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Alyssa Stephens, better known by her stage name Latto, found herself in an unexpected situation as she navigates both the arrival of her debut child and the launch of her latest album.
In a candid discussion with Paper magazine, she confessed, “I always envisioned that when I eventually became pregnant, I would step back and stay out of the spotlight.”
Latto first revealed her pregnancy to her fans via Instagram last Friday, sharing an image of herself tenderly cradling a lion cub.
She accompanied the photo with the caption, “BIG MAMA (the album) 5/29. Business & Personal (Intro) song & video out now. Thank you God.”
The accompanying music video offered fans a brief look at the father-to-be, who many speculate is none other than fellow rapper 21 Savage.
But Latto isn’t addressing speculation about her partner’s identity.
“I have nothing to prove to anyone. I have no rumor to clear up,” she said. “I’ve been with my man for years now, and it ain’t going nowhere.”
She also made it clear she has no intention of letting her relationship define her public image.
“I’m my own person outside of my relationship as well. I don’t want to make that the forefront of my existence, my career. I got a man at home, I’m happy and I’m well taken care of, and that’s about all anyone needs to know.”
The rapper said she plans to keep her pregnancy private as well and won’t share much beyond what she already has.
“If anything… the most expressive or vulnerable I’ll get when it comes to my personal life will be in the music,” she said.
She admitted she had concerns at first about how becoming a mother might affect her career.
“I was definitely terrified of what everyone was going to think and, you know, those stigmas, that [motherhood] is gonna slow you down,” she said.
“But I feel like I’m more motivated than I’ve ever been in my life,” she continued. “I was so worried in the beginning, and I literally laugh at how worried I was now. I can’t imagine my life today being any other way. It’s like it was written.”
Now Latto can’t wait to meet her baby boy or girl. “I’m documenting my whole pregnancy in this book for them to see one day,” she said. “I’m not even being secretive when I say ‘them’ — I don’t know! We decided from the jump we was gonna make [the gender] a surprise.”