Latto On Manifesting Motherhood: 'I'm Not Going To Feel Like I Made It For Real Until I Have Kids, I'm Married'
Rapper Alyssa "Latto" Stephens is baring her soul like never before by offering a glimpse into her love life and unveiling her aspirations of becoming a mother.
The 24-year-old rose to fame in 2016 after winning the first season of Lifetime's competition series The Rap Game, produced by Jermaine Dupri. Immediately following the show, Stephens would continue to release music and landed her big break in 2019 with "B--h from da Souf." The track ultimately earned the emcee her first entry on Billboard's Hot 100 charts in 2020.
That same year, Stephens released her debut album Queen of da Souf. Since then, the lyricist's stardom has only skyrocketed from there after dropping her second studio album, 777, in 2022. The album featured her Grammy-nominated single "Big Energy" and "It's Givin."
At the height of her success with her recent track "Put It On Da Floor," Stephens sat down with Cosmopolitan magazine for the publication's Skin Issue cover story. In the June interview, Stephens revealed why she keeps her relationship away from the spotlight and why she considers motherhood the most significant achievement.
Latto On Keeping Her Relationship Private
Although there are few details surrounding the "Muwop" rapper's romantic partner, news outlets report that Stephens is dating fellow rapper 21 Savage and has been for years. (Last weekend, 21 Savage brought out Latto and Cardi B during his performance at Hot 107.9’s Birthday Bash in Atlanta.)
Despite the claims, neither party has addressed the rumors. In the discussion with Cosmopolitan, Stephens shared that she doesn't publicly talk about her relationship or disclose her boyfriend's identity because it's something she wants to keep sacred.
"If something is special to me, I'm going to keep it close to me because everything else has to be front and center about my life," she said.
When asked if Stephens ever thought about having her partner see her perform onstage, "The Biggest" lyricist explained that although it has crossed her mind a few times, she values her privacy a lot more.
"I be thinking that, but my privacy is more important. I can't have people putting two and two together," she stated. "This is the longest relationship I've ever been in."
Latto On Motherhood
As the topic shifted to motherhood, Stephens revealed that she can't wait to experience that next chapter in her life because of its impact.
Stephens added that she idolizes motherhood so much that she constantly watches TikTok videos about mothers and finds opportunities to spoil friends and family members with children by purchasing lavish gifts.
"I want to be a mom so bad. Let me tell you, I think moms are superheroes. Man, I literally idolize motherhood. Like, with Mother's Day, I get all my friends that have kids, my grandmas, my aunties, cousins, anyone who's a mom around me, I send them flowers and gifts. I don't play," she said.
"I send my assistant to Chanel to get, like, 10 bags for everybody I know. I'm obsessed. My TikTok algorithm is all moms talking about their experiences and packing like, 'Get ready with me.' Moms cleaning up after their kids. It's so weird."
Further into the interview, Stephens disclosed that despite all the professional success she has accomplished over the years, she still feels like she has yet to reach her greatest potential, at least in her personal life.
"I'm not going to feel like I made it for real until I have my kids, I'm married, I just got my house out in the country, and I'm just ducked off with my little family," she said.
Stephens wrapped up her remarks by praising other female artists, including Rihanna, Cardi B., and Yung Miami, for showcasing that motherhood doesn't hinder one's career and inspiring her when she decides to become a mother.
"That's why I love RiRi down. Cardi did it too. And Yung Miami. I feel like they kind of supersede the stigma that it's over for women when you have a baby—like your career is over," she stated. "They give me inspiration for real. They make me feel like I can do it too one day when the time is right, you feel me?"
Feature image by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
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Quinta Brunson Gets Real About Divorce, Boundaries & Becoming
Quinta Brunson is the woman who chooses herself, even when the world is watching. And in her June 30 cover story for Bustle, she gives us a rare glimpse into the soft, centered place she's navigating her life from now. From leading one of television's most beloved series in the last decade to quietly moving through life shifts, the creator of Abbott Elementary is walking through a personal evolution and doing so with intention, grace, and a firm grip on her boundaries.
Back in March, the 35-year-old filed for divorce from Kevin Jay Anik after nearly three years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences." The news hit the headlines of news outlets fast, but Quinta hadn't planned to announce their dissolution to the public so quickly.
Quinta Brunson On Divorce, Public Scrutiny & Sacred Boundaries
"I remember seeing people be like, ‘She announced her divorce,’" she told Bustle. “I didn’t announce anything. I think people have this idea that people in the public eye want the public to know their every move. None of us do. I promise you. No one wants [everyone] to know when you buy a house, when you move, when a major change happens in your personal life. It’s just that that’s public record information."
In regards to her private moves becoming tabloid fodder, Quinta continued, "I hated that. I hate all of it."
"I Am An Artist First": Quinta On Cutting Her Hair & Reclaiming Herself
Still, the diminutive phenom holds her crown high in the face of change and is returning to the essence of who she is, especially as an artist. "Cutting my hair reminded me that I am an artist first. I want to feel things. I want to make choices. I want to be a person, and not just stuck in having to be a certain way for business." It's giving sacred rebirth. It's giving self-liberation. It's especially giving main character energy.
And while the headlines keep spinning their narratives, the one that Quinta is focused on is her own. For her, slowing down and nourishing herself in ways that feed her is what matters. "It’s a transitional time. I think it’s true for me and my personal life, and it’s how I feel about myself, my career, and the world," Quinta shared with Bustle. “I feel very serious about focusing on watering my own gardens, taking care of myself and the people around me who I actually interact with day-to-day."
That includes indulging in simple rituals that ground her like "making myself a meal" which has become "really, really important to me."
That spirit of agency doesn't stop at the personal. In her professional world, as the creator, executive producer, and lead actress of the critically-acclaimed Abbott Elementary, Quinta understands the weight her choices carry, both on- and off-screen. She revealed to Bustle, "People used to tell me at the beginning of this that the No. 1 on the call sheet sets the tone, and the producer sets the tone — and I’m both of those roles."
She continued, "I understand now, after doing this for four years, how important it was that I set the tone that I did when we first started."
Quinta doesn't just lead, she understands the importance of curating the energy of any space she enters. Even amid a season of shifts and shedding, her power speaks loudly. Sometimes that power looks like quiet resistance. Sometimes that power is soft leadership.
And sometimes that power looks like cutting your hair and taking back your name in rooms that have forgotten you were an artist long before you were a brand.
Read Quinta's cover story on Bustle here to witness the fullness of Quinta's becoming.
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