Queen Latifah
Pioneering Rapper and actress Queen Latifah was born Dana Elaine Owens in Newark, New Jersey on March 18, 1970. The name Latifah, given to her by a cousin when she was eight years old, is an Arabic word meaning “delicate” or “sensitive.” In high school, Latifah showed an interest in both acting and music – she starred in her school’s production of The Wiz and began rapping and beat-boxing with the group Ladies Fresh.
While in college, Latifah added the prefix “Queen” to her name and began collaborating with the Native Tongues collective, a group that aimed to combine positive, Afro-centric consciousness with hip-hop music. Soon after, Latifah recorded a demo and secured a contract with Tommy Boy Records at just 18 years old. In 1988, she released her first single Wrath of My Madness. One year later, she released her debut album All Hail the Queen, which was met with positive reviews and cracked the Top Ten R&B charts. Latifah then formed Flavor Unit Entertainment, the management company which discovered
hip-hop trio Naughty by Nature.
In 1991, Latifah released her sophomore album, Nature of a Sista. The album’s low popularity marked the beginning of what would be a professionally and personally troubled period for Latifah. Once her contract with Tommy Boy was up, the label chose not renew her. Then, in 1992, Latifah’s older brother Lance suffered a fatal motorcycle accident. The following year, Latifah and her friend were car jacked in which her friend suffered a fatal gunshot wound. In 1996, Latifah was sentenced to two years' probation for possessing a small amount of marijuana and a hand gun.
In 1993, Latifah signed with hit factory Motown Records to release Black Reign, which she dedicated to her brother. The album became her most popular, going gold and featuring the hit single, U.N.I.T.Y, which won a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance.
As her music career accelerated, Latifah’s acting career was also taking off during the 90s. In 1991, she appeared in Jungle Fever, House Party 2, and Juice; and in 1996 landed a role in Set It Off (1996). Latifah also appeared on the small-screen in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and the FOX sitcom Living Single, for which she also wrote and performed the theme music.
Following the cancellation of Living Single in 1997, Latifah shifted her focus back to recording, and concentrated on her fourth album, Order in the Court (1998). The album, which featured duets with Faith Evans and Pras, included the singles Bananas (Who You Gonna Call?) and Paper. Also in 1998, Latifah starred in films Sphere and Living Out Loud, in which she showcased her jazz vocals.
In 1999, Latifah’s daytime talk show deemed The Queen Latifah Show made its debut. That same year, she also published her autobiography Ladies First: Revelations on a Strong Woman. In 2002, Latifah starred in the musical Chicago, for which she received Best Supporting Actress nominations from the Screen Actors Guild as well as the Golden Globes. In 2003, she took a strong departure from the musical genre by starring in the comedy Bringing Down the House with Steve Martin. Since then, Latifah has carved a unique niche starring in such lighthearted and comical films as Scary Movie 3 (2003) Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), Taxi (2004), Beauty Shop (2005), and Last Holiday (2006). |
