Latto

A few days ago, Latto stopped by Big Boy’s Neighborhood for an interview to promote her upcoming album 777. It was here that she revealed that a male artist on her album made it “difficult to clear” their guest verse because she did not answer an Instagram DM from them. It’s presumed that this male artist was shooting their shot with Latto with the Instagram message. After her comments, people on social media tried their best to guess who the artist in question was, but as of today, Latto has yet to give confirmation on who they are. Instead, she expressed some regret for speaking out against the shady male collaborator.

It came during an interview on The Breakfast Club, where Latto explained why she was regretting her initial comments. “My intentions was not to, like, make this a whole thing,” she said on the show. “I just was looking at it as, like, I’m a new female rapper in the game. I wish somebody could have gave me some insight about how this stuff really goes.” She added, “You hear, like, ‘Oh, female rappers have it harder.’ But I really wanted to give a little insight as to what specifically makes it harder for a female rapper. I didn’t want it to distract from the music or anything so I kind of wish, in a way, I didn’t say that.”

Latto continued, “I’m not here to raise nobody. “I’m just speaking on, like, it’s what I go through. And I think I’m allowed to do that to a certain extent. Social media is trying to turn it into this thing that’s like, oh, I’m ‘trying to clout chase’ or silence my experiences. I think it’s hard to know when you should and shouldn’t speak up.”

After Latto unveiled the tracklist for 777, many fans concluded that the male collaborator in question was Kodak Black, who has a past that includes sexual assault allegations and highly inappropriate comments. In a tweet, Kodak denied that it was him that Latto was referring to, and during her appearance on The Breakfast Club, Latto was asked directly if it was Kodak she was talking about.

“I don’t wanna say who it was,” she replied. “I just feel like…it’s gonna distract from the music and my intentions is not to get anyone dragged or anything. I just wanted to speak from, like, what do I deal with? I don’t specifically want someone to, you know, get dragged.”

You can watch Latto’s full interview on The Breakfast Club above.

777 is out 3/25 via RCA. You can pre-save it here.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

This Friday, two years after the release of her debut album, Latto will release its follow-up, 777, which she’s spent the last few months hyping with singles like “Big Energy,” “Soufside,” and “Wheelie” featuring 21 Savage. With just a few days to go, the Atlanta rising star shared the tracklist for 777, which defies industry conventions by clocking in at a relatively trim 13 tracks. Features on the album include Childish Gambino(!), Kodak Black, Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, Nardo Wick, and a mystery feature on the remix of “Big Energy,” Latto’s most commercially successful single to date.

Now that the tracklist is out, though, fans can’t help but speculate which of Latto’s male guests was the one she called out during a recent interview for withholding clearance over a direct message. “It’s a feature on my album… it was difficult to clear,” she told LA radio personality Big Boy. “They tryna drop they nuts on me because I won’t respond to a DM.”

Due to his previous misogynistic behavior and comments, many fans are sure it was Kodak Black who stalled the process, with responses ranging from outrage on her behalf to shading her for featuring him after those comments were made in the first place. For his part, though, Kodak denied the accusations from fans on his own Twitter, leaving just a handful of names to choose from… and perhaps that mystery guest.

In any case, 777 is due 3/25 on RCA.