Queen Latifah may not be the first female rapper of all-time, but she is undeniably her former profession’s biggest success story, having made the crossover from the Hip-Hop world to become one of Hollywood’s official leading ladies and a multi-talented megastar whose appeal has spread to every corner of the U.S. and then some.
Here’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Dana Owens, better known as Queen Latifah. Latifah was born Dana Owens in Newark, NJ, on March 18, 1970. Her Muslim cousin gave her the nickname Latifah – an Arabic word meaning “delicate” or “sensitive” – when she was eight.
As a youngster, she starred in her high school’s production of The Wiz, and began rapping in high school with a group called Ladies Fresh, in which she also served as a human beatbox.
In college, she adopted the name Queen Latifah and hooked up with Afrika Bambaataa’s Native Tongues collective, which sought to bring a more positive, Afrocentric consciousness to hip-hop. She recorded a demo that landed her a record deal with Tommy Boy, and released her first single, “Wrath of My Madness,” in 1988;
In 1989, Latifah’s full-length debut, All Hail the Queen, was released to strongly favorable reviews, and the classic single “Ladies First” broke her into the consciousness of the hip-hop audience. In addition to her street-wise hip-hop, the album also featured Latifah dabbling in R&B;, reggae, and house, as well as performing duets with KRS-One and De La Soul.
Latifah quickly started a management company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, and was responsible for discovering Naughty by Nature. Her 1991 sophomore album, the lighter Nature of a Sista, wasn’t quite as popular, and when her contract with Tommy Boy was up, the label elected not to re-sign her.
Unfortunately, things got worse from there – she was the victim of a carjacking, and her brother Lance perished in a motorcycle accident.
Latifah emerged with a new sense of purpose and secured a deal with Motown, which issued Black Reign in 1993. Dedicated to her brother, it became her most popular album, eventually going gold, featuring her biggest hit single, “U.N.I.T.Y.,” which hit the R&B; Top Ten and won a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance.
By this point, Latifah had already begun her acting career, appearing in Jungle Fever, House Party 2, and Juice, as well as the TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. In 1993, she was tabbed to co-star in the Fox comedy series Living Single, which ran until 1997. During that period, acting became her primary focus.
In the 1996 film, Set It Off, Latifah played one of her most memorable roles when she co-starred with several of Hollywood’s, now leading ladies, as a group of female bank robbers.
That same year, Latifah was pulled over for speeding and was arrested when a loaded gun and marijuana were discovered in her vehicle. She pled guilty to the charges and was fined.
After Living Single was cancelled in 1997, Latifah returned to the recording studio and finally began work on her fourth album. Order in the Court was released in 1998 and found her playing up the R&B; elements of her sound in a manner that led some critics to draw comparisons to Missy Elliott.
The same year, she appeared in the films Sphere and Living Out Loud, singing several jazz standards in the latter.
The Queen Latifah Show, a daytime talk show, debuted in 1999 and ran in syndication until 2001. In November 2002, Latifah ran afoul of the law again when she was pulled over by police and failed a sobriety test – and was subsequently placed on three years’ probation after pleading guilty to DUI charges. However, this mishap was somewhat overshadowed by her performance in the acclaimed movie musical Chicago, which garnered her Best Supporting Actress nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes.
In 2003 she co-starred with Steve Martin in the film Bringing Down the House, which was a big success at the box office. Since then, she has had both leading and supporting roles in a multitude of films that received varied critical and box office receptions, including Scary Movie 3, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Taxi, and Beauty Shop.
Her latest film, released in early 2006, is a romantic comedy/drama entitled Last Holiday.
Because of her portrayal of a lesbian in Set It Off and her avoidance of discussing her romantic life, tabloid media sometimes speculate that she is a lesbian. Latifah responded to these rumors in her autobiography by saying: “It’s insulting when someone asks, ‘Are you gay?’
A woman cannot be strong, outspoken, competent at running her own business, handle herself physically, play a very convincing role in a movie, know what she wants – and go for it – without being gay? Come on.
In early 2003, Latifah had breast reduction surgery to relieve back pain. She also works out with a trainer and kickboxes. In March 2006, she announced that she is in the early stages of adopting a child, and will possibly have a baby by the beginning of 2007.
On January 4, 2006, Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is the first hip hop artist to be given this honor.
When it comes to Queen Latifah, her smash hit, “Ladies First” seems to be approiately fitting doesn’t it?
