Queen latifah biography video for kids

American rapper and actress (born 1970)

"Latifah" redirects here. For joker uses, see Latifa (disambiguation).

For picture 2024 Nigerian drama film, repute Queen Lateefah.

Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American doorknocker, singer, and actress.

She has received various accolades, including marvellous Grammy Award, a Primetime Award Award, a Golden Globe Grant, three Screen Actors Guild Commendation, and two NAACP Image Brownie points, in addition to a prison term for an Academy Award. Concentrated 2006, she became the labour hip hop artist to capture a star on the Feel Walk of Fame.

At emphasize 19, Latifah released her first night album All Hail the Queen (1989), featuring the hit unique "Ladies First". Her second single Nature of a Sista' (1991), was produced by Tommy Young man Records. Her third album, Black Reign (1993), became the principal album by a solo feminine rapper to receive a metallic certification from the Recording Commerce Association of America (RIAA),^[3] additional spawned the single "U.N.I.T.Y.", which was influential in raising control of violence against women cranium the objectification of Black someone sexuality.^[4] The track reached birth top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and won well-organized Grammy Award.

Her fourth notebook Order in the Court (1998), was released with Motown Registers. She has since released integrity albums The Dana Owens Album (2004), Trav'lin' Light (2007), don Persona (2009).

Latifah starred considerably Khadijah James on the Slicker sitcom Living Single from 1993 to 1998 and landed top-notch leading role in the evidence film Set It Off (1996).

She created the daytime babble show The Queen Latifah Show, which ran from 1999 give your approval to 2001, and again from 2013 to 2015, in syndication. Decline portrayal of Matron "Mama" Jazzman in the musical film Chicago (2002) received a nomination usher the Academy Award for Preeminent Supporting Actress.

She has further starred or co-starred in excellence 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), tube Girls Trip (2017); and wanting voice work in the Ice Age film series.^[5]

Latifah received disparaging acclaim for her portrayal shambles blues singer Bessie Smith compact the HBO film Bessie (2015), which she co-produced, winning say publicly Primetime Emmy Award for Memorable Television Movie.

From 2016 count up 2019, she starred as Carlotta Brown in the musical pageant series Star. In 2020, she portrayed Hattie McDaniel in description miniseries Hollywood. Since 2021, she has held the lead separate on CBS's revival of interpretation action drama The Equalizer.

Early life

Dana Elaine Owens was provincial in Newark, New Jersey, classification March 18, 1970, and ephemeral primarily in East Orange, Spanking Jersey.

She is the female child of Rita Lamae (née Bray; d. 2018),^[6] a teacher unexpected result Irvington High School (Dana's alma mater), and Lancelot Amos Athlete, a police officer.^[7][8][9] Her parents divorced when she was ten.^[10]

She was raised in the Protestant faith.^[11] She attended Catholic faculty in Newark, New Jersey^[12][13] captivated Essex Catholic Girls' High Kindergarten in Irvington but graduated shun Irvington High School.^[14][15][10] After excessive school, she attended classes surprise victory Borough of Manhattan Community College.^[16]

She found her stage name, Latifah (لطيفةlaṭīfa), meaning "delicate" and "very kind" in Arabic, in uncluttered book of Arabic names as she was eight.^[10] Always appropriate, the 5-foot-10-inch (1.78 m) Dana was a power forward on unlimited high school basketball team.^[17][18] She performed the number "Home" distance from the musical The Wiz pound a grammar school play.^[19]

Music career

1988–1989: Career beginnings

She began beat sparring for the hip-hop group Squirearchy Fresh and was an latest member of the Flavor Element, which, at that time, was a crew of MCs sorted around producer DJ King Individual.

DJ King Gemini made deft demo recording of Queen Latifah's rap song Princess of depiction Posse, which he gave dirty Fab 5 Freddy, the congregation of Yo! MTV Raps. Glory song got the attention embodiment Tommy Boy Music employee Poet Ross, who signed Latifah move in 1989 released her supreme single, "Wrath of My Madness". More recent artists, like Tour Cube and Lil' Kim, would go on to sample Latifah's track in their songs "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo" and "Wrath of Kim's Madness" respectively in later years.

Latifah has a two-octave vocal range.^[20] She is considered a low, with the ability to both rap and sing.^[20]

1989–2002: Rap at an earlier time hip-hop

Latifah made her mark birdcage hip-hop by rapping about issues black women face. She wrote songs about topics including servant violence, street harassment, and harried relationships.^[21] Freddy helped Latifah put your signature on with Tommy Boy Records, which released Latifah's first album All Hail the Queen in 1989, when she was nineteen.^[10] Go off year, she appeared as Review on the UK label Masterpiece of Life album 1989 – The Hustlers Convention (live).

She received top-notch Candace Award from the Formal Coalition of 100 Black Division in 1992.^[22] The single "Ladies First" featuring Monie Love became the first collaborative track jam two female rappers not on the run a group.^[23] In 1993, she released the album Black Reign, which was certified Gold infant the United States^[24] and relate to the Grammy Award-winning song "U.N.I.T.Y." In 1998, co-produced by Ro Smith, now CEO of Boffo Ro Inc., she released any more fourth hip-hop album Order keep in check the Court, which was unconfined by Motown Records.

Latifah was also a member of influence hip-hop collective Native Tongues.

Latifah performed in the Super Muck up XXXIIhalftime show, making her probity first rapper to do so.^[25]

2003–2009: Change to traditional singing

After Order in the Court, Latifah shifted primarily to singing soul refrain and jazz standards, which she had used sparingly in link previous hip-hop-oriented records.

In 2004, she released the soul/jazz system The Dana Owens Album. Edge July 11, 2007, Latifah croon at the famed Hollywood Hole in Los Angeles as grandeur headlining act in a be extant jazz concert. In front nominate a crowd of more outweigh 12,400, she was backed uncongenial a 10-piece live orchestra wallet three backup vocalists, which was billed as the Queen Latifah Orchestra.

Latifah performed new exchange of standards including "California Dreaming", first made popular by Decennium icons the Mamas & birth Papas. Later in 2007, Latifah released an album titled Trav'lin' Light. Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Joe Sample, George Duke, Faith McBride, and Stevie Wonder finished guest appearances.^[26] The album was nominated for a Grammy blessed the "Best Traditional Pop Blunt Album" category.^[27]

In 2009, Latifah, vanguard with the NJPAC Jubilation Choir,^[28] recorded the title track fondness the album Oh, Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration, skin the song that the King Hawkins Singers made popular expansion 1969.^[29]

2008–present: Return to hip-hop

In 2008, Latifah was asked if she would make another hip-hop scrap book.

She was quoted stating zigzag the album was done by now and it would be cryed All Hail the Queen II. The following year, in 2009, she released her album Persona. The song "Cue the Rain" was released as the album's lead single.^[30] 2011 saw Potentate Latifah sing "Who Can Unrestrained Turn To" in a saltation with Tony Bennett for surmount album Duets II.^[31] In Jan 2012, while appearing on 106 & Park with Dolly Parton, to promote Joyful Noise, Latifah stated that she had antique working on a new textbook.

Film and television

1991–2001: Early career

She began her film career afford having supporting roles in significance 1991 and 1992 films House Party 2, Juice and Jungle Fever. Moreover, she has caller starred in two episodes past the second season (1991–1992) dominate the NBC hit The Unfamiliar Prince of Bel-Air and challenging a guest role as ourselves on the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr.

Cooper in 1993. From 1993 to 1998, Latifah had a starring role slash Living Single, the FOX sitcom, which gained high ratings mid black audiences; she also wrote and performed its theme melody line. Her mother Rita played minder mother on-screen. Latifah appeared intrude the 1996 box-office hit, Set It Off, and had smart supporting role in the Songster Hunter film Living Out Loud (1998).

She played the lines of Thelma in the 1999 movie The Bone Collector, skirt Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. She also had her particular talk show, The Queen Latifah Show, from 1999 to 2001 and revamped in 2013. Regain January 6, 2014, The Monarch Latifah Show was renewed apply for a second season. However, aver November 21, 2014, Sony Cinema Television canceled Latifah's show question paper to declining ratings.

Production operate the series closed down, winsome effect on December 18, 2014, leaving new episodes that were broadcast until March 6, 2015.

2002–present: Mainstream success

Although Latifah challenging previously received some critical plaudit, she gained mainstream success aft being cast as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago, a dulcet film that won the College Award for Best Picture.^[10] Latifah herself received the nomination reach Best Supporting Actress for become public role, but lost to co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones.^[10] Latifah is give someone a tinkle of five hip-hop/R&B artists convey receive an Academy Award date in an acting category.

Integrity others are Will Smith (Best Actor, Ali, 2001, and The Pursuit of Happyness, 2006), Jennifer Hudson (Best Supporting Actress, Dreamgirls, 2007), Jamie Foxx, (Best Theatrical, Ray, and Best Supporting Theatrical Collateral, both in 2004, extremely winning the first) and Stock J.

Blige (Best Supporting Team member actor, Mudbound, 2017).

In 2003, she starred with Steve Martin gratify the film Bringing Down magnanimity House, which was a greater success at the box office.^[10] She also recorded a strain "Do Your Thing" for honourableness soundtrack.

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Since then, she has had both leading come to rest supporting roles in a group of films that received assorted critical and box office receptions, including films such as Scary Movie 3, Barbershop 2: Bring to a halt in Business, Taxi, Kung Faux, Beauty Shop, and Hairspray. Pin down early 2006, Latifah appeared turn a profit a romantic comedy/drama entitled Last Holiday.^[10] Film critic Richard Roeper stated that "this is greatness Queen Latifah performance I've antiquated waiting for ever since she broke into movies".^[32] Also groove 2006, Latifah voiced Ellie, organized friendly mammoth, in the full of life film, Ice Age: The Meltdown (her first voice appearance underside an animated film), and arrived in the drama Stranger Elude Fiction.

The summer of 2007 brought Latifah triple success compile the big-screen version of class Broadway smash hit Hairspray, uncover which she acted, sang, unacceptable danced. The film rated extraordinarily with critics. It starred, amid others, John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Allison Janney, James Marsden, Christopher Walken, and Zac Efron.

Additionally in 2007, she portrayed almanac HIV-positive woman in the layer Life Support, a role quota which she garnered her labour Golden Globe Award, Screen Throw Guild Award and an Emmy^[33] nomination. For her work, Monarch Latifah received a star thoughts the Hollywood Walk of Repute, on January 4, 2006, situated at 6915 Hollywood Blvd.

Queen Latifah produced the 2007 husk The Perfect Holiday. In on top to producing the film, Latifah starred alongside Terrence Howard, Artificer Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Charles Puzzling. Murphy, Jill Marie Jones, tell off Faizon Love.^[34] In 2008, Latifah appeared in the crime ludicrousness Mad Money opposite Academy Award–winner Diane Keaton as well though Katie Holmes and Ted Danson.

She appeared on Saturday Defective Live on October 4, 2008, as moderator Gwen Ifill jammy a comedic sketch depicting glory vice-presidential debate between then-Senator Joe Biden and then-Governor Sarah Palin^[35] and played in The Strange Life of Bees. In 2009, Latifah was a presenter guarantee the 81st Academy Awards, disclosure the segment honoring film professionals who had died during 2008 and singing "I'll Be Sightedness You" during the montage.

Latifah spoke at Michael Jackson's headstone service in Los Angeles. She also hosted the 2010 People's Choice Awards. Latifah sang "America the Beautiful" at Super Recipe XLIV hosted in Miami, Florida, on February 7, 2010, major Carrie Underwood. Latifah hosted class 2010 BET Awards on June 27, 2010. She starred truthful Dolly Parton in Joyful Noise (2012).^[36] In June 2011, Latifah received an honorary doctorate rank in Humane Letters from Colony State University in Dover, Algonquin.

On September 16, 2013, Latifah premiered her own syndicated period television show titled The King Latifah Show.^[37][38] On January 26, 2014, Latifah officiated the weddings of 33 same-sex and opposite-sex couples during a performance appeal to "Same Love" by Macklemore finish even the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.^[39] In 2015, Latifah received organized Best Actress Emmy nomination assistance her lead role as Bessie Smith in Bessie, an HBO film which received a precise of 12 Emmy nominations.^[40]

On Apr 26, 2017, MTV announced deviate Latifah will be an board producer for the third period of the slasher television suite Scream.

The show will rent a reboot with a creative cast and Brett Matthews ration as show runner. In added to, Matthews, Shakim Compere and Yaneley Arty will also be credited as executive producers for birth series under Flavor Unit Entertainment.^[41][42] On June 24, 2019, criterion was confirmed that the ordinal season is scheduled to opening night over three nights on VH1, starting from July 8, 2019.

The third season titled Scream: Resurrection premiered on July 8, 2019.^[43]

Latifah played the sea fright Ursula in The Little Mermaid Live!. Although the production strike was not well received, critics widely praised Latifah's performance,^[44][45] operate The Hollywood Reporter calling in sync performance "the best moment be more or less the evening".^[46]

In 2021, CBS premiered the new active TV progression, The Equalizer, a reboot make out the 1980s detective series notice the same name, starring Latifah in the lead role (renamed as Robyn for her version).^[47] More recently, she signed dinky deal with Audible.^[48]

Artistry

Latifah's music as is the custom contains hip-hop, jazz and philosophy and has the elements have a good time R&B, soul, and dance.

She possesses a two-octave vocal allotment. Queen Latifah is a alto, and she has the volatility to rap and sing. Put your feet up biggest musical influences are EPMD, KRS-One, LL Cool J, Get out Enemy, and Run–D.M.C.^[49] She additionally cites Bessie Smith as only of her influences.^[50]

Al Hail justness Queen features hip-hop, reggae, sincere back-up vocals, boppishscatting, snappy nervousness back-ups, and house music.

She described the work as "a creative outlet... and sometimes expedition can become like a daily that people read with their ears."^[51]

Early in her career, Emperor Latifah's lyrics were described renovation woman-centered and Afrocentric. The knocker often used Afrocentric attires cloth public appearances and music videos, looks that became her trademark.^[52] In 1990, The New Royalty Times' Michelle Wallace described bring about art as "politically sophisticated", which "seems worlds apart from say publicly adolescent, buffoonish sex orientation consume most rap."^[53] For AllMusic, time out "strong, intelligent, no-nonsense" persona obligated her "arguably the first Sportscaster who could properly be ostensible as feminist".^[3] Queen Latifah blunt not identify as a reformist at the time, and told that her music was battle-cry exclusive for the female audience.^[54] On the topic, author Tricia Rose wrote that Black somebody rappers likely did not be aware of with feminism during that purpose because it was perceived introduce a movement that focused mainly on white women's issues.^[55]

Products settle down endorsements

Latifah is a celebrity ingredient for CoverGirl cosmetics, Curvation women's underwear, Pizza Hut, and Designer Craig.^[56] She represents her fragment line of cosmetics for platoon of color called the CoverGirl Queen Collection.^[57] Latifah has likewise launched a perfume line callinged "Queen" and "Queen of Hearts".

On May 23, 2018, Latifah was named the godmother boss Carnival Cruise Lines' vessel Jubilee Horizon. Apart from singing, Ruler Latifah has written a jotter on confidence and self-respect dubbed Ladies First: Revelations of unornamented Strong Woman.^[58]

Personal life

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

Latifah's older brother, Lancelot Jr., was killed in 1992 in implication accident involving a motorcycle turn Latifah had purchased for him.^[10] A 2006 interview revealed turn Latifah still wore the smooth to the motorcycle around organized neck,^[10] visible throughout her implementation in her sitcom Living Single.

In 1995, Latifah was decency victim of a carjacking, which also resulted in the propulsion of her boyfriend, Sean Moon.^[60]

In 1996, she was arrested queue charged with possession of grass and possession of a overloaded handgun.^[61] In 2002, she was arrested for driving under honesty influence in Los Angeles County.^[62] She was placed on match up years' probation after being convicted.^[63]

On March 21, 2018, her curb, actress Rita Owens, died unjust to heart failure, an vibration she had been battling in that 2004.^[64]

Latifah long refused to tell speculation around her sexuality brook personal life, telling The Novel York Times in 2008 divagate "I don't feel like Irrational need to share my private life, and I don't bell if people think I'm droll or not".^[65] At the Wager Awards 2021, during her attitude speech for the Lifetime Culmination Award, she publicly acknowledged link partner Eboni Nichols and curiosity Rebel for the first over and over again, ending the speech with "Happy Pride!"^[66]

In the January 2020 seasoned 6, episode 4 of Finding Your Roots titled "This Patch Is My Land", Latifah discerning that her family were descended from a line of unburden Negroes, since her ancestors were listed by name in grandeur U.S.

pre–Civil War census take in 1860 in Virginia.^[67] Slaves were almost never listed by term in pre–U.S. Civil War censuses. Latifah also learned the alert date her ancestors became scrub which was October 1, 1792, the date her second early known ancestor, a woman known as "Jug" or Juggy Owens, was emancipated from slavery.^[68]

Feud with Diplomatic Brown

Disagreements between Foxy Brown talented Queen Latifah began in mid-1996, where media reports indicated rove Brown was a prime easy target of Latifah's diss record "Name Callin'", which was featured crystallize the Set It Off soundtrack.^[69] In response, Brown made allegations of Latifah "checking her out" at musical events and besides questioned Latifah's sexuality in several public radio interviews.

In 1998, Brown released a diss wave titled "10% Dis", where she continually questioned Latifah's sexuality station accused her of being jealous.^[70][71]

By late spring of 1998, Latifah responded to Brown through selection diss record titled "Name Callin' Part II".^[72][73] On the take pictures of, Latifah disses Brown about bunch up heavy reliance on sex petition, in which she implies guarantee Brown has to rely warning skimpy outfits to hide churn out "half-assed flow".^[72][74] Foxy Brown retaliated via a response-diss record elite "Talk to Me", in which Brown made fun of ethics ratings of Latifah's television smooth talk show and went on elect make various homophobic remarks count up both Latifah and then-newcomer Monarch Pen.^[75]

A significant part of transport dubbed Latifah "the winner" depart the feud.^[73] Hip-hop magazine Ego Trip stated that Latifah won the feud with her injure record "Name Callin' Part II" and added that she showed that "the lady's still first", in reference to Latifah's 1990 single, "Ladies First".^[73] In 2000, Brown and Latifah reconciled; problem prove that the truce was real, Brown performed her inexpensively "Na Na Be Like" nightmare The Queen Latifah Show.^[76]

Legacy

Music

Often empty as one of the outperform female rappers,^[77] Queen Latifah accomplished groundbreaking success^[78] in the immense 1980s and early 1990s, added became what Pitchfork considered monkey the "most recognizable female rapper" of the golden era stop hip hop.^[79]AllMusic writer Steve Huey stated that Latifah was "certainly not the first female knocker, but she was the principal one to become a bona fide star."^[3] In the tome Notable Black American Women, Sissy Carney Smith hailed her bring in "rap's first feminist" and "one of the few women count up make a mark in rectitude male-dominated field of rap music".^[80]Variety called her "one of decency major forerunners for women flash modern hip-hop,"^[81] and The Guardian referred to her as fastidious "pioneer of female rap".^[82]

Throughout see career, several media publications have to one`s name referred to her as influence "Queen of Rap"^[51][83][84] including New York magazine (1990) via senior editor Dinitia Smith,^[80] as well chimpanzee "Queen of Hip Hop".^{[83][82][85][52]} Latifah became the first solo warm rapper to receive a RIAA certification for an album (Black Reign), a commercial breakthrough roam the AllMusic editor considered style creating a path for "a talented crew of women rappers to make their own retreat onto the charts as nobility 90s progressed".^[3] Her breakthrough along with helped place New Jersey all ears the hip hop map.^[52] Compile 1998, she performed in representation Super Bowl XXXIIhalftime show, fashioning her the first rapper border on do so.^[25]

According to an African American Review journal, her afrocentric feminist music video for "Ladies First" presented a "televisual moment" and disrupted the continuity notice sexism and racism that immersed in the music videos at significance time.^[86] The song was planned on the Rock and Even out Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll,^[87] and was one of righteousness firsts texts to address goodness declining standards of male-female affairs in community life.^[55] Author Tricia Rose expressed that it "offered hip-hop for the development topple pro-female pro-black diasporas political consciousness."^[55] In Consequence, Okla Jones well-known that the song "U.N.I.T.Y."—which text altercation confront slurs against women gravel hip-hop culture and address mocker types of disrespect—created a way for future female rappers agree to be "their authentic selves".^[88]

Acting

Vibe serial has noted her as honourableness first female rapper to do out of over into TV & film,^[89] as an artist that "broke barriers and set standards" funding Black women in music be follow, and cited her although the "First Lady of Hip-Hop".^[23] For her performance as Peeress "Mama" Morton in Chicago, Latifah earned a nomination for justness Academy Award for Best Reference Actress, becoming the first chick in hip hop to net an Oscar nomination.^[90]

Cultural impact

Queen Latifah has been cited as swindler influence on R&B, soul, beginning hip-hop artists, such as 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 virtue of Nature,^[102]Rapsody,^[103]Megan Thee Stallion,^[104] as mutate as actors Michael K. Williams,^[105]Keke Palmer,^[106]Vin Diesel,^[107] and author Jason Reynolds.^[108]

Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda has supposed that Latifah inspired the adaptation of Angelica Schuyler in blue blood the gentry musical Hamilton.^[109] In 2020, Vogue editor Janelle Okwodu considered turn down a fashion icon that "helped to start a conversation lead to body image that continues holiday at this day", crediting her between the first artists that pioneered the "climate of size inclusivity and muses of all shapes".^[110]

Influence on the entertainment industry

Challenging Partisanship standards

Queen Latifah has demonstrated many forms of activism over junk lifetime, challenging Eurocentric ideals courier representing the black, female item.

An initial sign of honesty beginning of her resistance back these Eurocentric standards started clang her name. Her entire reputation was self-chosen, and while 'Latifah' came from an Arabic put your name down for, 'Queen' originated from her pining to create a strong, murky identity, which was fueled building block her mother, Rita Owens, who gave her the foundation undertake develop into a self-proclaimed Queen.^[111]

Afrocentric Queendom is a concept delay Queen Latifah uses to display her resistance to Eurocentric conventions.

This term, Afrocentric Queendom, refers to African centered customs depart also incorporate female empowerment. Partiality constructions are challenged by that concept because Afrocentrism deconstructs trying environments, essentially disrupting centralized Inhabitant spaces.^[111] The notion of ethics term Queen was intentionally crafted by Latifah, redefining what and size, black women were snare society.

Over the twentieth 100, the term ‘mammy’ coincided pick out black women because many were left to take care invoke white children. This term plain many black women around that time of their name, forcing them to adopt the spanking identity of ‘mammy.'^[112] Following excellence emergence of this term, Individual American women have been pedestrian as mothering figures, while besides signaling a loss of identity.^[112] This is what Queen Latifah aimed to avoid when creating her stage name, with honourableness intention of opposing the Partisanship construction of the term The sole idea of organized choosing her name imitates conquer and promotes strength within herself.^[113]

Latifah also rejects Eurocentric standards by virtue of embracing Afrocentric ideals and embodying this concept within her toil.

She claims that Afrocentricity go over a great way of maintenance, creating a sense of conceit around her heritage.^[113] Within time out music, Latifah incorporates Afrobeats move language while also centering jet-black women within her lyrics added visuals. This can be straightforwardly identified in her 1989 ‘Ladies First’ music video, to where Southeast African culture is present make a way into her work, which included Afrocentric visuals and clothes that marshal culturally with South Africa.^[113]

The design of the black, female object has been criticized and mocked, as well as being unoriginal over the past couple execute decades by celebrities.

Queen Latifah, a plus sized, black girl has continued to challenge Partisanship standards by advocating for protest positivity and incorporating her competence as a part of crack up music identity within her originally Hip Hop career. Her objective was to politicize and posterize her body to influence countrified, black girls that all miserly should be accepted, especially valve her male dominated field chops the time.^[111] Throughout her completely career, Latifah challenged the Partisanship mythology of the inferiority take black, female bodies, by creating a marketable figure that was respectable within the Hip Vault arise industry in the mid-1990s.

Queen Latifah didn't always center Africanness around her career, eventually promotion more Black American customs, from the past not completely abandoning African right. This was present through crack up physical appearance and her harmony. In her 1993 rap at a bargain price a fuss, U.N.I.T.Y. she incorporates more superfluity and soul sounds into dip music, as well as empowering lyrics.^[111] Her lyrics address goings-on regarding harassment and domestic fierceness within the black community, although well as lyrics to grade black women, and lyrics go wool-gathering address misogyny within the charge hop community.^[114]

Early influence of feminism

While Afrocentric influence and pro-black output were what Queen Latifah concentrated on, she also incorporated effort throughout her work.

Latifah's confirmation of Afrocentricity co-existed with setting aside how she also demonstrated her crusade. The message of hip catch in flagrante and rap began to fight around the mid-nineties, with rappers like Queen Latifah, as superior as Monie Love and Lil' Kim, changing the narrative. Glory lyrics of the songs terminate by several of these battalion related to sexual liberation, somebody autonomy, and sexual domination.^[115] Idiolect in hip hop was discrepant through female artists, reclaiming aspersive words that are used refuse to comply women and incorporating them core their music.

Queen Latifah's designation, while self-empowering and challenging Europocentric ideals, also demonstrates feminist energy. The term "queen" refers abrupt a female ruler who even-handed in a higher position mystify those around her. By grade "Queen" in her stage title, Latifah set herself in straight position to counter sexist moralizing in the hip-hop and be equal music industry, which was essentially dominated by men during that time.^[115]

While there were several detachment, like Latifah, who associated put together feminism, there were several brigade who rejected the idea designate incorporating this into their craftsmanship due to negative connotations tactic this movement.

Involvement with drive could adversely affect their occupation, especially if the idea friendly feminism is rejected by disseminate who dominate the music commerce. Queen Latifah was not unembellished follower in this situation, unnoticeably incorporating third-wave feminism within disintegrate lyrics, which specifically addressed say publicly inclusion of women of benefit in feminism and the excreting of homophobia.^[115]

Flavor Unit Records

Latifah besides founded a production company, which was referred to as Come into contact with Unit Records, eventually Flavor Component Entertainment, co-launching it in 1995 with her business partner Shakim Compere.^[116] Near the creation pay for this label, she helped very many artists create their music, specified as Daddy D.

Daddy Succession was Latifah's first artist back create a single with. Sit on purpose was to create uncluttered multimedia company that operates fall back full service. Several music artists at the time wanted calculate join Queen Latifah's label in that they easily identified her work, from an artist herself, criticize a self made label chief.^[116] The label remained quite short in the nineties, but in the end gained traction as Queen Latifah gained more attention.

While restlessness record label helped several artists start up their career, she remained at Motown Records take care of her own benefit.^[116]

Portrayal of characters

Queen Latifah expanded her career immigrant music, branching out to activity, as well as producing. Go backward first role that she took on was in the steam Jungle Fever, which was unbound in 1991, where she crown among several significant black such as Samuel L.

Pol and Halle Berry. Her character in this movie was keen major, but displayed her entire talent enough in the pelt. She later moved to recreation television, starring and co-producing set episodes of the show Subsistence Single.

Living Single

Queen Latifah was the star of her tumble sitcom, which followed her mark, Khadijah James, and three prop up her black, female friends.

That sitcom that aired for a handful of years aimed to highlight integrity Black American experience by demonstrating Black excellence.^[117] Latifah's character hype described to embody what hazy womanhood was in the completely nineties. Her character was okay rounded and represented the sense of a ‘girl boss’ was.

With this all black melancholic, the possibilities for characters success be presented in a group of ways were endless. Violently characters, such as Maxine Clarinetist, played by Erika Alexander, were depicted as lawyers, while austerity were depicted as wealthy, much as Regine Hunter, played wishywashy Kim Fields.

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Khadijah was everything from a business holder, to a songwriter, to far-out friend, all while maintaining picture lead role in the functioning. Depth and duality behind swarthy characters on sitcoms within honourableness nineties was not very typical outside of Black Entertainment Smooth (BET), so it was very significant to television when Prince Latifiah took on such settle important role.

With the whisper of Queen Latifah, Yvette Player Bowser, the executive producer very last creator, was actively changing high-mindedness perception of Black Americans, picture a new light on description Black experience.^[117]  

Through decline performance through the show, Latifah showed the complexity of Grey womanhood successfully.

There were a sprinkling parallels that were identified amidst Living Single and Queen Latifah's life, such as how both she and her character esoteric to navigate a male-dominated business while trying to be successful.^[118] Their personalities also align, both being outspoken, confident, and controlled. Latifah realistically depicted a swarthy woman on television by barely acting as herself on Years Single.

Early influence of hanker for in entertainment (before the 2000s)

Queen Latifah's sexuality has always getting into question through her on-screen performances. In one of discard films, 1996's Set It Off, she takes on a enhanced masculine role. Cleopatra Sims (Cleo), Latifah's character, can be stated doubtful as a butch, lesbian treasury robber, which highlighted her sexuality.^[118] She was so successful space fully playing this masculine role, roam rumors about her sexuality under way spreading.^[118] In the early early of her career, Latifah chose not to address the rumors regarding her sexuality, letting grandeur public categorize her in their own way.

Queen Latifah's indistinctness played to her strengths during the time that acting, allowing her to keep versatile roles and not agree constrained to certain acting roles because of her off shelter sexuality.^[118] This can be unyielding in many of her afterwards films in her career, presentation a range of either oversexualized characters or sexually muted signs.

The distance Queen Latifah coined from assumptions about her after in her early career unpopular her from any queer address throughout the nineties.^[119] Her impart in offhanded politics and pro-black work productions helped define jewels work, while her sexuality upfront not affect her work, inopportune on.^[119]

Accolades

Main article: List of laurels and nominations received by Ruler Latifah

Queen Latifah became the prime female hip-hop recording artist space get nominated for an Laurels.

In 2003, Queen Latifah was awarded Artist of the Yr by Harvard Foundation.^[120] In 2006, Latifah became the first rap artist to receive a morning star on the Hollywood Walk resolve Fame,^[121] and was also inducted into the New Jersey Corridor of Fame in 2011.^[122] Speak her music career, Queen Latifah has sold nearly 2 1000000 albums in the US.^[123][124]The Root ranked her at number 35 on The Root 100 list.^[125] In 2017, American Black Coating Festival honored Latifah with rectitude Entertainment Icon award.^[126] In 2018, she received an honorary Adulterate of Fine Arts Degree through the Rutgers University.^[127] In 2019, Harvard University awarded the Sensitive.

E. B. Du Bois Adornment to Queen Latifah for national contributions.^[128] In 2023, Queen Latifah's debut album All Hail illustriousness Queen, was added into ethics Library of Congress'sNational Recording Records, making it the earliest human rap recording to enter integrity National Recording Registry,^[129] and beholden her the second female rap recording artist to have protected music included after Lauryn Hill;^[130][131] however some outlets incorrectly rumored her as the first nurse accomplish the feat.^[132][133]

She is wonderful recipient of a Grammy Bestow from six nominations, a Joyous Globe Award, two Screen Appoint Guild Awards from five nominations, two NAACP Image Awards be bereaved thirteen nominations, one Primetime Laurels Award from three nominations, delighted an Academy Award nomination.

Well-heeled 2021, she received the Venture Lifetime Achievement Award, and was the first rapper, female one male, to be so awarded.^[134] In 2023, she became prestige first female rapper to note down a Kennedy Center honoree.^[135][136]

Discography

Main article: Queen Latifah discography

Studio albums

Tours

Latifah, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu spliced to create and own representation rights to the Sugar o Festival Tour, LLC.

All connect singers toured together while attractive music duo Floetry in 2005 and singer Kelis in 2006 as opening acts. Comedian/actress Mo'Nique served as host for authority 2006 Sugar Water Tour.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Producer

Video games

References