Turns Out Latto’s Mystery Man Is … Cognac

Latto stars in the new D’Ussé Friday campaign, revealing the brand’s VSOP Magnum Edition bottle as her “mystery date” in a short film that nods to her Atlanta roots, upcoming music and swirling public speculation linking her to a well-known rapper. 

D’Ussé Friday is back — and this time, it’s more than just a toast.

Once a Roc Nation office tradition that marked the end of a hard week, the cognac-fueled ritual returns as a national campaign led by Grammy-nominated rapper Latto. The summer relaunch arrives with a cheeky short film where Latto reveals her “mystery date” — not a man, but the D’Ussé VSOP Magnum Edition bottle.

But beyond the gimmick is a cultural reset. The campaign centers on what it calls “victory pours” — an attempt to shift from grind culture to a space of acknowledgment and pause. With her “Big Mama” persona in full effect, Latto headlines a slate of events in Atlanta and elsewhere alongside breakout singer-songwriter Ravyn Lenae.

There’s even a custom cocktail — the “D’Ussé Peach Lemonade” — referencing her 2024 "Georgia Peach" LP and Atlanta roots.

At face value, it's a seasonal brand push. But behind it lies a long, complex relationship between hip-hop and cognac.

Long before Jay-Z’s involvement, cognac was embedded in rap’s DNA — from Tupac’s odes to Hennessy to luxury shoutouts by Busta Rhymes and Biggie. By the 2000s, the drink had become a staple in Black nightlife and music videos. Analysts estimate that Black consumers have accounted for over 60 percent of cognac’s U.S. sales in past decades — despite having little ownership in the brands they helped build.

That changed in 2012 when Jay-Z co-founded D’Ussé with Bacardi, shifting from endorsement to equity. His role was more than symbolic. Even after selling his majority stake in 2023 in a deal that reportedly valued the company at $750 million, D’Ussé's cultural identity remains inseparable from the blueprint he authored.

This latest rollout doesn’t just reference that legacy — it extends it. While Latto and Ravyn Lenae are the campaign’s faces, the undercurrent is about reclaiming space — economically, culturally, and narratively.

“Everyone knows the grind is nonstop and a lot of times we're not taking a second to celebrate the wins,” Latto said in the official announcement. Her quote, while polished, reinforces a larger truth: in a culture that prizes hustle, the pause often says just as much.

The campaign arrives at a time when more artists are taking control of their narratives — not just what they drink or promote, but what they own and influence.

What began as a low-key Friday tradition inside Roc Nation now lives as something bigger — a nod to the long week, the long road, and the longer game.

Victory, in this case, is served with context.