Over the past few weeks, the industry plant discourse has taken off on the internet, with different artists being accused of receiving undercover help from the entertainment industry.
A few individuals who have been blamed for being industry plants include up-and-rising rap duo Flyana Boss, nonchalant podcaster Bobbi Althoff, and now rapper Latto.
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In a now-deleted tweet on X, one social media user wrote, “Latto has to be an industry plant, I’m sorry.”
Well, it can be inferred that the “Put It On Da Floor” rapper didn’t take that comment lightly, for she clapped back at the X user on her account, reminding folks of her background experience in rap.
“I been doing this since a kid & I get real love/respect from the greats for that,” Latto wrote. “I came up before social media I handed out mixtapes, did open mics & talent shows, etc I hate when y’all say this.”
The 24-year-old continued, “I worked VERY long & hard to be here. Being relevant since 16yo is not easy or common.”
Latto declares that she is not an artist who had major backing or support from a record label or influential artists or contacts in the industry. But she did get her big break back in 2016 after winning season one of Jermaine Dupri’s reality series “The Rap Game” under her former name Miss Mulatto.
Since then, she has collaborated on songs with some of hip-hop and pop’s biggest artists, such as Gucci Mane, Mariah Carey, and Cardi B – who was also accused of being an industry plant.
Earlier this month, footage from Kanye West’s unreleased 2018 documentary surfaced online, which shows the Chicago native talking to someone on the phone about the “WAP” rapper.
“Cardi B is a plant from the Illuminati,” he said. “She don’t write her raps, she’s just there to like sound as ignorant as possible and then make songs like ‘F–k him and then get some money.’”
Ye is referring to Cardi’s guest appearance on the “No Limit REMIX” by G-Eazy, which also features fellow rappers A$AP Rocky, French Montana, Juicy J and Belly.
The multifaceted artist then accused the New York native of being brought on to take over Nicki Minaj’s spot in the rap game. “She’s literally replaced, you know, Nicki Minaj purposefully, that they put her there, and now she doesn’t know what to do.”
West added, “She has no idea what the f–k is going on, she thinks it’s just a blessing from the universe. It ain’t no blessing from the f—–g universe.”
The Good Music CEO teamed up with Cardi for her 2022 song, “Hot Sh-t,” also featuring Lil Durk. After the clip began circulating online, “Bodak Yellow” rapper posted and then deleted a clip of Ye speaking highly of her in an interview with Jason Lee last year.
“I always believed in her since, since she was on the show,” West could be heard saying.
Birdman also had quite a lot to say about the “industry plant” conversation in an interview with a reporter from No Jumper.
“No disrespect to nobody, that’s just not my thing,” the rapper said. “I never saw it, and if I did see it, I would never pass judgment on that because I don’t believe in downplaying people in the music industry in no kinda way.”
The Cash Money Records co-founder continued, “If you in this s–t, you know how f—–g hard it is. If you in this s–t, you know how real it is. If you in this s–-t, you know that n—as die in this s–t.”
Birdman has served as a music mentor for the Young Money Records signee, and he and Minaj previously worked on a few hit collaborations together, including songs like Rich Gang’s “Tap Out” and “Y.U. MAD,” both of which also feature his former artist the Young Money CEO Lil Wayne.
