Latto’s 11 Most Inspirational Quotes Ever

“If I ain’t do nothing, I kept it one hundred / Big Latto for real, I ain’t never done fronted,” Latto dished out on “Sunshine,” and that’s straight facts. The Atlanta rapper broke into the mainstream with “B**ch From Da Souf,” then kept that momentum going strong with tracks like the Mariah Carey-sampling “Big Energy,” the TikTok-viral “Put It On Da Floor Again” and, of course, her star-studded debut album, Queen of Da Souf. Since then, she’s become one of rap’s most inspiring girlies, whether it be through fashion or her words.

In celebration of her ongoing success, Rap-Up rounded up 11 of the Grammy nominee’s realest pieces of advice about staying focused and trusting the process, among other topics. Read on for more.

Likes and follows don’t pay bills, and they often don’t deliver real happiness either. During her interview with “Posted On The Corner,” the RCA Records signee emphasized how easy it is to confuse social media with real life, especially when we live in a culture seemingly obsessed with going viral. That said, it takes discipline to ignore distractions and focus on what’s genuinely important.

2. “I bring the table to the table, n**ga, why would I need you?”

Forget needing someone else to complete you and definitely toss the idea you need to justify what you “bring to the table” to any man who asks. With “It’s Givin,” one of the many gems from her sophomore effort, 777, Latto let the world know she’s good all by herself, and you deserve to feel the same way, too.

3. “I done built everything on my own. Motherf**kers can’t take what I built, baby.”

Success tastes sweeter when you know you’re the only chef in the kitchen. After years of rapping, appearing on “The Rap Game” and finally landing her breakthrough with “B**ch From Da Souf,” Latto can proudly say she got there all by herself. People might try to discredit you, but they certainly can’t erase the hustle.

4. “You gotta have tough skin. I feel like as I grew, the controversy grew, the challenges grew, the obstacles grew, too.”

Fame always comes with a price, and the Sugar Honey Iced Tea creator isn’t afraid to admit it. As her spotlight grew brighter, the criticism and obstacles piled up — but so did her ability to shake them off and keep it moving. “It didn’t get easier as I got bigger. I just got tougher skin,” she said at iHeartRadio‘s third annual SeeHer Hear Her event. Even if you’re not famous, everyone should at least be aware of one thing: hurdles are inevitable, so be ready.

5. “You gotta wait your turn, ‘cause I let a lot of people pass me. I was sad, I would get discouraged, but now that it’s my time, I’m a very firm believer in that if it’s for you, it’s gon’ be for you.”

As much as it hurts to admit, things rarely happen exactly when or how we planned. Here, the “Blick Sum” artist, speaking from her own experience, pointed out that another person’s success doesn’t make yours any less possible. If anything, it’s just a reminder to be patient until your moment arrives.

6. “Pray but work hard at the same time. People just be waiting for stuff to happen. You gotta get up, especially in a world like this.”

Faith alone won’t get you far, according to Latto. “Don’t just believe in yourself in bed, laying down every day. You gotta go,” the “Big Energy” rapper told HOT 97’s Nessa. In other words, wishing things into existence is one thing, but actually putting in the work is what gets results.

7. “I don’t want nobody gassing me up 24/7. How you gon’ make me the best version of myself if you’re just pretending everything is gold?”

Of course, constant praise might feel good for the ego, but according to the chart-topping rapper, it rarely leads to genuine growth. In her sit-down with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, Latto explained why she’d rather surround herself with people who aren’t afraid to speak uncomfortable truths instead of yes-men. At the end of the day, real support pushes you to improve, even if it means having tougher talks along the way.

8. “It hit harder when you come up from the bottom / Touched an M at 21, b**ch, I’m a motherf**kin’ problem.”

Most of us have long missed the boat to touch a million by 21 years old, but if you’re still in that window, by all means, chase it down. Either way, climbing your way from the bottom makes every victory, big or small, feel twice as good. While you’re at it, add “In n Out” to your motivational playlist, too.

9. You ain’t poppin’ if you ain’t got no haters, baby.”

At least to some extent, criticism means you’re doing something right. It’s so easy to lose sight of the fact that success almost always brings jealousy and hatred; so, if nobody’s complaining about you, maybe you just aren’t going hard enough. As Latto later summed it up to Business Insider, “The whole goal was to prove them wrong, and we did just that.”

10. “Manifestation is real. Speak it into existence. Stop telling yourself negative things because you will subconsciously start believing it.”

There’s real power in the words you choose, so watch what you say. If you repeat negativity enough times, you’ll start believing it, but thankfully, positive affirmations work the same way. “I feed myself positive self-affirmations every morning. High vibrations only,” Latto told Jazzys World TV, before continuing: “The bulls**t is for the birds.” Sure, changing your mindset might not immediately change reality, but it’s the smartest, and perhaps easiest, place to start.

11. “Anything that’s real special to me, I try to keep it close to me because you know people just have too much to say.”

Some things in life feel better when you don’t share them right away. There’s nothing wrong — in fact, there’s everything right — with keeping your proudest moments and biggest dreams under wraps. Protect your peace first, because after all, not everything needs to be open for discussion.