Biography latifah pictures queen

American rapper and actress (born 1970)

"Latifah" redirects here. For other uses, gaze Latifa (disambiguation).

For the 2024 Nigerian show film, see Queen Lateefah.

Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, point of view actress. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Grant, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, paramount two NAACP Image Awards, in joining to a nomination for an Establishment Award. In 2006, she became loftiness first hip hop artist to select a star on the Hollywood Grasp of Fame.

At age 19, Latifah released her debut album All Address the Queen (1989), featuring the lower single "Ladies First". Her second past performance Nature of a Sista' (1991), was produced by Tommy Boy Records. Recipe third album, Black Reign (1993), became the first album by a alone female rapper to receive a gilded certification from the Recording Industry Federation of America (RIAA),^[3] and spawned integrity single "U.N.I.T.Y.", which was influential advance raising awareness of violence against platoon and the objectification of Black someone sexuality.^[4] The track reached the get carried away 40 on the Billboard Hot Century, and won a Grammy Award. Quip fourth album Order in the Court (1998), was released with Motown Rolls museum. She has since released the albums The Dana Owens Album (2004), Trav'lin' Light (2007), and Persona (2009).

Latifah starred as Khadijah James on loftiness Fox sitcom Living Single from 1993 to 1998 and landed a cap role in the action film Set It Off (1996). She created leadership daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show, which ran from 1999 persist at 2001, and again from 2013 hitch 2015, in syndication. Her portrayal designate Matron "Mama" Morton in the melodious film Chicago (2002) received a position for the Academy Award for Complete Supporting Actress. She has also asterisked or co-starred in the films Bringing Down the House (2003), Taxi (2004), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2005), Beauty Shop (2005), Last Holiday (2006), Hairspray (2007), Joyful Noise (2012), 22 Jump Street (2014), and Girls Trip (2017); and provided voice work fluky the Ice Age film series.^[5]

Latifah old-fashioned critical acclaim for her portrayal end blues singer Bessie Smith in loftiness HBO film Bessie (2015), which she co-produced, winning the Primetime Emmy Accord for Outstanding Television Movie. From 2016 to 2019, she starred as Carlotta Brown in the musical drama group Star. In 2020, she portrayed Hattie McDaniel in the miniseries Hollywood. On account of 2021, she has held the focal role on CBS's revival of high-mindedness action drama The Equalizer.

Early life

Dana Elaine Owens was born in Metropolis, New Jersey, on March 18, 1970, and lived primarily in East Carroty, New Jersey. She is the lass of Rita Lamae (née Bray; series. 2018),^[6] a teacher at Irvington Pump up session School (Dana's alma mater), and Character Amos Owens, a police officer.^[7][8][9] An alternative parents divorced when she was ten.^[10]

She was raised in the Baptist faith.^[11] She attended Catholic school in Metropolis, New Jersey^[12][13] and Essex Catholic Girls' High School in Irvington but calibrated from Irvington High School.^[14][15][10] After lofty school, she attended classes at District of Manhattan Community College.^[16]

She found accompaniment stage name, Latifah (لطيفةlaṭīfa), meaning "delicate" and "very kind" in Arabic, crucial a book of Arabic names considering that she was eight.^[10] Always tall, honesty 5-foot-10-inch (1.78 m) Dana was a robustness forward on her high school hoops team.^[17][18] She performed the number "Home" from the musical The Wiz put in the bank a grammar school play.^[19]

Music career

1988–1989: Life's work beginnings

She began beat boxing for picture hip-hop group Ladies Fresh and was an original member of the Sapidity Unit, which, at that time, was a crew of MCs grouped go ahead producer DJ King Gemini. DJ Disorderly Gemini made a demo recording rule Queen Latifah's rap song Princess frequent the Posse, which he gave authorization Fab 5 Freddy, the host dressingdown Yo! MTV Raps. The song got the attention of Tommy Boy Penalty employee Dante Ross, who signed Latifah and in 1989 released her labour single, "Wrath of My Madness". Explain recent artists, like Ice Cube presentday Lil' Kim, would go on compute sample Latifah's track in their songs "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo" and "Wrath of Kim's Madness" separately in later years. Latifah has spick two-octave vocal range.^[20] She is reputed a contralto, with the ability other than both rap and sing.^[20]

1989–2002: Rap bracket hip-hop

Latifah made her mark in rap by rapping about issues black squadron face. She wrote songs about topics including domestic violence, street harassment, put forward troubled relationships.^[21] Freddy helped Latifah assure with Tommy Boy Records, which unconfined Latifah's first album All Hail nobility Queen in 1989, when she was nineteen.^[10] That year, she appeared because Referee on the UK label Tune euphony of Life album 1989 – The Hustlers Association (live). She received a Candace Reward from the National Coalition of Century Black Women in 1992.^[22] The singular "Ladies First" featuring Monie Love became the first collaborative track by link female rappers not in a group.^[23] In 1993, she released the past performance Black Reign, which was certified Au in the United States^[24] and chance upon the Grammy Award-winning song "U.N.I.T.Y." Worry 1998, co-produced by Ro Smith, carrying great weight CEO of Def Ro Inc., she released her fourth hip-hop album Order in the Court, which was free by Motown Records. Latifah was very a member of the hip-hop agglomerative Native Tongues.

Latifah performed in depiction Super Bowl XXXIIhalftime show, making dismiss the first rapper to do so.^[25]

2003–2009: Change to traditional singing

After Order hole the Court, Latifah shifted primarily unexpected singing soul music and jazz principles, which she had used sparingly embankment her previous hip-hop-oriented records. In 2004, she released the soul/jazz standards The Dana Owens Album. On July 11, 2007, Latifah sang at the notable Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles laugh the headlining act in a stick up for jazz concert. In front of well-ordered crowd of more than 12,400, she was backed by a 10-piece secure orchestra and three backup vocalists, which was billed as the Queen Latifah Orchestra. Latifah performed new arrangements elder standards including "California Dreaming", first plain popular by 1960s icons the Mamas & the Papas. Later in 2007, Latifah released an album titled Trav'lin' Light. Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Joe Sample, George Duke, Christian McBride, move Stevie Wonder made guest appearances.^[26] Position album was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Traditional Pop Communicative Album" category.^[27]

In 2009, Latifah, along connote the NJPAC Jubilation Choir,^[28] recorded justness title track on the album Oh, Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration, covering the song that the King Hawkins Singers made popular in 1969.^[29]

2008–present: Return to hip-hop

In 2008, Latifah was asked if she would make substitute hip-hop album. She was quoted stating that the album was done by now and it would be called All Hail the Queen II. The consequent year, in 2009, she released remove album Persona. The song "Cue high-mindedness Rain" was released as the album's lead single.^[30] 2011 saw Queen Latifah sing "Who Can I Turn To" in a duet with Tony Flier for his album Duets II.^[31] Be sure about January 2012, while appearing on 106 & Park with Dolly Parton, know promote Joyful Noise, Latifah stated become absent-minded she had been working on wonderful new album.

Film and television

1991–2001: Trustworthy career

She began her film career infant having supporting roles in the 1991 and 1992 films House Party 2, Juice and Jungle Fever. Moreover, she has guest starred in two episodes during the second season (1991–1992) elect the NBC hit The Fresh Emperor of Bel-Air and had a caller role as herself on the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper send down 1993. From 1993 to 1998, Latifah had a starring role on Living Single, the FOX sitcom, which gained high ratings among black audiences; she also wrote and performed its parish song. Her mother Rita played mother on-screen. Latifah appeared in leadership 1996 box-office hit, Set It Off, and had a supporting role border line the Holly Hunter film Living Scrape out Loud (1998). She played the part of Thelma in the 1999 flick The Bone Collector, alongside Denzel Pedagogue and Angelina Jolie. She also locked away her own talk show, The Monarch Latifah Show, from 1999 to 2001 and revamped in 2013. On Jan 6, 2014, The Queen Latifah Show was renewed for a second period. However, on November 21, 2014, Sony Pictures Television canceled Latifah's show justification to declining ratings. Production of glory series closed down, taking effect reasoning December 18, 2014, leaving new episodes that were broadcast until March 6, 2015.

2002–present: Mainstream success

Although Latifah esoteric previously received some critical acclaim, she gained mainstream success after being lob as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago, a musical film that won description Academy Award for Best Picture.^[10] Latifah herself received the nomination for Decent Supporting Actress for her role, on the contrary lost to co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones.^[10] Latifah is one of five hip-hop/R&B artists to receive an Academy Award date in an acting category. The plainness are Will Smith (Best Actor, Ali, 2001, and The Pursuit of Happyness, 2006), Jennifer Hudson (Best Supporting Sportsman, Dreamgirls, 2007), Jamie Foxx, (Best Thespian, Ray, and Best Supporting Actor Collateral, both in 2004, also winning distinction first) and Mary J. Blige (Best Supporting Actress, Mudbound, 2017).

In 2003, she starred with Steve Martin carry the film Bringing Down the House, which was a major success comic story the box office.^[10] She also reliable a song "Do Your Thing" beseech the soundtrack. Since then, she has had both leading and supporting roles in a multitude of films go off received varied critical and box firm receptions, including films such as Scary Movie 3, Barbershop 2: Back thwart Business, Taxi, Kung Faux, Beauty Shop, and Hairspray. In early 2006, Latifah appeared in a romantic comedy/drama powerful Last Holiday.^[10] Film critic Richard Roeper stated that "this is the Ruler Latifah performance I've been waiting assimilate ever since she broke into movies".^[32] Also in 2006, Latifah voiced Ellie, a friendly mammoth, in the cheerful film, Ice Age: The Meltdown (her first voice appearance in an effervescent film), and appeared in the display Stranger Than Fiction.

The summer loosen 2007 brought Latifah triple success return the big-screen version of the The footlights smash hit Hairspray, in which she acted, sang, and danced. The vinyl rated highly with critics. It marked, among others, John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Allison Janney, James Marsden, Christopher Walken, and Zac Efron. Also in 2007, she portrayed an HIV-positive woman compel the film Life Support, a lines for which she garnered her eminent Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Club Award and an Emmy^[33] nomination. Apportion her work, Queen Latifah received clever star on the Hollywood Walk produce Fame, on January 4, 2006, remain at 6915 Hollywood Blvd.

Queen Latifah produced the 2007 film The Finished Holiday. In addition to producing excellence film, Latifah starred alongside Terrence Actor, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Charles Confusing. Murphy, Jill Marie Jones, and Faizon Love.^[34] In 2008, Latifah appeared incline the crime comedy Mad Money conflicting Academy Award–winner Diane Keaton as athletic as Katie Holmes and Ted Danson. She appeared on Saturday Night Live on October 4, 2008, as referee Gwen Ifill in a comedic description depicting the vice-presidential debate between then-Senator Joe Biden and then-Governor Sarah Palin^[35] and played in The Secret Seek of Bees. In 2009, Latifah was a presenter at the 81st Faculty Awards, presenting the segment honoring lp professionals who had died during 2008 and singing "I'll Be Seeing You" during the montage. Latifah spoke consider Michael Jackson's memorial service in Los Angeles. She also hosted the 2010 People's Choice Awards. Latifah sang "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl Forty-four hosted in Miami, Florida, on Feb 7, 2010, with Carrie Underwood. Latifah hosted the 2010 BET Awards removal June 27, 2010. She starred fumble Dolly Parton in Joyful Noise (2012).^[36] In June 2011, Latifah received propose honorary doctorate degree in Humane Writing book from Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware. On September 16, 2013, Latifah premiered her own syndicated daytime boob tube show titled The Queen Latifah Show.^[37][38] On January 26, 2014, Latifah officiated the weddings of 33 same-sex impressive opposite-sex couples during a performance cosy up "Same Love" by Macklemore at glory 56th Annual Grammy Awards.^[39] In 2015, Latifah received a Best Actress Award nomination for her lead role in that Bessie Smith in Bessie, an HBO film which received a total watch 12 Emmy nominations.^[40]

On April 26, 2017, MTV announced that Latifah will live an executive producer for the position season of the slasher television furniture Scream. The show will undergo dinky reboot with a new cast instruction Brett Matthews serving as show athlete. In addition, Matthews, Shakim Compere mount Yaneley Arty will also be credited as executive producers for the group under Flavor Unit Entertainment.^[41][42] On June 24, 2019, it was confirmed renounce the third season is scheduled relax premiere over three nights on VH1, starting from July 8, 2019. Greatness third season titled Scream: Resurrection premiered on July 8, 2019.^[43]

Latifah played position sea witch Ursula in The Small Mermaid Live!. Although the production upturn was not well received, critics near praised Latifah's performance,^[44][45] with The Flavor Reporter calling her performance "the finest moment of the evening".^[46]

In 2021, CBS premiered the new active TV mound, The Equalizer, a reboot of honourableness 1980s detective series of the hire name, starring Latifah in the key role (renamed as Robyn for time out version).^[47] More recently, she signed neat as a pin deal with Audible.^[48]

Artistry

Latifah's music usually contains hip-hop, jazz and gospel and has the elements of R&B, soul, current dance. She possesses a two-octave verbal range. Queen Latifah is a alto, and she has the ability ploy rap and sing. Her biggest lilting influences are EPMD, KRS-One, LL Tranquil J, Public Enemy, and Run–D.M.C.^[49] She also cites Bessie Smith as memory of her influences.^[50]

Al Hail the Queen features hip-hop, reggae, soulful back-up vocals, boppishscatting, snappy horn back-ups, and sort out music. She described the work introduction "a creative outlet... and sometimes socket can become like a newspaper think it over people read with their ears."^[51]

Early explain her career, Queen Latifah's lyrics were described as woman-centered and Afrocentric. Influence rapper often used Afrocentric attires cloth public appearances and music videos, air that became her trademark.^[52] In 1990, The New York Times' Michelle Writer described her art as "politically sophisticated", which "seems worlds apart from excellence adolescent, buffoonish sex orientation of domineering rap."^[53] For AllMusic, her "strong, percipient, no-nonsense" persona made her "arguably rank first MC who could properly hide described as feminist".^[3] Queen Latifah outspoken not identify as a feminist wristwatch the time, and expressed that bodyguard music was not exclusive for justness female audience.^[54] On the topic, father Tricia Rose wrote that Black feminine rappers likely did not identify reach an agreement feminism during that time because give rise to was perceived as a movement prowl focused primarily on white women's issues.^[55]

Products and endorsements

Latifah is a celebrity spokesman for CoverGirl cosmetics, Curvation women's briefs, Pizza Hut, and Jenny Craig.^[56] She represents her own line of formation for women of color called rank CoverGirl Queen Collection.^[57] Latifah has very launched a perfume line called "Queen" and "Queen of Hearts". On Hawthorn 23, 2018, Latifah was named righteousness godmother of Carnival Cruise Lines' concavity Carnival Horizon. Apart from singing, Monarch Latifah has written a book leisure interest confidence and self-respect called Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman.^[58]

Personal life

Raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Latifah has been a resident of Colts Neck, New Jersey; Rumson, New Jersey; and Beverly Hills, California.^[59]

Latifah's older monk, Lancelot Jr., was killed in 1992 in an accident involving a cycle that Latifah had purchased for him.^[10] A 2006 interview revealed that Latifah still wore the key to nobleness motorcycle around her neck,^[10] visible from the beginning to the end of her performance in her sitcom Living Single. In 1995, Latifah was rectitude victim of a carjacking, which extremely resulted in the shooting of assembly boyfriend, Sean Moon.^[60]

In 1996, she was arrested and charged with possession snare marijuana and possession of a overloaded handgun.^[61] In 2002, she was apprehend for driving under the influence cage up Los Angeles County.^[62] She was tell stories on three years' probation after growth convicted.^[63]

On March 21, 2018, her local, actress Rita Owens, died due cause somebody to heart failure, an issue she confidential been battling since 2004.^[64]

Latifah long refused to address speculation around her horniness and personal life, telling The Recent York Times in 2008 that "I don't feel like I need go on parade share my personal life, and Distracted don't care if people think I'm gay or not".^[65] At the Wager Awards 2021, during her acceptance sales pitch for the Lifetime Achievement Award, she publicly acknowledged her partner Eboni Nichols and son Rebel for the cheeriness time, ending the speech with "Happy Pride!"^[66]

In the January 2020 season 6, episode 4 of Finding Your Roots titled "This Land Is My Land", Latifah learned that her family were descended from a line of get out Negroes, since her ancestors were planned by name in the U.S. pre–Civil War census of 1860 in Virginia.^[67] Slaves were almost never listed vulgar name in pre–U.S. Civil War censuses. Latifah also learned the exact excess her ancestors became free which was October 1, 1792, the date remove second earliest known ancestor, a lassie named "Jug" or Juggy Owens, was emancipated from slavery.^[68]

Feud with Foxy Brown

Disagreements between Foxy Brown and Queen Latifah began in mid-1996, where media measure indicated that Brown was a legalize target of Latifah's diss record "Name Callin'", which was featured on greatness Set It Off soundtrack.^[69] In satisfy, Brown made allegations of Latifah "checking her out" at musical events unacceptable further questioned Latifah's sexuality in a number of public radio interviews. In 1998, Chocolate-brown released a diss record titled "10% Dis", where she continually questioned Latifah's sexuality and accused her of build jealous.^[70][71]

By late spring of 1998, Latifah responded to Brown through another spite record titled "Name Callin' Part II".^[72][73] On the record, Latifah disses Chromatic about her heavy reliance on copulation appeal, in which she implies delay Brown has to rely on revealing outfits to hide her "half-assed flow".^[72][74] Foxy Brown retaliated via a response-diss record titled "Talk to Me", derive which Brown made fun of position ratings of Latifah's television talk demonstrate and went on to make diverse homophobic remarks to both Latifah extra then-newcomer Queen Pen.^[75]

A significant part rejoice media dubbed Latifah "the winner" be fitting of the feud.^[73] Hip-hop magazine Ego Trip stated that Latifah won the enmity with her diss record "Name Callin' Part II" and added that she showed that "the lady's still first", in reference to Latifah's 1990 one and only, "Ladies First".^[73] In 2000, Brown spreadsheet Latifah reconciled; to prove that rendering truce was real, Brown performed multipart song "Na Na Be Like" draw somebody in The Queen Latifah Show.^[76]

Legacy

Music

Often cited rightfully one of the best female rappers,^[77] Queen Latifah achieved groundbreaking success^[78] bed the late 1980s and early Decennium, and became what Pitchfork considered laugh the "most recognizable female rapper" snare the golden era of hip hop.^[79]AllMusic writer Steve Huey stated that Latifah was "certainly not the first somebody rapper, but she was the extreme one to become a bona fide star."^[3] In the book Notable Reeky American Women, Jessie Carney Smith hailed her as "rap's first feminist" stake "one of the few women take a look at make a mark in the male-dominated field of rap music".^[80]Variety called penetrate "one of the major forerunners reach women in modern hip-hop,"^[81] and The Guardian referred to her as far-out "pioneer of female rap".^[82]

Throughout her being, several media publications have referred hint at her as the "Queen of Rap"^[51][83][84] including New York magazine (1990) alongside editor Dinitia Smith,^[80] as well monkey "Queen of Hip Hop".^{[83][82][85][52]} Latifah became the first solo female rapper break into receive a RIAA certification for harangue album (Black Reign), a commercial advance that the AllMusic editor considered by reason of creating a path for "a notable crew of women rappers to consider their own way onto the charts as the 90s progressed".^[3] Her gain also helped place New Jersey to be expected the hip hop map.^[52] In 1998, she performed in the Super Trundle XXXIIhalftime show, making her the head rapper to do so.^[25]

According to intimation African American Review journal, her afrocentric feminist music video for "Ladies First" presented a "televisual moment" and disrupted the continuity of sexism and ageism that dominated the music videos bonus the time.^[86] The song was catalogued on the Rock and Roll Hallway of Fame's 500 Songs That Sequence Rock and Roll,^[87] and was only of the firsts texts to supervise the declining standards of male-female affairs in community life.^[55] Author Tricia Red expressed that it "offered hip-hop take care of the development of pro-female pro-black diasporas political consciousness."^[55] In Consequence, Okla Designer noted that the song "U.N.I.T.Y."—which barney confront slurs against women in rap culture and address other types advance disrespect—created a path for future human rappers to be "their authentic selves".^[88]

Acting

Vibe magazine has noted her as loftiness first female rapper to cross corrupt into TV & film,^[89] as unmixed artist that "broke barriers and establish standards" for Black women in meeting to follow, and cited her though the "First Lady of Hip-Hop".^[23] Give reasons for her performance as Matron "Mama" Jazzman in Chicago, Latifah earned a tryst for the Academy Award for Finest Supporting Actress, becoming the first chick in hip hop to earn comprise Oscar nomination.^[90]

Cultural impact

Queen Latifah has antiquated cited as an influence on R&B, soul, and hip-hop artists, such sort Eve,^[91]Da Brat,^[92]Lil' Kim,^[93]Fugees,^[94]Jill Scott,^[95]Lauryn Hill,^[96]Missy Elliott,^[97]Remy Ma,^[98]Ivy Queen,^[99]Foxy Brown,^[100]Ms. Dynamite,^[101]Naughty by Nature,^[102]Rapsody,^[103]Megan Thee Stallion,^[104] as well as hurl Michael K. Williams,^[105]Keke Palmer,^[106]Vin Diesel,^[107] take author Jason Reynolds.^[108]

Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda has stated that Latifah inspired the interpretation of Angelica Schuyler in the lilting Hamilton.^[109] In 2020, Vogue editor Janelle Okwodu considered her a fashion prominence that "helped to start a talk about body image that continues have an adverse effect on this day", crediting her among dignity first artists that pioneered the "climate of size inclusivity and muses pay for all shapes".^[110]

Influence on the entertainment industry

Challenging Eurocentric standards

Queen Latifah has demonstrated assorted forms of activism over her life span, challenging Eurocentric ideals and representing high-mindedness black, female body. An initial idea of the beginning of her grit to these Eurocentric standards started ready to go her name. Her entire name was self-chosen, and while 'Latifah' came use an Arabic book, 'Queen' originated put on the back burner her desire to create a mighty, black identity, which was fueled exceed her mother, Rita Owens, who gave her the foundation to develop weigh up a self-proclaimed Queen.^[111]

Afrocentric Queendom is splendid concept that Queen Latifah uses cork demonstrate her resistance to Eurocentric conventions. This term, Afrocentric Queendom, refers put in plain words African centered customs that also integrate female empowerment. Eurocentric constructions are challenged by this concept because Afrocentrism deconstructs oppressive environments, essentially disrupting centralized Indweller spaces.^[111] The notion of the honour Queen was intentionally crafted by Latifah, redefining what plus size, black corps were in society. Over the ordinal century, the term ‘mammy’ coincided right black women because many were weigh up to take care of white family tree. This term stripped many black squadron around this time of their nickname, forcing them to adopt the fresh identity of ‘mammy.'^[112] Following the emanation of this term, African American body of men have been stereotyped as mothering canvass, while also signaling a loss faultless identity.^[112] This is what Queen Latifah aimed to avoid when creating grouping stage name, with the intention curst opposing the Eurocentric construction of leadership term mammy. The sole idea operate her choosing her name imitates autonomy and promotes strength within herself.^[113]

Latifah besides rejects Eurocentric standards by embracing Afrocentric ideals and incorporating this concept favourable her work. She claims that Afrocentricity is a great way of live, creating a sense of pride almost her heritage.^[113] Within her music, Latifah incorporates Afrobeats and language while additionally centering black women within her disagreement and visuals. This can be starkly identified in her 1989 ‘Ladies First’ opus video, to where South African charm is present in her work, which included Afrocentric visuals and clothes meander align culturally with South Africa.^[113]

The concept of the black, female body has been criticized and mocked, as convulsion as being imitated over the gone and forgotten couple of decades by celebrities. Emperor Latifah, a plus sized, black ladylove has continued to challenge Eurocentric jus canonicum \'canon law\' by advocating for body positivity allow incorporating her size as a theme of her music identity within unqualified early Hip Hop career. Her objective was to politicize and posterize quip body to influence young, black girls that all bodies should be popular, especially in her male dominated a lot at the time.^[111] Throughout her beforehand career, Latifah challenged the Eurocentric ethos of the inferiority of black, warm bodies, by creating a marketable velocity that was respectable within the Knowing Hop industry in the mid-1990s.

Queen Latifah didn't always center Africanness den her career, eventually embracing more Inky American customs, while not completely abandoning African ideals. This was present owing to her physical appearance and her sonata. In her 1993 rap song, U.N.I.T.Y. she incorporates more jazz and be sounds into her music, as convulsion as empowering lyrics.^[111] Her lyrics birthplace concerns regarding harassment and domestic power within the black community, as adequately as lyrics to uplift black squad, and lyrics that address misogyny innards everted the hip hop community.^[114]

Early influence short vacation feminism

While Afrocentric influence and pro-black writings actions were what Queen Latifah focused serration, she also incorporated feminism throughout connection work. Latifah's demonstration of Afrocentricity co-existed with how she also demonstrated her walking papers feminism. The message of hip vault arise and rap began to change about the mid-nineties, with rappers like Chief Latifah, as well as Monie Affection and Lil' Kim, changing the account. The lyrics of the songs conclude by several of these women akin to sexual liberation, female autonomy, existing sexual domination.^[115] Language in hip jump was changed through female artists, reclaiming derogatory words that are used disagree with women and incorporating them within their music.

Queen Latifah's name, while self-empowering and challenging Eurocentric ideals, also demonstrates feminist action. The term "queen" refers to a female ruler who esteem in a higher position than those around her. By placing "Queen" see the point of her stage name, Latifah set bodily in a position to counter racist ideals in the hip-hop and announce music industry, which was primarily haunted by men during this time.^[115]

While in the matter of were several women, like Latifah, who associated with feminism, there were assorted women who rejected the idea conclusion incorporating this into their artistry end to negative connotations of this repositioning. Involvement with feminism could adversely principle their career, especially if the notion of feminism is rejected by punters who dominate the music industry. Queen dowager Latifah was not a follower loaded this situation, subtly incorporating third-wave effort within her lyrics, which specifically addressed the inclusion of women of aspect in feminism and the elimination time off homophobia.^[115]

Flavor Unit Records

Latifah also founded span production company, which was referred flavour as Flavor Unit Records, eventually Live through Unit Entertainment, co-launching it in 1995 with her business partner Shakim Compere.^[116] Near the creation of this reputation, she helped several artists create their music, such as Daddy D. Pappa D was Latifah's first artist be introduced to create a single with. Her location was to create a multimedia people that operates at full service. Not too music artists at the time craved to join Queen Latifah's label thanks to they easily identified her success, do too much an artist herself, to a breezy made label chief.^[116] The label remained quite small in the nineties, however eventually gained traction as Queen Latifah gained more attention. While her transcribe label helped several artists start improve their career, she remained at Motown Records for her own benefit.^[116]

Portrayal win characters

Queen Latifah expanded her career carry too far music, branching out to acting, brand well as producing. Her first duty that she took on was quantity the movie Jungle Fever, which was released in 1991, where she entire among several significant black actors, much as Samuel L. Jackson and City Berry. Her role in this silent picture was not major, but displayed throw over overall talent enough in the layer. She later moved to entertainment thronging, starring and co-producing certain episodes show consideration for the show Living Single.

Living Single

Queen Latifah was the star of take five own sitcom, which followed her unoriginality, Khadijah James, and three of improve black, female friends. This sitcom deviate aired for three years aimed cuddle highlight the Black American experience impervious to demonstrating Black excellence.^[117] Latifah's character quite good described to embody what black the greater part was in the early nineties. Other character was well rounded and puppet the idea of a ‘girl boss’ was. With this all black dreary, the possibilities for characters to enter presented in a variety of behavior were endless. Some characters, such significance Maxine Shaw, played by Erika Conqueror, were depicted as lawyers, while residue were depicted as wealthy, such introduction Regine Hunter, played by Kim Comedian. Khadijah was everything from a skill owner, to a songwriter, to fine friend, all while maintaining the luminary role in the show. Depth have a word with duality behind black characters on sitcoms within the nineties was not become aware of common outside of Black Entertainment Beseech (BET), so it was quite superior to television when Queen Latifiah took on such an important role. Be in keeping with the help of Queen Latifah, Yvette Lee Bowser, the executive producer ray creator, was actively changing the track down of Black Americans, painting a contemporary light on the Black experience.^[117]  

Through her performance through the exhibit, Latifah showed the complexity of Reeky womanhood successfully. There were several parallels that were identified between Living Nonpareil and Queen Latifah's life, such bring in how both she and her unoriginality had to navigate a male-dominated work while trying to be successful.^[118] Their personalities also align, both being loudmouthed, confident, and driven. Latifah realistically portrayed a black woman on television vulgar simply acting as herself on Soul Single.

Early influence of sexuality impossible to differentiate entertainment (before the 2000s)

Queen Latifah's concupiscence has always come into question shame her on-screen performances. In one chastisement her films, 1996's Set It Off, she takes on a more macho role. Cleopatra Sims (Cleo), Latifah's category, can be described as a male, lesbian bank robber, which highlighted cause sexuality.^[118] She was so successful extensively playing this masculine role, that rumors about her sexuality started spreading.^[118] Epoxy resin the early stages of her lifetime, Latifah chose not to address depiction rumors regarding her sexuality, letting illustriousness public categorize her in their attention way. Queen Latifah's ambiguity played inhibit her strengths when acting, allowing barren to have versatile roles and not quite become constrained to certain acting roles because of her off screen sexuality.^[118] This can be identified in various of her later films in repudiate career, playing a range of either oversexualized characters or sexually muted script. The distance Queen Latifah created shake off assumptions about her sexuality in come together early career excluded her from harry queer discourse throughout the nineties.^[119] involvement in offhanded politics and pro-black work productions helped define her run, while her sexuality did not trace her work, early on.^[119]

Accolades

Main article: Bring to an end of awards and nominations received give up Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah became the twig female hip-hop recording artist to render nominated for an Oscar. In 2003, Queen Latifah was awarded Artist medium the Year by Harvard Foundation.^[120] Charge 2006, Latifah became the first rap artist to receive a star sting the Hollywood Walk of Fame,^[121] come to rest was also inducted into the Latest Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011.^[122] In her music career, Queen Latifah has sold nearly 2 million albums in the US.^[123][124]The Root ranked tea break at number 35 on The Root 100 list.^[125] In 2017, American Swart Film Festival honored Latifah with ethics Entertainment Icon award.^[126] In 2018, she received an honorary Doctor of Frail Arts Degree by the Rutgers University.^[127] In 2019, Harvard University awarded depiction W. E. B. Du Bois Colours to Queen Latifah for cultural contributions.^[128] In 2023, Queen Latifah's debut soundtrack All Hail the Queen, was extra into the Library of Congress'sNational Put on video Registry, making it the earliest person rap recording to enter the Public Recording Registry,^[129] and made her position second female hip-hop recording artist dealings have her music included after Lauryn Hill;^[130][131] however some outlets incorrectly story her as the first to execute the feat.^[132][133]

She is a recipient magnetize a Grammy Award from six nominations, a Golden Globe Award, two Fan Actors Guild Awards from five nominations, two NAACP Image Awards from xiii nominations, one Primetime Emmy Award flight three nominations, and an Academy Accord nomination. In 2021, she received integrity BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and was the first rapper, female or manly, to be so awarded.^[134] In 2023, she became the first female doorknocker to be a Kennedy Center honoree.^[135][136]

Discography

Main article: Queen Latifah discography

Studio albums

Tours

Latifah, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu joined acquiescent create and own the rights know the Sugar Water Festival Tour, LLC. All three singers toured together from the past inviting music duo Floetry in 2005 and singer Kelis in 2006 significance opening acts. Comedian/actress Mo'Nique served significance host for the 2006 Sugar Tap water Tour.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Producer

Video games

References