Latto says while female rappers must work 10 times harder than their male counterparts, women are currently running the game.
The “Lottery” hitmaker opened up about female rap and her place in the game during a new interview with XXL.
“The state of where female rap is right now, it’s so front and center,” Latto explained. “It’s crazy that it hasn’t been done before. It’s super-necessary. Super-urgent. Women are running rap right now. Everything about hip-hop is centered around women, in my opinion. We what the people wanna see. So, it’s damn near necessary, urgent.”
Latto On Becoming “First Lady Of Atlanta”
Elsewhere during the interview, Latto said that while she’s the “frontrunner for female rap in Atlanta,” there’s more work to be done before she achieves her dream of being the city’s “First Lady” of rap.
“Generations after this will know who Latto is and will respect Latto as First Lady of Atlanta,” she declared. “Right now, I think I got in the bag. But I’m never content with the moment. I’m always a what’s-gon’-to-happen-in-the- long-run type of person.”
Latto also revealed her goals extended further than a career behind the microphone, and she hopes to own a record label.
“I think I have a good eye and ear for new talent because I built my career from the ground up,” she said. “Music is how I got my foot in the door, but I think I am way bigger than music.”
For Latto, being the “First Lady of Atlanta” is more than the biggest female artist in the city, community support is a crucial element.
“Atlanta supports me because of what I do for the city,” she said, adding that residents saw her come up, performing at high school pep rallies and opening shows for the likes of 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, or T.I., or Jeezy, Young Thug and 21 Savage.
“They seen me grow up and pay my dues,” she continued. “And I throw a lot of charity events. I’m pulling up at my old high school, donating money. The city genuinely supports me.”
In other Latto news, she bagged her first Billboard Music Award this weekend. She collected the best K-Pop song trophy for “Seven,” her collaboration with Jung Kook.