Latto Ethnicity: African American and White Roots of the Atlanta Rapper
Table of Contents
- Quick Facts About Latto
- What Is Latto’s Ethnicity?
- Latto’s Father’s Ethnicity
- Latto’s Mother’s Ethnicity
- Is Latto Black?
- Is Latto Biracial?
- What Is Latto’s Real Name?
- Why Was Latto Called Mulatto?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Quick Facts About Latto
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Alyssa Michelle Stephens |
| Stage Name | Latto (formerly Miss Mulatto / Mulatto) |
| Date of Birth | December 22, 1998 |
| Birthplace | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Biracial — African American father, White mother |
| Father | Shayne Stephens (African American) |
| Mother | Misti Pitts (White) |
| Siblings | Two younger sisters: Kay and Brooklyn |
| Profession | Rapper, singer, songwriter |
| Known For | Winning The Rap Game (2016); “Big Energy”; Grammy nominee |
What Is Latto’s Ethnicity?
Latto is biracial — of African American and White ethnicity. Born Alyssa Michelle Stephens, the Atlanta rapper’s father, Shayne Stephens, is Black, and her mother, Misti Pitts, is white. Latto has spoken openly about growing up biracial, including being bullied in school for her light skin — an experience that directly shaped her artistry and even her original stage name.
She first broke through in 2016 by winning Jermaine Dupri’s reality competition The Rap Game as “Miss Mulatto,” then built a mainstream career with hits like “Big Energy” (which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100), “Muwop,” and “Lottery.” She earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2023 and has become one of the defining voices of Atlanta’s rap scene.
Latto’s Father’s Ethnicity
Latto’s father is Shayne Stephens, an African American man. He has played a significant role in her career — her early independent releases came through his management company, Pittstop Ent., after she famously turned down the So So Def record deal she won on The Rap Game in favor of staying independent.
Shayne’s side of the family gives Latto her Black heritage, which she claims proudly. Growing up in Clayton County, Georgia — an area she credits with giving her “street credibility” — she was immersed in Atlanta’s Black hip-hop culture from childhood, deciding at age ten that she wanted to become a rapper.
Latto’s Mother’s Ethnicity
Latto’s mother is Misti Pitts, a white woman. Misti has been a visible and vocal supporter of her daughter’s career, frequently appearing alongside Latto at public events and in her social media. Their close bond is well documented — Misti raised Alyssa and her two younger sisters, Kay and Brooklyn, largely shaping the household Latto grew up in.
Latto’s mixed household — a Black father and a white mother — placed her at the intersection of two worlds from birth. She has described how that in-between position made her a target for bullying (“light-skinned” teasing in school) while also giving her a distinctive perspective she channels into her music.
Is Latto Black?
Latto is biracial — she is both Black and white. With an African American father and a white mother, she identifies as biracial, though in the American cultural context she is often described and perceived as a Black artist. She has embraced her Black heritage publicly while acknowledging both sides of her background.
Her experience mirrors that of other biracial performers like Amber Rose and Jhené Aiko, who have likewise navigated public conversations about what it means to be mixed-race in the music industry. Latto’s answer has been to own it completely — her confidence about her identity is part of her brand.
Is Latto Biracial?
Yes — Latto is biracial. Her mother is white and her biological father is Black, making her biracial by any definition. She has discussed her biracial identity in interviews, including the bullying she faced for her light skin tone as a schoolgirl in Georgia.
Rather than hiding from that history, she initially leaned into it: her first stage name, “Miss Mulatto,” reclaimed the term for mixed-race identity as a badge of honor — a direct response to the kids who teased her for not looking “enough” like either side.
What Is Latto’s Real Name?
Latto’s real name is Alyssa Michelle Stephens. She was born on December 22, 1998, in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Georgia as a small child, growing up in Clayton County outside Atlanta — the city she considers her true hometown.
She performed first as “Miss Mulatto” (the name under which she won The Rap Game), then shortened it to “Mulatto,” before rebranding to Latto in 2021 — a name that kept her identity while shedding the controversy of the old one.
Why Was Latto Called Mulatto?
The stage name came directly from her biracial experience. “Mulatto” is a historical term for a person of mixed Black and white ancestry. After being bullied in school for being “light-skinned,” young Alyssa Stephens adopted “Miss Mulatto” as a defiant reclamation — turning an insult-adjacent label into a rap persona.
As her fame grew, however, the name drew criticism: many pointed out that “mulatto” derives from the Spanish word for mule and carries dehumanizing historical baggage from the era of slavery. In 2021, after public debate, she officially changed her stage name to Latto — describing it as a fresh start and a more powerful identity. The history of the term “mulatto” remains a charged chapter in discussions of mixed-race identity in America.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Latto’s ethnicity?
Latto is biracial — her father, Shayne Stephens, is African American and her mother, Misti Pitts, is white.
Who are Latto’s parents?
Her parents are Shayne Stephens (father) and Misti Pitts (mother). She also has two younger sisters, Kay and Brooklyn Stephens.
What is Latto’s real name?
Alyssa Michelle Stephens. She was born on December 22, 1998, in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia.
Why did Latto change her name from Mulatto?
She rebranded to Latto in 2021 after criticism that “mulatto” — a historical term for mixed-race people — carries offensive, dehumanizing connotations rooted in slavery. She described the change as a fresh start.
Where is Latto from?
She was born in Columbus, Ohio, but moved to Georgia as a child and was raised in Clayton County. She considers Atlanta her hometown and credits it with her street credibility.
What is Latto’s nationality?
American. She was born in the United States and built her career in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene.
What are Latto’s biggest songs?
Her breakout hits include “Bitch from da Souf,” “Muwop” (with Gucci Mane), “Big Energy” — her highest-charting single, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and “Lottery.” Her albums include Queen of Da Souf (2020), 777 (2022), and Sugar Honey Iced Tea (2024).
Did Latto win The Rap Game?
Yes. As “Miss Mulatto,” she won the first season of Jermaine Dupri’s Lifetime reality competition The Rap Game in 2016, though she declined the So So Def record deal offered as the prize and stayed independent.
Conclusion
Latto’s ethnicity — biracial, with an African American father and a white mother — is not a footnote to her story; it is her story’s engine. The bullying she endured for her light skin became her first stage name; the controversy over that name became her rebrand; and the confidence she built navigating both worlds became the swagger of “Big Energy.”
From The Rap Game to Grammy nominations, Alyssa Stephens turned the complexity of being biracial in America into one of hip-hop’s most compelling identities.
