In a candid new interview with Apple Music, Latto has opened up about the personal challenges that led to her recent, widely discussed announcement that she was retiring from the rap game. Speaking with journalist Nedeska Alexis, the Atlanta-based artist acknowledged that she was navigating the complexities of motherhood for the first time while simultaneously managing the pressures of releasing her latest album, Big Mama.
The rapper, who recently welcomed a baby girl with 21 Savage, explained that the weight of these life changes caused her to reach a breaking point. “I was overwhelmed. I’m experiencing motherhood for the first time. I’m dropping my album, my last album that I owe the label. So, it’s just like I was going through it that day,” she shared. “Today’s a good day. I wouldn’t say I’m retiring today. Talk to me next week and I might say, ‘Nah, that sh*t was for real.'”
Latto emphasized that her public declaration was a moment of vulnerability rather than a calculated career move. “I’m going through it. And hey, listen, I crashed. It is what it is,” she continued. “I’m not trying to be perfect anymore. I crashed. It is what it is.”
The artist, who officially confirmed the birth of her daughter on May 18, has channeled these raw emotions into her new project. On the track “Mama,” featuring Jelly Roll, she offers a heartfelt tribute to her newborn, rapping, “Now you look just like your daddy, but you got my curls/Can’t believe my life right now, I feel on top of the world.”