In 2022 — the same year “Big Energy” became her first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit — Latto got her first run at performing in arenas when she served as one of the openers for the North American leg of Lizzo‘s Special Tour. Just two years later, the Clayton County emcee headlined a major New York arena on her own when she graced Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Halloween (Oct. 31) for the fifth stop of her Sugar Honey Iced Tea Tour.
Latto’s latest trek is in support of her third studio album of the same name, which debuted atop Rap Albums and reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200. A sprawling love letter to the sonic fabric of Atlanta rap, Sugar Honey Iced Tea features the Hot 100 hits “Big Mama” (No. 92), “Sunday Service” (No. 100, with Megan Thee Stallion & Flo Milli) and “Put It on Da Floor Again” (No. 13, with Cardi B), as well as collaborations with Ciara, Coco Jones, Hunxho, Teezo Touchdown, Young Nudy and Mariah the Scientist.
The night began with a brief performance from Karrahboo — who brought out Gio, an Atlanta-based model attached to Lil Yachty‘s Concrete Boys collective — and a particularly heartfelt set from Mariah the Scientist. “Let’s just make it to the end so I can get on this jet!” she quipped mid-set, one of several times she alluded to the good news that rocked the hip-hop world mere hours before she took the stage: Young Thug, Grammy-winning rapper and beau to Mariah the Scientist, was sentenced to 15 years probation and no prison time after pleading guilty in the two-year criminal case alleging that he was the leader of a violent Atlanta street gang.
With Thugger coming home, Mariah implored that fans “burn [their] ‘Free Thug’ shirts” and start saying the phrase backward (“Thug free!”). Buoyed by an extra boost of passion and energy sourced from the Young Thug news, Mariah the Scientist rocked Barclays Center with a set that smartly played on the emotional vulnerability of her catalog. She’s been very open about continuing to ride for her man no matter the outcome of the case, so songs like “Spread Thin” felt especially poignant as they blasted through the arena.
Latto finally took the stage around 10:30 p.m., kicking off her set with the viral Sugar Honey Iced Tea opener “Georgia Peach.” From the classic first verse of “Georgia on My Mind” to the retro advertisements and tongue-in-cheek video interludes, Latto delivered an incredibly streamlined visual interpretation of the Sugar Honey Iced Tea aesthetic, which she described in her July Billboard cover story as “Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Lil’ Kim and Kelis… but obviously with a Southern hip-hop twist. They have very feminine energy, but masculine in the sense of confidence.”
In a nod to the holiday, Latto donned a Playboy bunny Halloween costume as she ripped her way through a setlist that prioritized her rap catalog. Though two of the biggest songs of her career are “Big Energy” and “Seven,” her Hot 100-topping collaboration with Jung Kook, Latto largely shied away from her pop fare, opting to focus on her recent hip-hop hits like “Brokey” and “Back Outside” and her earlier rap bangers like “Muwop” and “B—h from da Souf.” Despite a bit of sickness working against her, Latto delivered a remarkably high-energy show that featured tight choreography, an emphasis on live rapping and multiple levels of fan engagement — from the freaky Jumbotron moment of “Copper Cove” to the audience poll that gave way to heartfelt renditions of “Prized Possession” and “S/O to Me.”
Here are the five best moments of Latto’s Sugar Honey Iced Tea tour.
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Mariah the Scientist Celebrates Young Thug’s Release
“This s–t is so f–king unbelievable,” Mariah the Scientist gushed. “But let’s just make it to the end, so I can get on this jet. You know what I’m finna do!”
It’s difficult to overstate just how bizarre Young Thug’s RICO trial was — and what a moment the announcement of his release was for the hip-hop community. Mariah the Scientist has remained staunchly in Thugger’s corner throughout the ordeal, so to see her revel in the news of his homecoming — with no prison time at that! — was a sweet sliver of hip-hop history.
From the slime green “Thug Free” sign emblazoned on the screen behind her to the pure giddiness in her voice as she navigated between-song banter, Mariah the Scientist exuded a level of happiness that radiated throughout the crowd. Most of the arena was already happy about Thug’s release, but Mariah’s palpable relief, excitement and gratefulness added an unexpected, but unequivocally beautiful, emotional undertone to the night.
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Brooklyn Becomes Cheetah Print Country
Ever since she went viral for seemingly wearing the same cheetah-print thong on multiple occasions (in actuality, she had multiple thongs), the fierce look has become a key part of Latto’s brand. In a post-Renaissance World Tour world where loose fan dress codes are encouraged and embraced, Latto’s fans put on their best cheetah-print outfits for the Sugar Honey Iced Tea tour.
From leggings and jackets to purses and thigh-high boots, cheetah print was inescapable at Barclays Center on Halloween — even amid the bevy of actual costumes. Latto has come a long way since her 2020 debut studio album, and an even longer way since we first met her on The Rap Game. Between the packed arena and her fans’ adherence to the cheetah-print theme, this trek has proven that she’s cultivated a truly engaged fanbase as she’s ascended hip-hop’s ranks this decade.
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NYC Hip-Hop Heavyweights Pop Out for Latto
It’s not a New York rap show if you don’t bring out some of the myriad buzzy new stars and certified icons of the city — and Latto knew that.
The list of special guests began before Big Mama took the stage, with Brooklyn rap crew 41 lighting up the crowd with renditions of their latest viral track, “Beckham,” and their breakout hit “Bent.” Later in the show, Hunxho — who dropped Thank God, his sophomore studio album, last week (Oct. 25), came out to perform “Copper Cove” his sultry Sugar Honey Iced Tea duet with Latto, in addition to his hit single “Your Friends.”
Never a borough to be left behind, The Boogie Down Bronx made its presence known through A Boogie wit da Hoodie, who electrified the arena with his generation-defining hits “Jungle” and “My S–t.” Of course, given that the show was in BK, the thoroughest borough had the night’s final word when Latto brought out Lil’ Kim to perform “Crush on You.” It’s been a banner year for women in rap, and it was particularly special to see two generations of female MCs showing love to each other and rocking iconic venues with their classic verses.
“She’s the f–king truth!” Kim exclaimed. “Brooklyn, we got one right here! You the GOAT baby.” Latto, of course, gave Kim her flowers in return insisting that the hip-hop icon was the real GOAT.
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Latto Flaunts Range With Rap Ballads
While there was no shortage of ass-shaking or uptempo bangers like “Blick Sum” or “There She Go,” the most impressive parts of the Sugar Honey Iced Tea tour came by way of Latto’s downtempo rap ballads.
In a moment of audience interaction, Latto asked fans to write the name of their favorite Sugar Honey Iced Tea track on their phones so she could read their choices. One fan named the Teezo Touchdown-assisted “Prized Possession,” which quickly gave way to Latto performing the song’s first verse in front of a mic stand with no dancers behind her. “I made this song for y’all,” Latto told the crowd, waxing poetic about romantic partners who try to control how their significant others live their lives.
“Prized Possession” previewed a moving rendition of “S/O to Me,” the standout Sugar Honey Iced Tea closer that Latto first teased at June’s BET Awards. Although it boarded on schmaltzy, it was truly heartwarming to watch Latto give herself a pat on the back as she rocked the very first arena of her latest tour. Not only was her breath control on full display, but she was also able to prove herself as a captivating performer outside of the pyro and choreography and flashy video backdrops. Latto is a rapper who actually loves the art of rapping — and she never let us forget that.
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Big Mama Hosts A Cash Giveaway
To close out her show with a spirited rendition of “Big Mama,” Latto brought one lucky fan onstage. In her slinky hit, Latto asks “What you gon do for Big Mama, for real?” — but this performance was more about what Big Mama could do for her fans.
The lucky fan was ushered into a money booth where she had 10 seconds to collect as much cash as she could before Latto started the song. Already a dope moment on the basis of an unassuming fan getting the chance to go home with a wad of cash from their favorite artist, this interpretation of “Big Mama” was particularly smart because it flipped the romantic nature of the song into a fan-artist dynamic steeped in genuine appreciation. After everything that her fans have done for her leading up to this momentous occassion, Latto used the final few moments of her show to treat the people who have always been by her side. She couldnd’t have chosen a more charming way to end the night.
