Latto has shared new details about becoming a first-time mum while promoting her new album Big Mama.
The American rapper and singer joined Capital XTRA Breakfast hosts Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie to discuss the record, revealing how pregnancy influenced her creativity, what surprised her most about giving birth and how she works with partner 21 Savage.
Speaking about collaborating with 21 Savage, Latto suggested getting him on a track is a straightforward process. Asked what it is like working with him, she said: “I just be like ‘get on this song’.”
When Shayna joked that it sounds more like a statement than a question, Latto replied: “Mhm, yeah, it’s a statement more than a question.”
Robert also asked whether 21 Savage still receives royalties for appearing on her songs. Latto confirmed: “Royalties, yeah, yeah.”
The rapper also revealed there is more music on the way with Manchester artist Nemzz after they previously worked together: “I love Nemzz, he’s so talented. I don’t know if I’m supposed to say this but we got another one on the way too.”
Asked what had surprised her most about motherhood, Latto admitted the experience of labour was much tougher than she expected after planning an unmedicated water birth.
She said: “Maybe the pain, cause I went in with the expectations of an unmedicated water birth, girl please.
“Yeah no, I got to eight centimetres and was screaming like get me out this pool and bring the epidural. So yeah, that’s the only thing that I wasn’t really expecting. I thought I had a high pain tolerance, but that’s a different type of pain.”
The conversation also included whether she would like more children in the future. Latto said she is undecided despite describing the birth of her daughter as the best day of her life.
She explained: “Oh I don’t know. She’s so perfect. I would but then I’d be like oh. That day was the best day of my life but the most painful day of my life too so I don’t know, we gotta wait for her to get a little older maybe, we gotta revisit that.”
After Shayna suggested she might eventually forget the pain, Latto laughed: “That’s true, but except the thing is I got it on video, so I can always go back and remember.”
Latto also revealed that much of Big Mama was created during her pregnancy and believes that period helped shape the album: “Pretty much, yeah. I mean I was recording before obviously, but I feel like I found my streamline of creativity when I got pregnant.”
Tune into Capital XTRA Breakfast with Robert Bruce & Shayna Marie weekdays from 6:30am-10:00am, also available on the Global Player app.