negative connotation of the word into a good connotation when competing on the Rap Game 2016 show.

Regrettably, she may have underestimated the difficulty of the task.

Due to the moniker's negative origins as an offensive term to describe mixed-race people, she changed her name from Mulatto to Latto.

Despite the fact that she changed her name to Latto early this year, she still gets asked about her previous nickname.

Latto took to Twitter on Wednesday, December 29 after a fan inquired about the meaning of her name. The rapper wondered if the old name “Mulatto” would ever be forgotten.

“Y'all not over this yet?” Latto reacted. “I've apologized for it multiple times even tho I didn't name myself at 8yo. I took the blame/accountability, turned over a new leaf & made sum positive of it.. all while maintaining my trademarks, LLCs, etc w/o branching too far off my established brand.”

Y'all not over this yet? I've apologized for it multiple times even tho I didn't name myself at 8yo. I took the blame/accountability, turned over a new leaf & made sum positive of it.. all while maintaining my trademarks, LLCs etc w/o branching too far off my established brand❤️ https://t.co/H5RxQNUXHi

— BIG LATTO 🎰 (@Latto) December 30, 2021

As the year draws to a close, Hip-Hop fans were treated to a new feud between Latto and a new artist who goes by the name Big Indo.

The feud started after Cleveland rapper Big Indo claimed that Latto stole her song and her looks.

Latto went right to the booth after Cleveland rapper Big Indo accused her of stealing her song, and she dropped her own version of Kodak Black's “Super Gremlin” with her “Super Gremlin Freestyle.”

Never too famous to hop on these beats and remind em Big Latto as BIG AS IT GETS!!! 💨 https://t.co/rXpE3ENRYZ pic.twitter.com/jwlZ4MNwB0

— BIG LATTO 🎰 (@Latto) December 27, 2021

Latto debuted with No More Talking in February 2016, before teaming up with Lil Niqo of The Rap Game for the collaboration hit Tough on the Internet.

The 23 years old rapper also received the Georgia Music Awards' Youth Hip Hop and R&B Award in 2016, the same year she released her first mixtape, Miss Mulatto.

In 2019, the American rapper had a breakthrough with her single Bitch from da Souf and was signed to Sony-owned record label RCA Records.

Billboard's Top 100 charted “Bitch from da Souf” at number 95. Latto followed up with the track Muwop, starring Gucci Mane, after releasing a remix of the song with Saweetie and Trina rappers.

Latto has been consistent for years, and this year she has had a lot of success, especially with the release of her new single “Big Energy.”