A pregnancy announcement for young Black female musicians once signaled a decline in relevance. Or, maybe worse, their motherhood was forced into secrecy.
Brandy, a 90s R&B mainstay, lied about marrying her daughter’s father in the early aughts for fear of tainting her stardom. Skilled soprano Shanice claimed she was dropped from her label in 2000 because of a pregnancy in her late 20s. Solange’s teen motherhood is often an afterthought.
Within the past decade, however, outcomes for young Black female musicians-turned-mothers have improved. Cardi B, who had her first child three months after releasing her debut album, subsequently won a Grammy, continued scoring No. 1 hits and launched a successful solo tour — and went on to have three more kids. At 23, Halle Bailey became a mom and has since earned her first solo Grammy nomination and starred in hit films.
Unlike their predecessors, contemporary Black women in music can reveal pregnancies on their own terms — free of personal shame and professional repercussions.
It’s hard to not think of this context when listening to Clayton County’s Latto, who, at 27, revealed her pregnancy earlier this year by announcing her fourth project “Big Mama” (and later reneging on it being her “retirement album”). But the music is too disjointed to enjoy.
With 18 tracks, “Big Mama” is taut with prosaic romantic raps that weaken the album’s bright spots.
Credit: Album artwork courtesy of Streamcut/RCA
Credit: Album artwork courtesy of Streamcut/RCA
“Tell me that I’m your one and only/Your bae, your b----, your homie,” Latto pleads on “Gimme Dat” over synths reminiscent of 80s quiet storm. The lines make a strong case to be the album’s thesis — exposing the subtle insecurities of a lover girl who seemingly yearns for her partner’s reassurance.
On “Fallin,” a track oversaturated with pop ambitions, she echoes that sentiment, directing her suitor to “catch me ‘cause I’m falling for you.”
“Anxious” (featuring R&B newcomer Odeal and afrobeats superstar Wizkid) has lyrics describing it as a “dance song,” but its nervous bars are anything but fun (“Think you lyin’ when you tell me I’m the only one,” Latto raps in the first verse). The lyrics become more perplexing when thinking about the likely inspiration: Atlanta rapper 21 Savage, who’s rumored to be the father of her baby (he recently posted a picture of a faceless newborn, fueling the speculation).
The pair have been romantically linked for at least five years. Although neither has publicly confirmed the relationship, an abundance of online evidence (from tattoos to vacationing in St. Vincent) suggests they’re together. 21 Savage is featured on the Isley Brothers-sampling “Hostage,” which isn’t notable for much except exhibiting how toxic their relationship could be: Latto’s elastic delivery on being a ride-or-die is met with 21 Savage’s uninspired lines about how well a woman should please him.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
There are moments when Latto’s amorous themes nail the landing, though. On the Doja Cat-assisted “Okayyy,” the album’s best track, Latto’s penchant for melodic rap makes her lover girl antics more tolerable (though Doja Cat’s scintillating verse does most of the heavy lifting).
Latto is at her best when she leans on her rugged braggadocio, which made her last album “Sugar Honey Iced Tea,” her best to date.
“Onnat” (which cleverly samples Big Boi’s “Kryptonite”) and “Chrome Heart Diaper Bag” are the lone songs on “Big Mama” that successfully capture Latto’s skills.
Though “Business & Personal” attempts to replicate the introspection contributing to her previous album’s success, the song’s structure can easily be described as a “Big Mama” (her Grammy-nominated 2024 single) copycat. “Mama” similarly falls flat, sounding as incongruent as a Latto and Jelly Roll collaboration reads on paper.
Credit: Robb Cohen for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Robb Cohen for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The elements fueling female rap’s soaring dominance — the sizzling bars on sexual autonomy and one-upping a foe (especially if said foe is a man) that soundtrack many Instagram posts, the fun and flamboyant energy detailing a high-maintenance lifestyle, the immediate crossover appeal — have encapsulated Latto’s artistry since she was a teenager. She’s become a pioneering Atlanta female rapper while doing so.
But “Big Mama” does nothing to advance that fact. Instead, it’s often a cheesy embodiment of the “my man, my man, my man” meme from an adept rapper who has much more to offer.
Heat Check is a monthly music column where AJC culture reporter DeAsia Paige explores the temperature of Georgia’s buzzing, expansive music scene — via the people and places within it. The column includes music news, trends and any Georgia-related music that DeAsia is listening to. If you’re a Georgia artist and have music you want to be considered for this column — or if you just want to talk music — feel free to send an email to deasia.paige@ajc.com. If you’d like to receive Heat Check via email, sign up here. Below is a June playlist:
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