Fans who have kept up with Latto are more than familiar with her sister, Brooklyn Nikole. The rapper has had a meteoric rise within the last few years, but Latto has been grinding at her career since she was a child. With over a decade of work under her belt, the “Big Energy” hitmaker’s family knows all too well what it has taken for Latto to succeed. Behind the scenes, she’s Alyssa Stephens, while to the world, she’s a global, award-winning superstar. In their candid conversation for Apple Music 1, Latto and Brooklyn have a sisterly chit-chat for the world to dissect.
Recently, Latto announced she would join the ranks of other rappers with their own shows. She partnered with Apple Music 1 to deliver 777 Radio, and in its most recent episode, it’s a family affair. Latto and Brooklyn discuss the Pop-Rap star’s career goals, hectic schedule, Latto-chella, going under the knife, and family dynamics. They also touch on dating, but it doesn’t look like Latto is giving any more details regarding the identity of her mysterious beau. Read the highlights below and watch the sisters on Latto’s 777 Radio on Apple Music 1.
Latto-chella Takeover
Latto: It gave like special guests. The girls. It gave new music. It gave choreo, it gave a b*tch could never. Thank you so, so, so much to Teyana Taylor. And the Aunties. Coco, I effing love you, b*tch. Jasper. I got a whole new creative direction team and I really been investing in myself and it shows—six to eight-hour rehearsals.
Brooklyn Nikole: She’s a hard worker. She don’t play because she was in there as soon as she got up. She leaving, not coming home ’til like, three o’clock in the morning. Because you be working all day and you got to remember that choreo. And what people don’t know about you, you very involved. The DJs, the sound people, everything.
Family Dynamics In The Spotlight
Latto: I got my sister in here. Let’s talk about family. The whole family. We got same mama, same daddy. … Mommy is our everything. They see our Christmas videos and whatever, and they [say], “Oh, it’s the three of y’all,” da da da. But, no sad sh*t, but I want you to talk from a daddy perspective. Because people think they seen us on The Rap Game, whatever. They don’t know how much this career path affects family as well. Funny sh*t aside, I haven’t necessarily spoken to my daddy in probably two years, probably two years now.
Latto: It changes the relationships of everyone around you. A lot of times, I feel guilty, and I’m like, “Damn, my sister got to deal with all this bullsh*t. This not even her career choice. My mama got to deal with all this bullsh*t.”
Brooklyn Nikole: And I think for me, because people, of course, always want to say, “You wouldn’t have this without your sister,” da da da. It’s inevitable. I’m going to always hear that because this is your career. You’re famous. What the f*ck?
Latto: Yeah. And just as much as you get defensive over me, I get defensive over you and everybody else that I love. Because I be like, “Who? I’m not passing around allowances around this b*tch.” “She getting this on her own. You see her throwing a thousand in the club, baby. That’s her money. Please, that’s Beauty by Brooklyn.”
Sisterhood & Women Supporting Women
Brooklyn Nikole: You know what I love? You use your platform to bring up other women. Like Coachella, you had the girls on your radio show, you be having the girls. … Because you is a girl’s girl. But even between us two, you really be loving the girls. We be having conversations. So, what do you feel like inspired you to be so involved with other girls in the industry?
Latto: You know what? I always say this: I feel like it really started from my foundation. I come from a one-sibling household, and that’s a sister. So really, sisterhood is embedded in me. I look at women like my sister, I don’t know how to explain it. I look at Rap, female Rap, like a sisterhood because I come from a tight relationship with my sister, a tight relationship with my mama. So, it come from just literally being a fan and not being shady or not being what people expect women to be. Not being what people set the tone for women to be.
Latto: Bring other women up and really put them on game, because I really wish someone would have put me under that wing. Had that hospitality and really showed me, “This how it go, girl. Hit me whenever you are going through whatever you going through.” Yeah, friendly energy in this game, because all the time, it’s this person versus this person. But it really be like we all go through the same sh*t and only we understand the sh*t that we go through.
So it’s really a sisterhood. I keep going back to sisterhood. Because nobody else know what it feels like to be dealing with this bullsh*t, trying to get a feature cleared on the back end. We the only people that understand each other’s struggles in this industry. So, I just be trying to do my little part and put the girls on however I can. I don’t know much, but I know a little something. When I’m doing Coachella, and I have these platforms like 777 Radio on Apple motherf*cking Music, you know what I’m saying? I want to interview my girls, and I want to include my girls however which way I can.
Cosmetic Surgery
Latto: Because a b*tch be looking natural, because this one thing about it, if you going to do it, do it right. I’m going to do it right. I did it right. For a girl who have little tweaky tweaks, I be on your case about not touching nothing.
Brooklyn Nikole: Which I think people wouldn’t think. I think people think just because somebody has surgery, they just encourage everybody else to get it. “You need to get this, you need…” you don’t do that. You be telling me, “Don’t touch your body. Don’t touch your face.”
Latto: I’m telling you. I’m telling you—to all the young girls listening, all the women listening right now. I’m telling you from someone who’s been there, done it. Find peace within your natural state. Because you’re going to find a flaw and another flaw and another flaw and another flaw. Surgery, any of that stuff, is not a permanent fix.
Brooklyn Nikole: But how do you feel about people speaking on women with surgery, making them feel like they can’t speak about their bodies, like, “Oh, I look good.” And if you say that, they’re like, “Well girl, you got a BBL,” “Girl, you got a da da da.”
Latto: I don’t like that either, though. I don’t like that either. I’m a very much advocate for women in general. Surgery, natural, whatever. However you want to play it, just make sure that’s what you comfortable with. But I just think surgery is so popular now. That’s the most thing I be trying to remind you of. Don’t be so gullible for the social media traps and whatever, because you never going to be good enough for the outsider’s eye.
When I didn’t have my surgery, they’re like, “Oh, she shaped like her white side.” What the f*ck do that even mean? For real, what do that even mean? And then when I got the surgery, it is, “Oh, she’s botched,” “Oh, it’s too heavy.” You’re never going to win. So just find peace within yourself, whatever you want to do, do that. And you’re one of the people who I be like, “I promise you, without the pressure on you, you would love yourself.”
Dating & Demanding Loyalty
(@latto777)Brooklyn Nikole: I’m single, but I be doing my little thing or whatever. Not really though. Not for real. I don’t really be doing my thing for real, but you know, I be having me a little lookie, yeah, yeah.
Latto: Your girl in love or whatever. [Brooklyn says, “Oh, she’s in love. So do you want to get married? Do you see yourself getting married?”] I do. I do. I’m big into marriage, and…you know what I’m saying? I want to do stuff the traditional way. And it might be because we come from a two-parent household. Being together forever don’t mean it’s perfect, either.
I’m learning from my parents, learning from my own experiences, whatever. I want to do stuff the traditional way, getting married, have a baby. But dead for real, my biggest thing is loyalty. And that’s really with anyone around me, everyone around me. My day one dawg is now my road manager. My day one dawg is now my assistant.