SNOOP DOGG & LATTO

Two uniquely charismatic rappers, from two different generations, sit down and go deep on their come-up, their studio secrets, the importance of fighting hate with love, and that time Pharrell got too high and left Snoop alone to produce Stevie Wonder

- ANDRE GEE

LATTO AND SNOOP DOGG are preparing for their Musicians on Musicians cover shoot at Hollywood's historic United Recording studios, when Snoop shouts out a song he'd like cued up: "Can we turn on that 'Rip me out the plastic, I'm actin' brand-new?""

Latto lets out a yelp like she just won a Grammy, overjoyed that Snoop Dogg knows the opening bars to her single 'Put It on Da Floor'. Though they just met, the two get along like old friends. They rap 'Put It on Da Floor' together, with Latto excitedly ad-libbing. Snoop records a video for Latto's mother (it turns out, he's Latto's mom's "only celebrity crush"). When Latto is about to put her red Solo cup of tequila down for the shoot, Snoop tells her to stay true to herself, and keep it.

That juxtaposition of the glam and the down-to-earth - Latto clad in a GCDS dress and shoes, Laura Lombardi earrings, and a vintage Givenchy necklace while holding a house-party staple points to why the 25-year-old is so magnetic. She's stylish and regal, but she's also got party-starting bangers like 'FTCU', which she and Snoop sing at the top of their lungs during the photo shoot.

As she reveals during her hour-long conversation with Snoop, the Ohio-born, Atlanta-based rapper had been performing in talent shows since she was a child (and won The Rap Game reality show in 2016), which means she was already seasoned when she broke through with 2020's Queen of Da Souf. Mariah Carey (and DJ Khaled) jumped on the remix to her single 'Big Energy' in 2022, helping make it a smash hit, and Latto had her first US Hot 100 number one in 2023 with 'Seven', her collaboration with Jung Kook of BTS. She's on her way towards the stratosphere of stardom, which is why Snoop's advice on navigating fame means so much to her.