Alyssa Michelle Stephens didn't just wake up one day and decide to be a multi-platinum artist. Most people see the "Big Energy" lifestyle and assume it was some overnight TikTok fluke or a lucky break from a reality show. Honestly? That’s not even close to the truth. If you look at latto as a kid, you see a girl who was basically living three different lives before she even hit puberty. She was a drag racer. She was a straight-A student. She was a local celebrity in Clayton County, Georgia, who went by "Miss Mulatto" and sold her own mixtapes out of a backpack.
Success leaves clues.
She grew up in the South side of Atlanta, specifically the 770 area, where the culture is thick and the competition is even thicker. Her father, Shayne Stephens, played a massive role in her early development, though some critics have poked at the intensity of her upbringing. It wasn't just a hobby. It was a grind.
The Drag Racing Days You Probably Didn't Know About
Before the microphones, there were engines. Loud ones.
Long before she was a household name, the young Alyssa was tearing up drag strips. It’s kinda wild to think about a pre-teen girl obsessed with high-speed mechanics, but that was her reality. Her father was heavily involved in the car scene, and he didn't just sideline her; he put her in the driver's seat. She has talked openly in interviews with Highsnobiety and Cosmopolitan about how drag racing taught her the discipline she later used in the booth.
Think about the nerves required to line up at a starting tree. You’re waiting for that green light. One millisecond of hesitation and you lose. That’s the exact same energy she brought to the rap game. She wasn't scared of the boys on the track, and she definitely wasn't scared of the rappers in the Atlanta underground.
Why Latto as a Kid Chose a Controversial Name
We have to talk about the name. It’s the elephant in the room whenever anyone looks back at her early career.
For years, she went by "Miss Mulatto." To a ten-year-old, it was a way to reclaim a term that had been used to bully her for being biracial. She has a Black father and a white mother, Misti Stephens. Growing up in Georgia, she caught heat from both sides. Some kids told her she wasn't Black enough; others made it clear she wasn't white. It was isolating.
👉 See also: Pat Lalama Journalist Age: Why Experience Still Rules the Newsroom
She took the slur and wore it like armor.
Looking back, she’s admitted the name was problematic. She eventually dropped the "Miss" and then, in a major career pivot, shortened it to just Latto. She told Billboard that she reached a point of maturity where she realized that while the intent was empowerment, the impact of the word was painful for many in her community. It’s a rare example of a child star actually listening to feedback and evolving without losing their soul in the process.
The Rap Game: More Than Just a TV Show
Most people think her story starts and ends with The Rap Game.
In 2016, Jermaine Dupri launched a Lifetime reality series to find the next big thing in hip-hop. Alyssa was only 16 at the time, but she had already been rapping for years. She was the "old soul" of the group. While other kids were worried about their social media followers, she was focused on bar structure and stage presence.
She won.
But here is the part people get wrong: she turned down the prize.
The "prize" was a recording contract with Dupri’s So So Def Recordings. Most kids would have signed that paper before the ink was dry. Not her. Even as a teenager, she had a business mind. She felt the deal wasn't right for her long-term vision. She chose to go independent. That takes an insane amount of confidence—or maybe just a little bit of that drag-racer recklessness.
✨ Don't miss: Why Sexy Pictures of Mariah Carey Are Actually a Masterclass in Branding
Life on the Independent Grind
For the next few years, she was a local hero. She was performing at birthdays, local clubs, and high school gymnasiums.
- She released "Miss Mulatto" in 2016.
- She dropped "Latto Let 'Em Know" in 2017.
- She was literally hand-selling merch.
She was a business owner before she could legally buy a drink. Her father acted as her manager, which created a tight-knit, almost "us against the world" mentality.
Education and the "Normal" Life Balance
She wasn't just a rapper. She was a student at Lovejoy High School.
Imagine being the girl who everyone knows is famous on YouTube but still has to show up for Algebra II. She wasn't a slacker, either. She has often mentioned that her parents didn't let the music career override her education. She had to keep the grades up to keep the studio time. This balance is probably why she seems so grounded now compared to other child stars who went off the rails. She had a foot in the real world while the other was on a stage.
The Turning Point: Moving Past the Childhood Persona
Transitioning from a "child rapper" to a serious adult artist is a graveyard for careers. Just look at the history of the industry. Very few make it across that bridge.
The shift happened around 2019. The song "Bitch from da Sou" changed everything. It was aggressive. It was polished. It was adult. It signaled that the girl we saw on Lifetime was gone, replaced by a woman who knew exactly how to navigate the industry.
When she eventually signed with RCA Records, it was on her terms. She had the leverage because she had already built a fan base as a kid. She didn't need a label to tell her who she was; she just needed them to cut the checks.
🔗 Read more: Lindsay Lohan Leak: What Really Happened with the List and the Scams
What We Can Learn from Alyssa’s Early Years
If you’re looking at latto as a kid for inspiration, the takeaway isn't just "get on a reality show."
It’s about the "Pre-Work."
She spent a decade being "local" before she was "global." She mastered a niche hobby (racing) that gave her mental toughness. She dealt with identity crises in the public eye and didn't crumble.
Moving Forward: Actionable Insights
If you are tracking the trajectory of young artists or trying to build a brand yourself, here is what the Latto model teaches:
- Master the "Unrelated" Skill: Her drag racing wasn't just a hobby; it built the competitive "green light" mindset she uses in music. Find your "racing"—the thing that builds your discipline outside of your main craft.
- Ownership Over Optics: Turning down the So So Def deal was a massive risk that paid off. Don't take the first offer just because it looks like a "win" on paper.
- Address the Pivot Early: When she realized her name was a barrier to her growth, she changed it. Sticking to a mistake because "that's who I've always been" is a career killer.
- Local Dominance: Before she tried to conquer the world, she conquered Clayton County. Build a base where people actually know your name and see your face.
The story of Alyssa Stephens as a kid is a masterclass in intentionality. She wasn't a product of a machine; she was the architect of her own hype. By the time the world caught on, she had already been working for ten years.
That’s not luck. That’s a head start.
Check out her early freestyle videos on YouTube if you want to see the raw talent before the high-budget videos. You can hear the same hunger in her voice at 12 years old that you hear on her latest album. The environment changed, but the drive never did.
To understand where she's going, you have to respect the girl who was selling CDs and racing cars in the Georgia heat. She earned every bit of the "Big Energy" she has today.