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Mulatto

Mulatto

ALL ARTIST INFO IS PULLED FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
IF YOU REPRESENT THIS ARTIST AND WOULD LIKE TO VERIFY YOUR PAGE OR UPDATE THE INFO, Click Here
birthday
22nd
December, 1998
Birth Place
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Birth Sign
sagittarius
Biography

Latto, formerly known as Mulatto, is an American rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia. Born Alyssa Michelle Stephens on December 22, 1998, in Columbus, Ohio, she relocated to Georgia with her parents when she was just two years old. 

Her parents, Mitsi Pitts and Shayne Pitts, are a mixed couple, which inspired Alyssa to rap under the moniker Miss Mulatto. She eventually changed her name after the word was deemed outdated. 

As Latto, Stephens is best known for her stint on The Rap Game, a competitive TV show hosted by Jermaine Dupri and Queen Latifah. Alyssa ended up winning the show, which earned her a record deal with So So Def Records, which she ended up declining. Instead of signing to a label, Latto opted to stay independent. 

The young rapper’s indie status hasn’t stopped her from soaring to success—she’s broken through into the mainstream with hits like “Bitch from da Souf,” “Muwop,” and more. She’s now been nominated for numerous awards, including Best New Hip-Hop Artist at the 2020 BETs. Her first full-length record, Queen of the Souf, dropped on December 22, 2020, Alyssa’s birthday.

Want to learn more about Latto and the path she took to success? NoCap has all the facts right here.

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instruments played
vocal
Also Known As

Miss Mulatto Mulatto Latto

Birth Name

Alyssa Michelle Stephens

Genres

Hip hop trap Southern hip hop

Labels

RCA Streamcut Pittstop

Occupations

Rapper singer songwriter

Origin

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Website

www.biglatto.com

Years Active

2016 present

Name

Mulatto

Nationality

American

Wiki Link

Latto: The Bio

Growing up in Clayton County, Georgia, Alyssa Stephens endured bullying for being a “light-skinned” Black person. The bullying didn’t stop Alyssa from deciding at just ten years old to become a rapper, a goal that she achieved just a few years later. 

First Taste of Success

After competing on The Rap Game and winning, Alyssa dropped her debut single, “No More Talking,” in February of 2016. The same year, she was featured on fellow Rap Game contestant Niqo’s track “Tough on the Internet.” She started making a name for herself when she was honored at the Georgia Music Awards and put out her debut mixtape, Miss Mulatto, in October 2016.  In April of 2017, she released “Latto Let Em Know,” her second mixtape. Guests on the mixtape included Silento, Molly Brazy, Lil Key, and Crucial. One of the most notable songs on the mixtape was “Response Diss,” a track targeting Young Lyric, another contestant on The Rap Game. Stephens gained notoriety for her ability to viciously roast other rappers, and she started becoming a sought-after collaborator in the hip-hop scene. In late 2017, Stephens dropped Time and Pressure, her first EP, still performing as Miss Mulatto at the time. It wasn’t until 2018 that she shortened her moniker to Mulatto, releasing a self-titled mixtape that same year.

Breaking Through Into the Mainstream

When 2019 rolled around, Alyssa dropped her most successful song yet—“Bitch from da Souf.” The track made it to No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning Mulatto the chance to perform at Rolling Loud, a Miami hip-hop festival. “Bitch from da Souf” got a Gold certification from the RIAA and was later remixed with guest appearances from Saweetie and Trina.  In 2020, Alyssa got a deal with RCA Records, then promptly started releasing singles. That year she collaborated with Gucci Mane on the track “Muwop,” appeared in a Cardi B music video, and was listed in XXL’s 2020’s Freshman Class. In August 2020, Mulatto released her first full-length record, Queen of da Souf. The album features “Bitch from the Souf,” along with several other singles, including “Muwop,” “On God,” “In n Out,” and “Sex Lies.  Featuring production work from a host of acclaimed beatmakers, including Murda Beatz, Hitmaka, Jae Roc, and more, the album made it to No. 44 on the Billboard 200. Guests on Queen of da Souf include Lil Baby, 42 Dugg, 21 Savage, City Girls, and Gucci Mane.

Why the Name Change?

In 2021, Alyssa opted to change her stage name from Mulatto to just “Latto.” The name change came in response to Stephens’ concerns about the implications of the word, which has, in recent years, been classified as offensive. In addition, Alyssa told Billboard that she wanted to make sure she wasn’t perpetuating colorism or being divisive. It’s definitely not the first time an artist has chosen to change their name in an effort to be as culturally sensitive as possible. In addition, name changes aren’t uncommon in the world of rap and hip-hop. However, some of the better-known examples of artists changing their names for the sake of political correctness come from other genres—namely country.  For example, two of country music’s biggest acts, Lady Antebellum and The Dixie Chicks, changed their names in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the racist roots of their monikers. They’re now known as Lady A and The Chicks, respectively.  Changing her name in the face of major success is not something that Alyssa takes lightly, but she believes it’s the best thing to do for the sake of avoiding making a negative impact on listeners. "I want them to also understand that the name change at this level in your career is a big decision," she told Billboard. "Freaking investors, labels, everything has been riding on this name, so it is a big decision."

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