Before Latto brought the “Big Energy” to her 31 million monthly Spotify listeners, she was DIY’ing tours in her hometown of Atlanta. Starting at age 10, Latto performed in local talent shows and open mics, posted flyers on stop signs and handed out mixtapes of her best raps in Walmart parking lots. Her 2019 breakout hit, “B*tch from da Souf,” was the lead single on her EP Big Latto and landed her a deal with RCA Records. For the self-managed rapper, control means maximizing gains— she says she charges an average of $300,000 for an appearance. Between those appearances, revenue from music royalties, brand deals with the likes of Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty, a tour with Lizzo and a quick acting stint on the TV sitcom Grown-ish, Latto claims she’s on track to earn $12 million in 2023 (up from $3 million last year). Her cardinal rule is to earn a profit of at least 50% with every venture. “My mind is working around the clock when it comes to me as a product because at the end of the day, we are products as artists,” she says. With two Grammy nominations—including one for Best New Artist in 2023—and performances at festivals including Coachella, Latto cryptically tells Forbes that she’s launching a business venture in 2024. “Music doesn’t last forever,” she says.
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