Taking the Mask Off: Latifa Reeves on Music, Faith, and Finding Herself
There’s a rare kind of artist who doesn’t just sing about life—they’ve lived enough of it to make every word hit differently. Latifa Reeves is one of those artists. A soulful singer, songwriter, storyteller, and former co-frontwoman of Mama Said, Reeves brings together the raw honesty of rock, the grit of blues, the power of gospel, and the deep emotional pull of soul. Her music is fearless, intimate, and deeply human, exploring the messy, beautiful business of being alive.
After years of performing, writing, and connecting with audiences—including co-creating the children’s music and multimedia project Tika Tika Time—Reeves is now stepping fully into her own as a solo artist. Drawing from a lifetime of musical experience and a profound spiritual journey, she creates songs that don’t shy away from vulnerability—or hope.
She has a brilliant new single out, titled “Space,” and we’re fortunate to have had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her career, music, and creative journey.
Latifa, you are a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. Which of those three feels most central to who you are?
Definitely singer. Words come second. Music has always felt like a transmission to me—something that comes from the deepest part of my heart, and I find a way to express it through melody and words. Singing is where I feel most completely myself.
What do you understand about songwriting now that you didn’t when you started?
That less is often more. I naturally want to unleash myself vocally, so I’ve learned the power of holding back. And the hook—the hook, the hook, the hook! I’ve also learned that singing right in the pocket can be just as powerful as sitting behind the beat and letting a big, soulful vocal fly.
Who first inspired you musically?
Aretha Franklin was one of my earliest inspirations. There was something effortless about the way she sang, but she carried all the beauty and power of gospel in her voice. As a teenager, I was always trying to emulate her.
What was your childhood like?
My childhood had both love and trauma in it, and there were things I internalized that were difficult for me to understand as a child.
Then I found singing. It became this place where I felt completely at home. Singing gave me somewhere to lose myself, but strangely, it also helped me find myself.
Were your parents musical?
My dad played harmonica, and my uncle played blues guitar, but no one studied formally, and there really weren’t singers in my immediate family. Music was around me, though, especially blues and Southern music, and I think more of it got into me than I realized.
Tell us about Mama Said. What kind of band was it, and why did it break up?
I started Mama Said with Jen and Derek. Jen and I had a kind of magic in our harmonies, and Derek is an incredible blues and rock guitarist. His playing always brought out a soulful place in me.
Around 2018, I remember saying, “Let’s write an album and start an original band.” Mama Said became so much more than I ever imagined. We made music I’m incredibly proud of, and leaving my best friends and creative partners was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made.
But there was a calling inside me that I couldn’t ignore. I needed to follow my own spiritual and creative path and return more deeply to my gospel, blues, soul, and Southern roots.
Sometimes you can deeply love something and still know it’s time to grow in another direction.
What do you miss most about being part of a band?
When you play with people for a long time, you develop an almost spiritual language together. You know where they’re going before they go there—when they’ll sing, play, or pull back. Eventually, it becomes like breathing together. I miss that.
What does this new solo chapter allow you to explore?
This chapter is about self-love and accepting myself without constructing an image around it. I’m taking the mask off and becoming less interested in who an artist is “supposed” to be.
Spirituality is a huge part of my life. I spend a lot of time in prayer and meditation, and I have a deep love for the Divine—for God. I don’t want to separate that woman from the woman people see onstage anymore. I want my music to transmit all of me.
What is “Space” about?
This past year has been about breaking attachments and creating enough space to hear myself without all the noise. I’m a mother of five, so I’ve spent much of my life in service to others. It feels like now is my time to create space for self-love and creativity.
Musically, I wanted the song to have space, too. I wanted intimacy and restraint, with room for the vocal and emotion to expand.
Has a song ever found you at exactly the right moment?
Yebba’s “My Mind.” That song kills me. Her voice is incredible, but it’s her vulnerability that gets me. She goes somewhere emotionally and lets you witness it. That’s the kind of truth I aspire to bring to my own songs.
How have your different musical chapters shaped you?
Mama Said showed me what I was capable of—big rock songs, big vocals, and the incredible chemistry that happens when musicians really lock together.
Tika Tika Time taught me simplicity, joy, and pocket. And my solo music is taking me back to my roots—sitting on the porch in Georgia, listening to blues, gospel, and Southern rock.
I don’t see them as separate versions of me anymore. They’re all pieces of the same artist, and now I’m letting them live in the same room.
What’s your philosophy on life?
Love is the highest vibration. Connecting with the Divine is how the road lights up for me. Whatever path you choose, let it lead you toward greater integrity, truth, and love.
What’s next?
Getting this music onto the stage. I’m putting my live show together now and getting ready to take it on the road.
After all the writing, recording, and discovering who I am in this chapter, I’m ready to get onstage, sing these songs, and connect with people.
Listen here: "Space"
Explore further:
Interview by staff at MBTM
