Show & Prove: Pluto
Words: Kyle Eustice
Pluto’s meteoric rise to rap popularity began last year, and during that time, she not only landed a hit with the rousing party track “Whim Whammie,” but had a summer smash in the process. The Zaytoven, Mikey and Jai-produced song, which arrived last February and marked the second single of her career, grew legs thanks to the power of social media. The viral factor caught the attention of major labels looking to sign the rising talent.
In the span of four months, Pluto released two albums and unloaded an arsenal of videos for singles like “Bow,” “Motion” featuring Sexyy Red, “Pull Your Skirt Up” and, of course, “Whim Whammie,” which has racked up more than 39 million YouTube views and been streamed over 74 million times on Spotify.
The speed at which everything is happening has been dizzying for the 21-year-old Atlanta native, but she’s taking it all in stride. Pluto has the maturity of someone twice her age and vows to invest her money rather than blow it on extravagant cars and other frivolous pursuits, a smart decision. She recognizes fame and fortune can evaporate as quickly as it materializes.
“I was always pushing myself to maturity,” she explains. “I had no choice but to do for myself, so that’s really what I know. I feel like I’m putting on for my city and my family. I’m really just going for it and I don’t wanna have no mess up. I’m keeping my head strong.”
Prior to having her sights set on a rap career, Pluto, born Jada Smith, went to upwards of 10 elementary schools before she and her family finally settled down on the West Side of Atlanta when she was in the fifth grade. In 2018, she enrolled at Booker T. Washington High School. During her sophomore year, Pluto discovered she had a knack for doing hair and, with the encouragement of her godmother, started taking clients.
“She pushed me into the career, but it was the best thing that could ever happen to me,” the rapper shares. “I blew up immediately off doing hair and taught myself how to do it. High school was a good experience for me because I was doing so many different things. I can go back anytime and it’s nothing but love. It really was a family. It was the build of Pluto before Pluto was Pluto.”
While she was in school, Pluto also worked as an athletic trainer and was tasked with taping up the athletes during games. With her styling business taking off and other school commitments, becoming a rapper wasn’t on her radar just yet. After graduating in 2022, Pluto’s path took an unexpected turn.
“Rap didn’t come into play until after high school,” she recalls. “But my mom, she went to school for music. She used to tell me funny stories, like I was dancing in the womb every time I heard a song. I feel like I got a third eye for music. I love music so much. It’s therapy for me.”
The fuse was lit when Pluto realized making music was something that came naturally to her. “Me and my friends would get studio sessions just on a random day to kick it and make songs and whatnot,” she adds. “It was made out of nothing but fun, good vibes, good energy, laughing and jokes. My mom used to push me all the time, like, ‘You got to get in the studio. You’re going to record for me one day.’”
After a period of living away from home, Pluto moved back in with her mother, who’d built a studio in Pluto’s old bedroom, so she would often end up crashing on the floor. But, she believes she needed to experience some turbulent times to truly appreciate where she is today.
“Everything happened for a reason,” she reflects. “[In 2024], around the same time, I was sleeping in the studio, and now I’m one of the biggest artists as of today—that’s crazy… I was once thinking the bad days are never going to end, and now look.”
Moments like that are a testament to her unwavering work ethic to succeed. After she started making her own music and releasing it, a snippet of “Whim Whammie” featuring YKNiece started exploding on TikTok last January after she posted a video of her and YKNiece dancing in the snow. The platform is a special place for Pluto, who got her rap moniker from her TikTok supporters. The name is a nod to fellow Atlanta rapper Future.
“They took it and ran with it, and I ran with it as well because it’s catchy, it pull people in and then it do remind you of Future,” she says. “It make you think like, ‘Who is this other Pluto?’ I used to joke like, ‘I’m Future Jr.’ I really just like the name.”
Her buzzing track took off as a result of its ATL party vibes with some nostalgia peppered in. The song samples DJ Cool Breeze and OJ Da Juiceman’s “Wham Bam,” which references D4L rapper Mook B’s “Whim Wham,” the track behind a popular ATL dance. Pluto wrote the lyrics after finding the beat on YouTube. Following the “Whim Whammie” takeover, Pluto ultimately inked a deal with Motown Records in March of 2025.
The deal with Motown felt like divine intervention, according to Pluto. Before she’d even shot the official video for “Whim Whammie,” she was fielding Zoom and FaceTime calls with labels while braiding hair at her salon.
“It was a lot of situations where me and my manager, we went with our heart and the signs that we got from God,” she explains. “From the first phone call [with Motown/Capitol SVP, A&R Kenoe Jordan], it was different from everybody else that we’d spoken to. It was perfect timing in a way because we almost just got into a bad deal.”
Pluto’s manager, Niah B., has been able to witness the rhymer’s ascent firsthand. “I do see [Pluto’s] growth has changed,” she says. “It was new for her, so certain things she was like, ‘Oh I’m not doing it,’ but now she is open to a lot of things and it’s opened up many more doors.”
Those doors have led to more collaborations and opportunities. Kicking off last June, she performed as an opening act on Lil Baby’s WHAM Tour. Plus, “Whim Whammie,” which peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 last year, has been remixed or repurposed by multiple artists, including Lizzo and Latto. Last June, a version of the song featuring Sexyy Red was included on Pluto’s debut album, Both Ways—and she’s still pinching herself. They also filmed a music video for the track. She dropped the deluxe version of the project a month later.
“Any girl would feel overwhelmed with joy because it’s like I was just listening to you guys a couple months ago,” Pluto maintains with a smile. “To be able to sit in the same room and record in the same studio or send a text message to Sexyy Red, it’s mind-blowing.”
Pluto has another fan in YoungBoy Never Broke Again, who brought her onstage during an Atlanta tour stop last October to perform her hit song, an experience she calls “amazing” and “surreal.” That same month, she dropped her sophomore LP, Pluto World, featuring “2 Crash Outs,” her collab with YoungBoy. The 19-track effort also includes guest appearances from Sexyy Red, Nardo Wick, Real Boston Richey, Hunxho and the late Lil Poppa, among others.
Looking ahead, she’s got more in store. There’s the possibility that GloRilla could appear on a remix of “Just in Case,” which Pluto previewed last October. But more importantly, there’s another album slated for release this year. She has plans to launch her own nonprofit, too. “I got my foot on the gas,” Pluto insists. “I’m not letting up, so I can’t do nothing but drop.”
Pluto may be relatively new to rap, but her authenticity, relatability and kindness will continue to carry her far. She’s an around-the-way girl with Southern charm that knows what she sees when she looks in the mirror. “Can I curse?” she coyly asks. After getting permission, she continues, “I will keep popping my sh*t regardless of everything. I feel like now I’m in a space where nothing can tear me down. Nothing is going to stop me and my music is on fire. That’s what it all come down to, the music.”
Pressure applied.
Listen to Pluto’s Pluto World Album
