Mulatto’s long-awaited name change appears to be official, as her latest, somewhat less controversial moniker is now reflected on Apple Music and now Spotify. Although many fans wanted her to adopt the moniker “Big Latto” — which also served as the title of her second EP — she opted for a more drastic change, reducing the moniker to simply “Latto.” She also seems to be working on new music to commemorate the occasion.
After dropping her name from “Miss Mulatto,” the title under which she appeared on Lifetime’s The Rap Game, where she won the first season, she has shortened her moniker for the second time. Unfortunately, because of the historical connotations of the word “Mulatto,” her rise to prominence over the past year has been met with increased scrutiny and criticism, which she has discussed at many points during the year, including in an exclusive interview with Uproxx, where she explained:
“It’s not about me comparing my ‘struggles of being mixed’ to any other skin tone, any other race, anything like that. It’s just simply me explaining my story. I did experience a different type of upbringing having two completely different cultures. One side of my family cooked this way, talked this way, celebrate this way, traditions is this way, and then one of the sides is different, and as a kid, I was just confused and kind of had to find my way in my identity. It’s just about an experience, and flipping that negative into something positive.”
Some fans were still skeptical, particularly after Latto made some public gaffes in response to the criticism. We’ll see whether she can avoid more opprobrium now that her name change is official — at least on streaming platforms, if not on social media, where the process can be a little more difficult — as her star continues to grow.
