The Atlanta rapper’s second album asserts her confidence and versatility, rounding out the trap beats with tracks that draw on pop, gospel, and R&B sounds.
At 16, Latto won first place on a reality show called The Rap Game, but turned down the prize—an offer to sign with Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def—believing that she was worth more than the deal offered. After a slew of mixtapes, the Clayton County-raised rapper made her breakthrough with the lively 2019 single “Bitch From da Souf,” which became inescapable that summer and led her to sign with RCA for her studio debut, 2020’s Queen of da Souf. Nearly two years later, Latto, now 23, has continued to fine-tune her craft. Personal growth, along with public scrutiny, pushed her to change her stage name from Mulatto to Latto, meant to be short for “lottery” and representative of “a new chapter, good fortune, spiritually and financially.”
With this rebrand, it’s clear that she’s still in the process of finding herself and her sound. She uses her second album, 777, to get reacquainted with fans and position herself for mainstream success. If you weren’t familiar with Latto before, the fiery and combative two-part intro “777 Pt. 1” and “777 Pt. 2” will quickly enlighten you: “Top two, and bitch, I ain’t number two/Real rap back and Latto is the proof,” she asserts.
This newfound confidence allows her to venture away from her comfort zone and explore a more diverse selection of beats across the 13-track project, with mixed success. Lead single “Big Energy” aims to showcase her range with a fresh twist on Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love,” but misses the mark. The song sounds almost like a jingle, and Latto’s bars aren’t strong enough to revive the concept of “big dick energy,” a meme that by now feels a bit dated. “Real One” is a classic Pharrell production, with a bouncy, playful beat, but Latto’s flow makes an awkward fit, and her description of a relationship gone sour keeps the details at surface level.
She’s more triumphant at flaunting her versatility on “Sunshine,” an unexpected feel-good anthem Latto has described as “hood gospel.” She goes toe to toe with guests Lil Wayne and Childish Gambino, venting about past betrayals and feeling grateful to move beyond them. “They use my couch when they needed the therapy,” she raps, then pivots to sing the hook: “I just let the sun shine on me.” It feels like the first warm summer day in the hood, having fun on the block with your people. It’s a fresh sound for Latto and one of the album’s high points.
Opposite the more pop-influenced, upbeat tracks are R&B sounds—“Sleep Sleep,” which samples Twista’s “Get It Wet,” and “Like a Thug,” with Lil Durk—that offer a peek at a softer, more sultry side of Latto. She also taps into her more usual trap beats, saving some of her best rapping for the hard-hitting “Trust No Bitch” and “Stepper,” featuring Nardo Wick. 777 proves that Latto is a formidable force, though there’s still work to do to realize her full potential. If she hasn’t quite nailed down a winning sound, she’s willing to take some big gambles.
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