Latto – Sugar Honey Iced Tea

Latto has never been easy to place into a box. A dextrous artist, she’s a bold rap technician with a penchant for creating headlines – yet she’s also a person, too, someone adjusting to fame in real-time. Part of a wave of rap talent from Atlanta, debut album ‘Queen of da Souf’ was enjoyably chaotic, while 2022 follow-up ‘777’ felt broader. ‘Sugar Honey Iced Tea’ paints in the finer details, a work of complexity that – when it clicks into place – might be her most potent release yet.

With a hefty 17-track structure, ‘Sugar Honey Iced Tea’ is held together by its towering moments. ‘Georgia Peach’ is a punchy opener, a track that dials into her ultra-colourful energy; ‘Big Mama’ rides on arena-worth largesse, while ‘Settle Down’ sprinkles some pop into the mixture.

sThe dynamic here is the nature of progress – success vs acknowledging her roots; fame vs nurturing herself. The contradictions supply the energy, with Young Nudy link-up ‘Shrimp & Grits’ offering the dirtiest of Southern vistas. There’s some skyscraper moments, too – ‘Squeeze’ with Megan Thee Stallion spotlights two of the foremost femme voices in Stateside rap.

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Indeed, there’s more than enough here to causes a headline-making ruckus. Hunxho drops by on all-out heater ‘Copper Cove’, while the delirious ‘There She Go’ is a Latto solo show – provocative and direct, it’s doesn’t spare her punches.

Often, though, the record succeeds when Latto drops the pose and develops the personal. ‘Prized Possession’ with Teezo Touchdown is an expertly done discussion on relationship dynamics, ‘Good 2 You’ benefits from a soulful Ciara guest spot. Closer ‘S/O To Me’ puts it best, flipping braggadocio for an ode to self worth – it’s about pressure in the spotlight, and the key to honesty in our day-to-day lives. Humble and moving, it’s perhaps the closest we’ve come to the real, true Latto.

7/10

Words: Robin Murray

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