Latto recently shed light on the pitfalls women in rap often face, especially regarding fan-fueled feuds.
During an interview with XXL‘s Vanessa Satten, the “Big Energy” hitmaker highlighted the detrimental role of stan culture in exacerbating conflicts between women in hip hop. She pinpointed interactions with followers as a primary catalyst for turning admiration among artists into rivalry.
“It really don’t be a problem until we let fans, stans, whatever you want to call them, like the outsiders once they get in the mix. I think that’s what stirs the pot,” Latto explained. “Because it’s like, we will all be fans of each other and commenting and following each other, whatever, but then once they get to comparing, they will turn us against each other, which is very weak-minded of us as female rappers.”
The musician also underscored the influence supporters can have in manipulating artists’ perceptions, leading to unnecessary conflicts. “I think we be falling for these traps that they put on female rappers,” she added.
The full interview dove deeper into Latto’s views on industry cliquishness and the advice she offered to former collaborator Lola Brooke. The Queen of Da Souf artist also discussed how the debate over her sampling of Waka Flocka Flame’s “Grove St. Party” in her recent single “Issa Party” exemplified fan-driven controversies.
Instead of opting for legal action, Waka praised the song. He tweeted, “Flattery at [its] highest… Never understood, why rob these youngsters for showing us respect? Plus, [Latto] from Clayton County.”
2023 has been a major year for Latto. Alongside her new music releases, she made history by participating in the fastest single to hit a billion streams on Spotify with Jung Kook’s “Seven.” It landed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in July, marking her first No. 1 single.