Queen Latifah

Dana Elaine Owens was born in Newark, New Jersey, on March 18, 1970, and lived primarily in East Orange, New Jersey. She is the daughter of Rita Lamae (née Bray; d. 2018),{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Culture/queen-latifahs-mother-rita-owens-died/story?id=53930922|title=Queen Latifah's mother, Rita Owens, has died|date=March 22, 2018|website=ABC News}} a teacher at Irvington High School (Dana's alma mater), and Lancelot Amos Owens, a police officer.{{cite magazine |title = Monitor |magazine = Entertainment Weekly |date = March 22, 2013 |issue = 1251 |page = 25 }}{{cite web |url = http://movies.msn.com/celebrities/celebrity-biography/queen-latifah.1/ |title = Queen Latifah:Biography |last = Buchanan |first = Jason |access-date = September 4, 2008 |year = 2008 |publisher = MSN |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090216061312/http://movies.msn.com/celebrities/celebrity-biography/queen-latifah.1/ |archive-date = February 16, 2009 |url-status = dead}}[http://hiphopruckus.com/2009/02/on-da-come-up-with-clap-cognac.html On Da Come Up with Clap Cognac] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817222847/http://hiphopruckus.com/2009/02/on-da-come-up-with-clap-cognac.html |date=August 17, 2011 }} from HipHopRuckus.com, date February 24, 2009. Retrieved June 13, 2009. Her parents divorced when she was ten.

She was raised in the Baptist faith.[http://www.beliefnet.com/story/182/story_18272_1.html Queen Latifah Discusses God, Jesus, Rap, and Her New Movie, 'Last Holiday,' in this Beliefnet Interview –] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060203081319/http://www.beliefnet.com/story/182/story_18272_1.html |date=February 3, 2006}}. Beliefnet.com. Retrieved October 1, 2011. She attended Catholic school in Newark, New Jersey{{cite web |last = Winfrey |first = Oprah |url = http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Queen-Latifahs-Aha-Moment |title = Queen Latifah's Aha! Moment |work = The Oprah Winfrey Show |date = July 15, 2007 |access-date = September 16, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110301171749/http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Queen-Latifahs-Aha-Moment |archive-date = March 1, 2011 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url = http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/queen-latifah-queen-bee-interview/article99958.html |title = Queen Latifah: Queen Bee |work = Reader's Digest |date = October 2008 |access-date = September 19, 2010 |first = Margy |last = Rochlin |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100830092307/http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/queen-latifah-queen-bee-interview/article99958.html |archive-date = August 30, 2010 |url-status=live}} and Essex Catholic Girls' High School in Irvington but graduated from Irvington High School.{{cite news |last = Hyman |first = Vicki |title = The Queen holds court |work = The Star-Ledger |date = July 18, 2007 |url = http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-1/118473419494000.xml&coll=1 |access-date = July 21, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929122130/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fentertainment-1%2F118473419494000.xml&coll=1 |archive-date = September 29, 2007 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/magazine/05latifah-t.html?pagewanted=print |work = The New York Times |title = Her Highness Still Rules |first = Alex |last = Witchel |date = October 5, 2008 |access-date = February 18, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170801003348/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/magazine/05latifah-t.html?pagewanted=print |archive-date = August 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio, 2006 After high school, she attended classes at Borough of Manhattan Community College.{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Queen-Latifah|title=Queen Latifah|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-02-26}}

She found her stage name, Latifah ({{lang|ar|لطيفة}} laṭīfa), meaning "delicate" and "very kind" in Arabic, in a book of Arabic names when she was eight. Always tall, the {{convert|5|ft|10|in|adj=on}} Dana was a power forward on her high school basketball team.{{cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/queen_latifah |title=Queen Latifah |website=People |access-date=September 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601182006/http://www.people.com/people/queen_latifah |archive-date=June 1, 2009}}{{cite news |url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/queen-of-many-hats/ |publisher = CBS News |title = 'Queen' Of Many Hats |date = January 8, 2003 |access-date = March 31, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131103090130/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/08/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main535725.shtml |archive-date = November 3, 2013 |url-status=live}} She performed the number "Home" from the musical The Wiz in a grammar school play.[interview on Access Hollywood Live]. Retrieved October 6, 2016.

She began beat boxing for the hip-hop group Ladies Fresh and was an original member of the Flavor Unit, which, at that time, was a crew of MCs grouped around producer DJ King Gemini. DJ King Gemini made a demo recording of Queen Latifah's rap song Princess of the Posse, which he gave to Fab 5 Freddy, the host of Yo! MTV Raps. The song got the attention of Tommy Boy Music employee Dante Ross, who signed Latifah and in 1989 released her first single, "Wrath of My Madness". More recent artists, like Ice 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.boomsbeat.com/articles/33880/20150918/50-facts-queen-latifah-inducted-hollywood-walk-fame-2006.htm|title=50 facts about Queen Latifah: was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006|last=Hrabkovska|first=Silvia|date=2015-09-18|website=BOOMSbeat|language=en|access-date=2019-05-07}} She is considered a contralto, with the ability to both rap and sing.

Latifah made her mark in hip-hop by rapping about issues black women face. She wrote songs about topics including domestic violence, street harassment, and troubled relationships.{{cite book |last1 = White |first1 = Debora |last2 = Bay |first2 = Mia |last3 = Martin |first3 = Waldo E. Jr. |title = Freedom on My Mind A History of African Americans With Documents |date = 2013 |publisher = Bedford/St.Martin's |pages = 766}}

Freddy helped Latifah sign with Tommy Boy Records, which released Latifah's first album All Hail the Queen in 1989, when she was nineteen. That year, she appeared as Referee on the UK label Music of Life album 1989{{snd}}The Hustlers Convention (live). She received a Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 1992.{{cite journal |title = Camille Cosby, Kathleen Battle Win Candace Awards |journal = Jet |date = July 20, 1992 |volume = 82 |issue = 13 |pages = 16–17 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gbkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16 }} The single "Ladies First" featuring Monie Love became the first collaborative track by two female rappers not in a group.{{cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/music-sermon-queen-latifah-637900/|title=Music Sermon: Why Ya'll Owe Queen Latifah More Credit|work=Vibe|date=March 3, 2019}} In 1993, she released the album Black Reign, which was certified Gold in the United States{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=queen+latifah#search_section|title=Gold & Platinum|website=RIAA|access-date=April 15, 2019}} and produced the Grammy Award-winning song "U.N.I.T.Y." In 1998, co-produced by Ro Smith, now CEO of Def Ro Inc., she released her fourth hip-hop album Order in the Court, which was released by Motown Records. Latifah was also a member of the hip-hop collective Native Tongues.

Latifah performed in the Super Bowl XXXII halftime show, making her the first rapper to do so.{{cite web|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/best-hip-hop-halftime-performances/|title=12 Best Hip Hop Halftime Show Performances|website=xxl|date=February 12, 2023 |quote=Latifah made history as the first rapper to hit the stage at the Super Bowl.}}

File:Queen Latifah 1.jpg

After Order in the Court, Latifah shifted primarily to singing soul music and jazz standards, which she had used sparingly in 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 famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles as the headlining act in a live jazz concert. In front of a crowd of more than 12,400, she was backed by a 10-piece live orchestra and three backup vocalists, which was billed as the Queen Latifah Orchestra. Latifah performed new arrangements of standards including "California Dreaming", first made 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, and Stevie Wonder made guest appearances.{{cite web |url = http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur35097.cfm |title = LATIFAH OPENING FATBURGER IN MIAMI: Plus, new album due September 25 |date = July 17, 2007 |publisher = EURweb |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070820155723/http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur35097.cfm |archive-date = August 20, 2007}} The album was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album" category.{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_Show/list.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514002913/http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_Show/list.aspx|title=GRAMMY.com|archive-date=May 14, 2008}}

In 2009, Latifah, along with the NJPAC Jubilation Choir,{{cite web |url = http://www.jubilationinc.com/about.htm |title = History: Rev. Dr. Stefanie R. Minatee & JUBILATION |publisher = JUBILATION |access-date = December 20, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130524012021/http://www.jubilationinc.com/about.htm |archive-date = May 24, 2013}} recorded the title track on the album Oh, Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration, covering the song that the Edwin Hawkins Singers made popular in 1969.{{cite news |url = https://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSTRE52Q6WQ20090327 |title = Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah go gospel for 'Day' |date = March 27, 2009 |work = Reuters |access-date = July 1, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090331133834/http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSTRE52Q6WQ20090327 |archive-date = March 31, 2009 |url-status=live}}

In 2008, Latifah was asked if she would make another hip-hop album. She was quoted stating that the album was done already and it would be called 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.{{cite magazine |url = https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/09/12/queen-latifah-returns-to-hip-hop-with-dr-dre-on-lp-she-nearly-named-the-l-word/ |title = Queen Latifah Returns to Hip-Hop With Dre on LP She Nearly Named "The L Word" |magazine = Rolling Stone |access-date = December 3, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090830043756/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/09/12/queen-latifah-returns-to-hip-hop-with-dr-dre-on-lp-she-nearly-named-the-l-word/ |archive-date = August 30, 2009 |url-status=dead}} 2011 saw Queen Latifah sing "Who Can I Turn To" in a duet with Tony Bennett for his album Duets II.{{cite web |url = https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/duets-ii/id462337212/ |title = iTunes – Music – Duets II by Tony Bennett |website = iTunes |date = September 19, 2011 |access-date = March 13, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150304210723/https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/duets-ii/id462337212/ |archive-date = March 4, 2015 |url-status=dead}} In January 2012, while appearing on 106 & Park with Dolly Parton, to promote Joyful Noise, Latifah stated that she had been working on a new album.

She began her film career by 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) of the NBC hit The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and had a guest role as herself on the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper in 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 theme song. Her mother Rita played her mother on-screen. Latifah appeared in the 1996 box-office hit, Set It Off, and had a supporting role in the Holly Hunter film Living Out Loud (1998). She played the role of Thelma in the 1999 movie The Bone Collector, alongside Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. She also had her own talk show, The Queen Latifah Show, from 1999 to 2001 and revamped in 2013. On January 6, 2014, The Queen Latifah Show was renewed for a second season. However, on November 21, 2014, Sony Pictures Television canceled Latifah's show due to declining ratings. Production of the series closed down, taking effect on December 18, 2014, leaving new episodes that were broadcast until March 6, 2015.

File:QueenLatifah2009WATF 2.jpg

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

In 2003, she starred with Steve Martin in the film Bringing Down the House, which was a major success at the box office. She also recorded a song "Do Your Thing" for the soundtrack. Since then, she has had both leading and supporting roles in a multitude of films that received varied critical and box office receptions, including films such as Scary Movie 3, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Taxi, Kung Faux, Beauty Shop, and Hairspray. In early 2006, Latifah appeared in a romantic comedy/drama entitled Last Holiday. Film critic Richard Roeper stated that "this is the Queen Latifah performance I've been waiting for ever since she broke into movies".{{cite web |first1 = Roger |last1 = Ebert |first2 = Richard |last2 = Roeper |publisher = Movies.com |title = Reviews for the Weekend of January 7–8, 2006 |url = http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/060109.html |date = January 9, 2006 |access-date = February 16, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060701032240/http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/060109.html |archive-date = July 1, 2006}} Also in 2006, Latifah voiced Ellie, a friendly mammoth, in the animated film, Ice Age: The Meltdown (her first voice appearance in an animated film), and appeared in the drama Stranger Than Fiction.

The summer of 2007 brought Latifah triple success in the big-screen version of the Broadway smash hit Hairspray, in which she acted, sang, and danced. The film rated highly with critics. It starred, among others, John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Allison Janney, James Marsden, Christopher Walken, and Zac Efron. Also in 2007, she portrayed an HIV-positive woman in the film Life Support, a role for which she garnered her first Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy{{cite web |url = http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/queen-latifah |title = Queen Latifah Emmy Nominated |publisher = Emmys.com |access-date = December 27, 2013 }} nomination. For her work, Queen Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on January 4, 2006, located at 6915 Hollywood Blvd.

File:Super Bowl 44 Queen Latifah God Bless America (4344821074) (cropped).jpg at Super Bowl XLIV in 2010]]

Queen Latifah produced the 2007 film The Perfect Holiday. In addition to producing the film, Latifah starred alongside Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Charles Q. Murphy, Jill Marie Jones, and Faizon Love.{{cite news |publisher = EURWeb.com |first = Roz |last = Stevenson |title = Queen Latifah Makes Animated Film Debut |url = http://eurweb.com/story/eur25611.cfm |date = March 1, 2006 |access-date = February 16, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070409083046/http://eurweb.com/story/eur25611.cfm |archive-date = April 9, 2007}} In 2008, Latifah appeared in the crime comedy Mad Money opposite Academy Award–winner Diane Keaton as well as Katie Holmes and Ted Danson. She appeared on Saturday Night Live on October 4, 2008, as moderator Gwen Ifill in a comedic sketch depicting the vice-presidential debate between then-Senator Joe Biden and then-Governor Sarah Palin[http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/vp-debate-open-palin-biden/727421/ Saturday Night Live – All Videos : Newest – Videos] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006070324/http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/vp-debate-open-palin-biden/727421/ |date=October 6, 2008}}. NBC.com. Retrieved October 1, 2011. and played in The Secret Life of Bees. In 2009, Latifah was a presenter at the 81st Academy Awards, presenting the segment honoring film professionals who had died during 2008 and singing "I'll Be Seeing You" during the montage. Latifah spoke at 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 XLIV hosted in Miami, Florida, on February 7, 2010, with Carrie Underwood. Latifah hosted the 2010 BET Awards on June 27, 2010. She starred with Dolly Parton in Joyful Noise (2012).Ziegbe, Mawuse. (August 21, 2010) [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1646239/queen-latifah-dolly-parton-make-joyful-noise.jhtml Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton To Make 'Joyful Noise' – Music, Celebrity, Artist News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119015402/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1646239/queen-latifah-dolly-parton-make-joyful-noise.jhtml |date=November 19, 2011 }}. MTV. Retrieved October 1, 2011. In June 2011, Latifah received an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters from Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware. On September 16, 2013, Latifah premiered her own syndicated daytime television show titled The Queen Latifah Show.{{cite web |url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/queen-latifah-sings-dances-surprises-629842 |title = Queen Latifah Sings, Dances and Surprises Kids on Talk Show Premiere |work = The Hollywood Reporter |date = September 16, 2013 |access-date = January 28, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140316095541/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/queen-latifah-sings-dances-surprises-629842 |archive-date = March 16, 2014 |url-status=live}}queenlatifah.com On January 26, 2014, Latifah officiated the weddings of 33 same-sex and opposite-sex couples during a performance of "Same Love" by Macklemore at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.{{cite web |last = Hill |first = Simone |url = http://blog.theknot.com/2014/01/27/33-weddings-officiated-by-queen-latifah-at-the-grammys/ |title = 33 Weddings Officiated by Queen Latifah at the Grammys |work = The Knot Blog |publisher = blog.theknot.com |date = January 14, 2014 |access-date = January 28, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140129161757/http://blog.theknot.com/2014/01/27/33-weddings-officiated-by-queen-latifah-at-the-grammys/ |archive-date = January 29, 2014 |url-status=live}} In 2015, Latifah received a Best Actress Emmy nomination for her lead role as Bessie Smith in Bessie, an HBO film which received a total of 12 Emmy nominations.{{cite news |last1 = Blake |first1 = Meredith |title = Emmys 2015: Queen Latifah stays calm (on the outside) over 'Bessie' nomination |url = https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-emmys-2015-queen-latifah-on-bessie-nomination-20150716-story.html |access-date = July 17, 2015 |work = Los Angeles Times |date = July 16, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150717045914/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-emmys-2015-queen-latifah-on-bessie-nomination-20150716-story.html |archive-date = July 17, 2015 |url-status=live}}

On April 26, 2017, MTV announced that Latifah will be an executive producer for the third season of the slasher television series Scream. The show will undergo a reboot with a new cast and Brett Matthews serving as show runner. In addition, Matthews, Shakim Compere and Yaneley Arty will also be credited as executive producers for the series under Flavor Unit Entertainment.{{cite web |url = https://screenrant.com/scream-tv-series-season-3-reboot-showrunner/ |title = Scream TV Series Reboot Confirmed; New Showrunner Announced |website = Screenrant.com |date = April 26, 2017 |access-date = April 27, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170427102905/http://screenrant.com/scream-tv-series-season-3-reboot-showrunner/ |archive-date = April 27, 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url = https://deadline.com/2017/04/scream-queen-latifah-new-showrunner-season-3-revamp-1202077736/ |title = 'Scream': Queen Latifah & New Showrunner Join Season 3 Revamp |first = Denise |last = Petski |date = April 26, 2017 |website = Deadline Hollywood |access-date = April 27, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170426213350/http://deadline.com/2017/04/scream-queen-latifah-new-showrunner-season-3-revamp-1202077736/ |archive-date = April 26, 2017 |url-status=live}} On June 24, 2019, it was confirmed that the third season is scheduled to premiere over three nights on VH1, starting from July 8, 2019. The third season titled Scream: Resurrection premiered on July 8, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2019/06/24/scream-resurrection-trailer-season-3-premiere-date-vh1-video/|title=Scream Series (Finally) Returns in July on New Network – Watch First Trailer|last=Swift|first=Andy|work=TVLine|date=June 24, 2019|access-date=June 24, 2019}}

Latifah played the sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid Live!. Although the production itself was not well received, critics widely praised Latifah's performance,{{cite web|url=https://instinctmagazine.com/queen-latifah-stuns-as-ursula/|title= Queen Latifah Stuns As Ursula|date=November 6, 2019|first=Mickey |last=Keating|magazine=Instinct}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/arts/television/review-the-little-mermaid-live-disney.html|title='The Little Mermaid Live!': It's Better When It's Wetter|newspaper=The New York Times|first=Noel|last=Murray|date=November 6, 2019}} with The Hollywood Reporter calling her performance "the best moment of the evening".{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/little-mermaid-live-review-1252669|title='The Little Mermaid Live!': TV Review|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 5, 2019 |first=Robyn|last= Bahr}}

In 2021, CBS premiered the new active TV series, The Equalizer, a reboot of the 1980s detective series of the same name, starring Latifah in the lead role (renamed as Robyn for her version).{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/the-equalizer-reboot-queen-latifah-star-cbs-pilot-order-1202843350/|title='The Equalizer Reboot Starring Queen Latifah Gets CBS Pilot Order|first=Neelie|last=Andreeva|website=Deadline|date=January 27, 2020}} More recently, she signed a deal with Audible.{{Cite web|last=Chan|first=J. Clara|date=2021-07-19|title=Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Inks First-Look Deal With Audible (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/audible-queen-latifah-flavor-unit-1234983598/|access-date=2021-07-20|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US}}

Latifah's music usually contains hip-hop, jazz and gospel and has the elements of R&B, soul, and dance. She possesses a two-octave vocal range. Queen Latifah is a contralto, and she has the ability to rap and sing. Her biggest musical influences are EPMD, KRS-One, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and Run–D.M.C.{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/queen-latifah/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Queen Latifah Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = September 15, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160514050841/http://www.mtv.com/artists/queen-latifah/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = May 14, 2016 |url-status=dead}} She also cites Bessie Smith as one of her influences.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2015/05/16/406453568/in-hbos-bessie-queen-latifah-stars-as-empress-of-the-blues|title=In HBO's 'Bessie,' Queen Latifah Stars As Empress Of The Blues|work=NPR|author=Rath, Arun|date=May 16, 2015 }}

Al Hail the Queen features hip-hop, reggae, soulful back-up vocals, boppish scatting, snappy horn back-ups, and house music. She described the work as "a creative outlet... and sometimes it can become like a newspaper that people read with their ears."{{cite journal|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1989/1122/llati.html|title=Latifah - The Queen of Rap|journal=The Christian Science Monitor|author=Duncan, Amy|date=November 22, 1989}}

Early in her career, Queen Latifah's lyrics were described as woman-centered and Afrocentric. The rapper often used Afrocentric attires during public appearances and music videos, looks that became her trademark.{{cite book |author=Hess, Mickey |title=Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0313339028}} In 1990, The New York Times{{'}} Michelle Wallace described her art as "politically sophisticated", which "seems worlds apart from the adolescent, buffoonish sex orientation of most rap."{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/29/arts/pop-view-when-black-feminism-faces-the-music-and-the-music-is-rap.html|title=POP VIEW; When Black Feminism Faces The Music, and the Music Is Rap|work=The New York Times|author=Wallace, Michelle|date=July 29, 1990 }} For AllMusic, her "strong, intelligent, no-nonsense" persona made her "arguably the first MC who could properly be described as feminist". Queen Latifah did not identify as a feminist at the time, and expressed that her music was not exclusive for the female audience.{{cite journal |author=Powell, Catherine Tabb|date= 1991|title= Rap Music: An Education with a Beat from the Street|journal=Journal of Negro Education |pages= 245–259| volume =60|issue=3|doi= 10.2307/2295480|jstor= 2295480 | issn=0022-2984 }} On the topic, author Tricia Rose wrote that Black female rappers likely did not identify with feminism during that time because it was perceived as a movement that focused primarily on white women's issues.

Latifah is a celebrity spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics, Curvation women's underwear, Pizza Hut, and Jenny Craig.{{cite web|url=http://www.etonline.com/news/2008/01/57203/index.html|title=Queen Latifah is the Newest Face of Jenny Craig|website=ETonline.com|date=January 10, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115111609/http://www.etonline.com/news/2008/01/57203/index.html|archive-date=January 15, 2008}} She represents her own line of cosmetics for women of color called the CoverGirl Queen Collection.[http://www.covergirl.com/queen Covergirl] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103115016/http://covergirl.com/queen/ |date=January 3, 2007 }}. Covergirl. Retrieved October 1, 2011. Latifah has also launched a perfume line called "Queen" and "Queen of Hearts". On May 23, 2018, Latifah was named the godmother of Carnival Cruise Lines' vessel Carnival Horizon. Apart from singing, Queen Latifah has written a book on confidence and self-respect called Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman.{{cite book|isbn=068817583X|title=Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman|author=Queen Latifah|date=January 26, 2000|publisher=HarperCollins }}

Raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Latifah has been a resident of Colts Neck, New Jersey; Rumson, New Jersey; and Beverly Hills, California.{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-118942332.html|title=The Robertson Treatment Vol. 6.7; Queen Latifah holding court in Hollywood!|newspaper=Baltimore Afro-American|date=March 28, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511212114/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-118942332.html|archive-date=May 11, 2011|access-date=December 11, 2007|quote='I've always loved musicals,' admits the actress who was born Dana Owens and was raised in the East Orange, NJ area and who presently lives in Rumson, NJ.}}

Latifah's older brother, Lancelot Jr., was killed in 1992 in an accident involving a motorcycle that Latifah had purchased for him. A 2006 interview revealed that Latifah still wore the key to the motorcycle around her neck, visible throughout her performance in her sitcom Living Single. In 1995, Latifah was the victim of a carjacking, which also resulted in the shooting of her boyfriend, Sean Moon.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/18/nyregion/two-teen-agers-arrested-in-carjacking-involving-rap-star.html|title=Two Teen-Agers Arrested in Carjacking Involving Rap Star|newspaper=The New York Times|first=Norimitsu |last=Onishi|date=July 18, 1995|access-date=September 1, 2013}}

In 1996, she was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and possession of a loaded handgun.{{cite news |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-02-04-me-32221-story.html |title = Rap Singer Arrested on Drug, Weapons Charges |date = February 4, 1996 |first = Eric |last = Slater |work = Los Angeles Times |access-date = July 2, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714213045/http://articles.latimes.com/1996-02-04/local/me-32221_1_weapons-charges |archive-date = July 14, 2014 |url-status=live}} In 2002, she was arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles County.{{cite web |title = Queen Latifah arrested on DUI charge |url = http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/11/20/queen.latifah.dui/ |access-date = July 15, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080325223231/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/11/20/queen.latifah.dui/ |archive-date = March 25, 2008 |url-status=live}} She was placed on three years' probation after being convicted.{{cite web |title = Queen Latifah Biography |url = https://www.allmusic.com/artist/queen-latifah-mn0000372229/biography |publisher = AllMusic |access-date = July 15, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150528012716/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/queen-latifah-mn0000372229/biography |archive-date = May 28, 2015 |url-status=live}}

On March 21, 2018, her mother, actress Rita Owens, died due to heart failure, an issue she had been battling since 2004.{{cite magazine |url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8257476/queen-latifah-mom-rita-owens-heart-condition |title = Queen Latifah's Mom Rita Owens Dies After Battle With Heart Condition |magazine = Billboard |access-date = March 22, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180322104755/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8257476/queen-latifah-mom-rita-owens-heart-condition |archive-date = March 22, 2018 |url-status=live}}

Latifah long refused to address speculation around her sexuality and personal life, telling The New York Times in 2008 that "I don't feel like I need to share my personal life, and I don't care if people think I'm gay or not".{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/magazine/05latifah-t.html |title=Her Highness Still Rules |date=October 3, 2008 |work=The New York Times |first=Alex |last=Witchel}} At the BET Awards 2021, during her acceptance speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award, she publicly acknowledged her partner Eboni Nichols and son Rebel for the first time, ending the speech with "Happy Pride!"{{cite web |url=https://www.thecut.com/2021/06/queen-latifah-thanked-her-love-eboni-at-the-bet-awards.html |title=A Very Happy Pride to Queen Latifah |date=June 28, 2021 |work=The Cut |first=Mia |last=Mercado}}

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 freed Negroes, since her ancestors were listed by name in the U.S. pre–Civil War census of 1860 in Virginia.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNHGpiTpY_s Queen Latifah Shocked by Ancestor's Path to Freedom | Finding Your Roots | Ancestry] Ancestry, February 25, 2020 [https://web.archive.org/web/20200907075603/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNHGpiTpY_s Archived] Slaves were almost never listed by name in pre–U.S. Civil War censuses. Latifah also learned the exact date her ancestors became free which was October 1, 1792, the date her second earliest known ancestor, a woman named "Jug" or Juggy Owens, was emancipated from slavery.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/free-black-americans-before-the-civil-war/finding-your-roots-season-six/|title=Free Black Americans Before the Civil War | Finding Your Roots|website=PBS LearningMedia}}

Disagreements between Foxy Brown and Queen Latifah began in mid-1996, where media reports indicated that Brown was a prime target of Latifah's diss record "Name Callin{{'"}}, which was featured on the Set It Off soundtrack.{{cite web |title = Queen Latifah – Name Callin' Lyrics |url = http://rapgenius.com/Queen-latifah-name-callin-lyrics |work = Rap Genius |access-date = May 8, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131105083613/http://rapgenius.com/Queen-latifah-name-callin-lyrics |archive-date = November 5, 2013 |url-status=live}} In response, Brown made allegations of Latifah "checking her out" at musical events and further questioned Latifah's sexuality in various public radio interviews. In 1998, Brown released a diss record titled "10% Dis", where she continually questioned Latifah's sexuality and accused her of being jealous."Vibe Confidential: Everything You Want to Know Before You're Supposed to Know It". Vibe. August 1998: 44. Print.{{cite web |title = Funkmaster Flex – 10% Dis Lyrics |url = http://rapgenius.com/Funkmaster-flex-10-dis-lyrics |work = Rap Genius |access-date = May 8, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131105061043/http://rapgenius.com/Funkmaster-flex-10-dis-lyrics |archive-date = November 5, 2013 |url-status=live}}

By late spring of 1998, Latifah responded to Brown through another diss record titled "Name Callin' Part II".{{cite web |last = D |first = Davey |title = May '98 Hip Hop News |url = http://www.daveyd.com/fnvmaynews.html |work = Davey D's Hip Hop Corner |date = May 15, 1998 |access-date = May 8, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130327040623/http://www.daveyd.com/fnvmaynews.html |archive-date = March 27, 2013 |url-status=live}}{{citation |last1 = Jenkins |first1 = Sacha |last2 = Wilson |first2 = Elliott |last3 = Mao |first3 = Chairman |last4 = Alvarez |first4 = Gabriel |last5 = Rollins |first5 = Brent |title = ego trip's: Book of Rap |publisher = St. Martin's Griffin |year = 1999 |page = [https://archive.org/details/egotripsbookofra00jenk/page/239 239] |isbn = 0-312-24298-0 |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/egotripsbookofra00jenk/page/239 }} On the record, Latifah disses Brown about her heavy reliance on sex appeal, in which she implies that Brown has to rely on skimpy outfits to hide her "half-assed flow".{{cite web |title = Queen Latifah – Name Callin', Part 2 (Foxy Brown Diss) |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccZDbKtz23E |via = YouTube |access-date = May 8, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131017230639/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccZDbKtz23E |archive-date = October 17, 2013 |url-status=live}} Foxy Brown retaliated via a response-diss record titled "Talk to Me", in which Brown made fun of the ratings of Latifah's television talk show and went on to make various homophobic remarks to both Latifah and then-newcomer Queen Pen.{{cite web |title = Foxy Brown – Talk to Me Lyrics |url = http://rapgenius.com/Foxy-brown-talk-to-me-lyrics |work = Rap Genius |access-date = May 8, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131001193256/http://rapgenius.com/Foxy-brown-talk-to-me-lyrics |archive-date = October 1, 2013 |url-status=live}}

A significant part of media dubbed Latifah "the winner" of the feud. Hip-hop magazine Ego Trip stated that Latifah won the feud 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 single, "Ladies First". In 2000, Brown and Latifah reconciled; to prove that the truce was real, Brown performed her song "Na Na Be Like" on The Queen Latifah Show.{{cite web |title = Foxy Brown – "Na Na Be Like" – Live (2000) | date=July 27, 2012 |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlGFNoTYvKc |via = YouTube |access-date = May 8, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140329033000/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlGFNoTYvKc |archive-date = March 29, 2014 |url-status=live}}

Often cited as one of the best female rappers,{{Cite web |date=2020-08-06 |title=Top 10 female rappers of all time: Did your favorite make our list? |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/06/top-10-female-rappers-of-all-time-did-your-favorite-make-our-list |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}} * {{Cite web |date=2021-03-25 |title=HHW's Top 30 Greatest Female Rap Artists of All Time, Ranked |url=https://hiphopwired.com/playlist/hhws-top-30-greatest-female-rap-artists-of-all-time-ranked/ |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=The Latest Hip-Hop News, Music and Media {{!}} Hip-Hop Wired |language=en-US}} Queen Latifah achieved groundbreaking success{{Cite web |title=Queen Latifah Unable To Accept Marian Anderson Award, Citing Personal Reasons; Will Be Honored In The Future – CBS Philly |date=October 12, 2018 |url=https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/10/12/queen-latifah-marian-anderson-award-unable-accept-personal-reasons/ |access-date=2022-08-05}} in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and became what Pitchfork considered as the "most recognizable female rapper" of the golden era of hip hop.{{Cite web |title=Will the Mainstream Support More than One Rap Queen at a Time? A Charts Investigation |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1487-will-the-mainstream-support-more-than-one-rap-queen-at-a-time-a-charts-investigation/ |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=pitchfork.com|date=April 13, 2017 }} AllMusic writer Steve Huey stated that Latifah was "certainly not the first female rapper, but she was the first one to become a bona fide star." In the book Notable Black American Women, Jessie Carney Smith hailed her as "rap's first feminist" and "one of the few women to make a mark in the male-dominated field of rap music".{{cite book |author=Smith, Jessie Carney |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ssMBzqrUpjwC&pg=PA394 |title=Notable Black American Women |year=1992 | publisher=VNR AG |isbn=9780810391772}} Variety called her "one of the major forerunners for women in modern hip-hop,"{{cite magazine |title=Variety 500: Queen Latifah |url=https://variety.com/exec/queen-latifah/ |magazine=Variety}} and The Guardian referred to her as a "pioneer of female rap".{{cite web |date=January 23, 2000 |title=Cut. It's a rap... |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jan/23/icecube |website=The Guardian}}

Throughout her career, several media publications have referred to her as the "Queen of Rap"{{cite web |title=From Music Queen To Movie Star |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/from-music-queen-to-movie-star/ |website=CBS News |date=October 7, 2004 |quote=But she quickly earned her title, becoming the queen of hip-hop... this 34-year-old Queen of Rap is changing her tune.}}* {{cite web |author=Davis, Bridgette |title=Her Royal Badness |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-07-04-9004180571-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |date=July 4, 1990 |quote=The Queen of Rap, whose debut album, All Hail the Queen,... }}

• {{cite web |author=Hochman, Steve |date=September 21, 1991 |title=Pop Music Review: Ziggy Marley, Latifah Step Out From Shadows: Both artists draw upon traditions, but never bow to them, in strong performances at the Greek Theatre. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-21-ca-2239-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |quote=Latifah is the true Queen of rap }}
• {{cite web |title=Archive – Bringing Africa South Vol. 3 No. 241 |url=https://www.namibian.com.na/archive_pdf_19851990/1993_TheNamibian/6%20September%201993.pdf |website=The Namibian |quote=Deborah and Darryl talk to The Queen of Rap Queen Laltifah... |access-date=June 28, 2024 |archive-date=April 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412005407/https://www.namibian.com.na/archive_pdf_19851990/1993_TheNamibian/6%20September%201993.pdf |url-status=dead }}
• {{cite web |date=March 14, 2018 |title=The 25 Greatest Hip-Hop Debut Albums of All Time |url=https://consequence.net/2018/03/the-25-greatest-hip-hop-debut-albums-of-all-time/4/ |website=Consequence |quote=The La La La from Halstead” as the queen of rap's Daisy Age }}
• {{cite web |year=2021 |title=Queen Latifah – The First Hip-Hop Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame |url=https://allhiphop.com/blackhistory/queen-latifah-the-first-hip-hop-star-on-the-hollywood-walk-of-fame/ |website=AllHipHop }}
• {{cite web |title=Queen Latifah Profile |url=https://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/queen-latifah/index.html |website=Los Angeles Times }}
• {{cite book |author=Pinn, Anthony B. |title=African American Humanist Principles |chapter=Humanist Principles, Musical Production, and Life Orientation |date=2004 |pages=63–76 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US |location=New York |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-73324-8_6 |isbn=978-1-349-73326-2}} including New York magazine (1990) via editor Dinitia Smith, as well as "Queen of Hip Hop".{{cite web |title=Queen Latifah models character on her mother |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/queen-latifah-models-character-her-mother-wbna19786958 |website=Today |date=July 16, 2007 |quote=the Queen of Hip-Hop told Today host...}} Latifah became the first solo female rapper to receive a RIAA certification for an album (Black Reign), a commercial breakthrough that the AllMusic editor considered as creating a path for "a talented crew of women rappers to make their own way onto the charts as the 90s progressed".{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/queen-latifah-mn0000372229/biography|title=Queen Latifah Biography|website=AllMusic|author=Huey, Steve}} Her breakthrough also helped place New Jersey on the hip hop map. In 1998, she performed in the Super Bowl XXXII halftime show, making her the first rapper to do so.

According to an African American Review journal, her afrocentric feminist music video for "Ladies First" presented a "televisual moment" and disrupted the continuity of sexism and racism that dominated the music videos at the time.{{cite web |title = 'Ladies First': Queen Latifah's Afrocentric Feminist Music Video |url = http://www.public.asu.edu/~kleong/queenlatifahfeminism.pdf |work = African American Review |access-date = June 17, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924105239/http://www.public.asu.edu/~kleong/queenlatifahfeminism.pdf |archive-date = September 24, 2015 |url-status=live}} The song was listed on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll,{{cite web|url=https://www.harpercollins.ca/author/cr-183088/queen-latifah/|title=Queen Latifah Books & Biography|website=HarperCollins}} and was one of the firsts texts to address the declining standards of male-female relationships in community life. Author Tricia Rose expressed that it "offered hip-hop for the development of pro-female pro-black diasporas political consciousness."{{cite journal|title=Black noise: Rap music and Black cultural resistance in contemporary American popular culture|author=Rose, Patricia|year=1994}} In Consequence, Okla Jones noted that the song "U.N.I.T.Y."—which lyrics confront slurs against women in hip-hop culture and address other types of disrespect—created a path for future female rappers to be "their authentic selves".{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2021/03/queen-latifah-unity/|title=Queen Latifah's Anthem "U.N.I.T.Y." Still Spells Out a Critical Message About Women's Rights|work=Consequence of Sound|date=March 31, 2021}}

Vibe magazine has noted her as the first female rapper to cross over into TV & film,{{cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/lists/queen-latifah-career-moments/queen-latifah-becoming-first-female-rapper-cross-over-into-tv-film/|title=Queen Latifah's 10 Most Impactful Career Moments|work=Vibe|date=June 27, 2021}} as an artist that "broke barriers and set standards" for Black women in music to follow, and cited her as the "First Lady of Hip-Hop". For her performance as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago, Latifah earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first woman in hip hop to earn an Oscar nomination.{{Cite magazine |date=March 4, 2003 |author=Rebecca Ascher-Walsh |title=Checking in with Oscar nominee Queen Latifah |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/03/04/checking-oscar-nominee-queen-latifah/ |access-date=2022-08-05 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}}

Queen Latifah has been cited as an influence on R&B, soul, and hip-hop artists, such as Eve,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/eve/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Eve Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = September 26, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929174638/http://www.mtv.com/artists/eve/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Da Brat,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/da-brat/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Da Brat Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = March 26, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929174627/http://www.mtv.com/artists/da-brat/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Lil' Kim,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/lil-kim/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Lil Kim Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = June 8, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929180201/http://www.mtv.com/artists/lil-kim/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Fugees,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/fugees/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Fugees Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = March 8, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929180239/http://www.mtv.com/artists/fugees/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Jill Scott,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/jill-scott/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Jill Scott Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = April 14, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929180158/http://www.mtv.com/artists/jill-scott/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Lauryn Hill,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/lauryn-hill/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Lauryn Hill Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = August 23, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141022093250/http://www.mtv.com/artists/lauryn-hill/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = October 22, 2014 |url-status=dead}} Missy Elliott,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/missy-elliott/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Missy Elliott Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = March 8, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929174619/http://www.mtv.com/artists/missy-elliott/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Remy Ma,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/remy-ma/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Remy Ma Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = May 26, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929174635/http://www.mtv.com/artists/remy-ma/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Ivy Queen,{{cite web |url = https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ivy-queen-mn0000101664/related |title = Ivy Queen – Similar Artists, Influenced By, Followers: Allmusic |website = AllMusic |access-date = April 20, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170905231003/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ivy-queen-mn0000101664/related |archive-date = September 5, 2017 |url-status=live}} Foxy Brown,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/foxy-brown/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Foxy Brown Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = June 28, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929174630/http://www.mtv.com/artists/foxy-brown/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Ms. Dynamite,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/ms-dynamite/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Ms. Dynamite Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = May 8, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929180225/http://www.mtv.com/artists/ms-dynamite/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Naughty by Nature,{{cite web |url = http://www.mtv.com/artists/naughty-by-nature/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |title = Naughty by Nature Music Influences |publisher = MTV |access-date = July 5, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929174646/http://www.mtv.com/artists/naughty-by-nature/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy |archive-date = September 29, 2015 |url-status=dead}} Rapsody,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPeyrMu2Kyo|title=Rapsody Talks Queen Latifah Being An Inspiration, Jay-Z Representing The Culture + More|author=Power 105.1|website=YouTube|date=September 12, 2019 }} Megan Thee Stallion,{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/music/megan-thee-stallion-queen-latifah-business/|title=Megan Thee Stallion Explains How Queen Latifah Inspired Her As An 'All-Around Businesswoman'|work=Uproxx|date=November 2, 2021}} as well as actors Michael K. Williams,{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/03/24/michael-k-williams-queen-latifah/|title=How Queen Latifah changed Michael K. Williams' life: I've known her since she was 17!|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} Keke Palmer,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a15932840/keke-palmer-interview/|title=Keke Palmer Is a Boss—And She Wants You to Be One Too|magazine=Harper's Bazaar|date=February 2, 2018}} Vin Diesel,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAcvVS9OgrU|title=Vin Diesel Says Queen Latifah Inspired Him To Make Music|website=YouTube|author=The Kelly Clarkson Show|date=June 22, 2021 }} and author Jason Reynolds.{{cite news|last1=Foster|first1=Jordan|title=Jason Reynolds: From Kid Poet to Award-Winning Author|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/73381-jason-reynolds-from-kid-poet-to-award-winning-author.html|access-date=31 March 2018|work=Publishers Weekly|date=April 17, 2017|language=en|archive-date=April 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401075330/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/73381-jason-reynolds-from-kid-poet-to-award-winning-author.html|url-status=live}}

Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda has stated that Latifah inspired the portrayal of Angelica Schuyler in the musical Hamilton.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/music/2016/11/30/hamilton-mixtape-lin-manuel-miranda-songs/|title=Making The Hamilton Mixtape: Lin-Manuel Miranda explains the stories behind the songs|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} In 2020, Vogue editor Janelle Okwodu considered her a fashion icon that "helped to start a conversation about body image that continues to this day", crediting her among the first artists that pioneered the "climate of size inclusivity and muses of all shapes".{{cite web |date=March 19, 2020 |title=At 50, Queen Latifah Remains an Icon of Body Positive Style |url=https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/queen-latifah-50th-birthday-appreciation |work=Vogue}}

Queen Latifah has demonstrated several forms of activism over her lifetime, challenging Eurocentric ideals and representing the black, female body. An initial sign of the beginning of her resistance to these Eurocentric standards started with her name. Her entire name was self-chosen, and while 'Latifah' came from an Arabic book, 'Queen' originated from her desire to create a strong, black identity, which was fueled by her mother, Rita Owens, who gave her the foundation to develop into a self-proclaimed Queen.{{Cite journal |last=Cochran |first=Shannon |date=2021-12-15 |title=Give Me Body! Race, Gender, and Corpulence Identity in the Artistry and Activism of Queen Latifah |url=https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/jhhs/vol8/iss1/4 |journal=Journal of Hip Hop Studies |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=14–34 |issn=2331-5563}}

Afrocentric Queendom is a concept that Queen Latifah uses to demonstrate her resistance to Eurocentric standards. This term, Afrocentric Queendom, refers to African centered customs that also incorporate female empowerment. Eurocentric constructions are challenged by this concept because Afrocentrism deconstructs oppressive environments, essentially disrupting centralized European spaces. The notion of the term Queen was intentionally crafted by Latifah, redefining what plus size, black women were in society. Over the twentieth century, the term ‘mammy’ coincided with black women because many were left to take care of white children. This term stripped many black women around this time of their name, forcing them to adopt the new identity of ‘mammy.'{{Cite book |last=Wallace-Sanders |first=Kimberly |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pd2uh_WFR-wC&dq=mammy+scholarly+articles&pg=PR13 |title=Mammy: A Century of Race, Gender, and Southern Memory |date=2008 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=978-0-472-11614-0 |language=en}} Following the emergence of this term, African American women have been stereotyped as mothering figures, while also signaling a loss of identity. This is what Queen Latifah aimed to avoid when creating her stage name, with the intention of opposing the Eurocentric construction of the term mammy. The sole idea of her choosing her name imitates power and promotes strength within herself.{{Cite journal |last=Roberts |first=Robin |date=1994 |title="Ladies First": Queen Latifah's Afrocentric Feminist Music Video |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3041997 |journal=African American Review |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=245–257 |doi=10.2307/3041997|jstor=3041997 |url-access=subscription }}

Latifah also rejects Eurocentric standards by embracing Afrocentric ideals and incorporating this concept within her work. She claims that Afrocentricity is a great way of living, creating a sense of pride around her heritage. Within her music, Latifah incorporates Afrobeats and language while also centering black women within her lyrics and visuals. This can be clearly identified in her 1989 ‘Ladies First’ music video, to where South African culture is present in her work, which included Afrocentric visuals and clothes that align culturally with South Africa.

The idea of the black, female body has been criticized and mocked, as well as being imitated over the past couple of decades by celebrities. Latifah, a plus sized, black woman, has continued to challenge Eurocentric standards by advocating for body positivity and incorporating her size as a part of her music identity within her early Hip Hop career. Her goal was to politicize and posterize her body to influence young, black girls that all bodies should be accepted, especially in her male dominated field at the time. Throughout her early career, Latifah challenged the Eurocentric mythology of the inferiority of black, female bodies, by creating a marketable figure that was respectable within the Hip Hop industry in the mid-1990s.

Queen Latifah did not always center Africanness around her career, eventually embracing more Black American customs, while not completely abandoning African ideals. This was present through her physical appearance and her music. In her 1993 rap song, U.N.I.T.Y. she incorporates more jazz and soul sounds into her music, as well as empowering lyrics. Her lyrics address concerns regarding harassment and domestic violence within the black community, as well as lyrics to uplift black women, and lyrics that address misogyny within the hip hop community.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Okla |date=2021-03-31 |title=Queen Latifah's Anthem "U.N.I.T.Y." Still Spells Out a Critical Message About Women's Rights |url=https://consequence.net/2021/03/queen-latifah-unity/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |language=en-US}}

While Afrocentric influence and pro-black productions were what Queen Latifah focused on, she also incorporated feminism throughout her work. Latifah's demonstration of Afrocentricity co-existed with how she also demonstrated her feminism. The message of hip hop and rap began to change around the mid-nineties, with rappers like Queen Latifah, as well as Monie Love and Lil' Kim, changing the narrative. The lyrics of the songs produced by several of these women related to sexual liberation, female autonomy, and sexual domination.{{Cite journal |last=Jordan |first=Jacquelyn |date=2016 |title=From Queen Latifah to Lil' Kim: The Evolution of the Feminist MC |url=https://tuljournals.temple.edu/index.php/maneto/article/download/77/85/204 |journal=Maneto: The Temple University Multi-Disciplinary Undergraduate Research Journal |pages=55–62}} Language in hip hop was changed through female artists, reclaiming derogatory words that are used against 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 is in a higher position than those around her. By placing "Queen" in her stage name, Latifah set herself in a position to counter sexist ideals in the hip-hop and rap music industry, which was primarily dominated by men during this time.

While there were several women, like Latifah, who associated with feminism, there were several women who rejected the idea of incorporating this into their artistry due to negative connotations of this movement. Involvement with feminism could adversely affect their career, especially if the idea of feminism is rejected by people who dominate the music industry. Queen Latifah was not a follower in this situation, subtly incorporating third-wave feminism within her lyrics, which specifically addressed the inclusion of women of color in feminism and the elimination of homophobia.

Latifah also founded a production company, which was referred to as Flavor Unit Records, eventually Flavor Unit Entertainment, co-launching it in 1995 with her business partner Shakim Compere.{{Cite news |last=Span |first=Paula |date=1995-06-04 |title=THE BUSINESS OF RAP IS BUSINESS |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1995/06/04/the-business-of-rap-is-business/765b514a-c22b-4df8-be55-975c41367d87/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |issn=0190-8286}} Near the creation of this label, she helped several artists create their music, such as Daddy D. Daddy D was Latifah's first artist to create a single with. Her purpose was to create a multimedia company that operates at full service. Several music artists at the time wanted to join Queen Latifah's label because they easily identified her success, from an artist herself, to a self made label chief. The label remained quite small in the nineties, but eventually gained traction as Queen Latifah gained more attention. While her record label helped several artists start up their career, she remained at Motown Records for her own benefit.

Queen Latifah expanded her career from music, branching out to acting, as well as producing. Her first role that she took on was in the movie Jungle Fever, which was released in 1991, where she performed among several significant black actors, such as Samuel L. Jackson and Halle Berry. Her role in this movie was not major, but displayed her overall talent enough in the film. She later moved to entertainment television, starring and co-producing certain episodes of the show Living Single.

Queen Latifah was the star of the sitcom Living Single, which followed her character, Khadijah James, and three of her black, female friends. This sitcom that aired for three years aimed to highlight the Black American experience by demonstrating Black excellence.{{Cite journal |last=VanHester |first=Teigha Mae |date=2021 |title="In a 90s Kind of World, I'm Glad I Got My Girls": Living Single and One Fat, Black, Intellectual Queen's Quest to Bring Flavor to the Academy. |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/801953 |journal=Rhetoric, Politics & Culture |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=75–83 |doi=10.1353/rhp.2021.0007 |s2cid=257252655 |url-access=subscription }} Latifah's character is described to embody what black womanhood was in the early nineties. Her character was well rounded and represented the idea of what a ‘girl boss’ was.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} With this all black cast, the possibilities for characters to be presented in a variety of ways were endless. Some characters, such as Maxine Shaw, played by Erika Alexander, were depicted as lawyers, while others were depicted as wealthy, such as Regine Hunter, played by Kim Fields. Khadijah was everything from a business owner, to a songwriter, to a friend, all while maintaining the lead role in the show. Depth and duality behind black characters on sitcoms within the nineties was not very common outside of Black Entertainment Television (BET), so it was quite significant to television when Latifiah took on such an important role. With the help of Latifah, Yvette Lee Bowser, the executive producer and creator, actively changed the perception of Black Americans, painting a new light on the Black experience.  

Through her performance through the show, Latifah showed the complexity of Black womanhood successfully. There were several parallels that were identified between Living Single and Queen Latifah's life, such as how both she and her character had to navigate a male-dominated industry while trying to be successful.Mizejewski, Linda. "Queen Latifah, unruly women, and the bodies of romantic comedy." Genders, no. 46 (2007): NA. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints (accessed December 1, 2023). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A179660982/OVIC?u=colu27235&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=783f5d77. Their personalities also align, both being outspoken, confident, and driven. Latifah realistically depicted a black woman on television by simply acting as herself on Living Single.

Queen Latifah's sexuality has always come into question through her on-screen performances. In one of her films, 1996's Set It Off, she takes on a more masculine role. Cleopatra Sims (Cleo), Latifah's character, can be described as a butch, lesbian bank robber, which highlighted her sexuality. She was so successful while playing this masculine role, that rumors about her sexuality started spreading. In the early stages of her career, Latifah chose not to address the rumors regarding her sexuality, letting the public categorize her in their own way. Queen Latifah's ambiguity played to her strengths when acting, allowing her to have versatile roles and not become constrained to certain acting roles because of her off screen sexuality. This can be identified in many of her later films in her career, playing a range of either oversexualized characters or sexually muted characters. The distance Queen Latifah created from assumptions about her sexuality in her early career excluded her from any queer discourse throughout the nineties.{{Cite web |last=Herold |first=Lauren |title=Living out loud: Queen Latifah and Black queer television production |url=http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc60.2021/Herold-Latifah/index.html |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=www.ejumpcut.org}} Her involvement in offhanded politics and pro-black work productions helped define her work, while her sexuality did not affect her work, early on.

{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Queen Latifah}}

File:Queen Latifah at Kennedy Center Honors Dinner (53374125172).jpg]]

Queen Latifah became the first female hip-hop recording artist to get nominated for an Oscar. In 2003, Queen Latifah was awarded Artist of the Year by Harvard Foundation.{{cite web|url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2003/02/queen-latifah-crowned-artist-of-the-year-by-harvard-foundation/|title=Queen Latifah crowned Artist of the Year by Harvard Foundation|website=Harvard|date=February 20, 2003}} In 2006, Latifah became the first hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/queen-latifah-1319022|title=Queen Latifah gets Hollywood Star|date=January 6, 2006|website=Nme.com|access-date=October 3, 2019}} and was also inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011.{{cite web |title = Queen Latifah |url = http://njhalloffame.org/hall-of-famers/2011-inductees/queen-latifah/ |work = The Root |publisher = njhalloffame.org |access-date = August 8, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150305054100/http://njhalloffame.org/hall-of-famers/2011-inductees/queen-latifah/ |archive-date = March 5, 2015 |url-status=live}} In her music career, Queen Latifah has sold nearly 2 million albums in the US.{{cite magazine |title = "Verve // Remixed," and Queen Latifah. |url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/71633/15ask |magazine = Billboard |date = April 9, 2003 |access-date = April 9, 2003 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141004095506/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/71633/15ask |archive-date = October 4, 2014 |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |title = Queen Latifah Returns To Rap On 'Persona' |url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/267935/queen-latifah-returns-to-rap-on-persona |magazine = Billboard |date = July 27, 2009 |access-date = July 27, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130806115748/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/267935/queen-latifah-returns-to-rap-on-persona |archive-date = August 6, 2013 |url-status=live}} The Root ranked her at number 35 on The Root 100 list.{{cite web |title = The Root 100 2014 |url = http://www.theroot.com/articles/lists/2014/09/the_root_100_2014/dana_queen_latifah_owens.html |work = The Root |publisher = theroot.com |access-date = September 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140913014014/http://www.theroot.com/articles/lists/2014/09/the_root_100_2014/dana_queen_latifah_owens.html |archive-date = September 13, 2014}} In 2017, American Black Film Festival honored Latifah with the Entertainment Icon award.{{cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/queen-latifah-abff-award-488498/|title=Queen Latifah To Receive "Entertainment Icon" Honor At American Black Film Festival|work=Vibe|date=February 16, 2017}} In 2018, she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree by the Rutgers University.{{cite web|url=https://observer.com/2018/02/rutgers-honor-anita-hill-queen-latifah/|title=In the Year of #MeToo, Rutgers to Honor Anita Hill, Queen Latifah|website=Observer|date=February 8, 2018}} In 2019, Harvard University awarded the W. E. B. Du Bois Medal to Queen Latifah for cultural contributions.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/queen-latifah-harvard-black-culture-award-8532882/|title=Queen Latifah to Receive Harvard Black Culture Award|magazine=Billboard|date=October 14, 2019}} In 2023, Queen Latifah's debut album All Hail the Queen, was added into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry, making it the earliest female rap recording to enter the National Recording Registry,{{Cite web |title=National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Madonna, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah, Daddy Yankee |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-music-from-madonna--mariah-carey--queen-latifah--daddy-yankee/s/5a91b115-3825-4a5f-a702-35940b4de958 |access-date=2023-04-18 |website=The NewsMarket |language=en}} and made her the second female hip-hop recording artist to have her music included after Lauryn Hill;{{Cite magazine |date=2023-04-12 |title=Madonna, Daddy Yankee, Mariah Carey & More Named to National Recording Registry: Full List of 2023 Inductions |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/national-recording-registry-2023-inductions-list-madonna-mariah-carey-daddy-yankee-1235299745/ |access-date=2023-04-18 |magazine=Billboard}}{{Cite web |date=2023-04-13 |title=Queen Latifah Just Received This Major Honor From The Library Of Congress |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/queen-latifah-national-recording-registry-first-female-rapper_n_64380308e4b0ac40918a02d3 |access-date=2023-04-18 |website=HuffPost |language=en}} however some outlets incorrectly reported her as the first to accomplish the feat.{{Cite web |last=Ulaby |first=Neda |date=2023-04-12 |title=Queen Latifah and Super Mario Bros. make history in National Recording Registry debut |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/04/12/1169227901/national-recording-registry |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412154004/https://www.npr.org/2023/04/12/1169227901/national-recording-registry |archive-date=April 12, 2023 |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=NPR }}{{Cite web |last=Kyles |first=Yohance |date=2023-04-12 |title=Queen Latifah Becomes First Female Rapper To Join Library of Congress National Recording Registry |url=https://allhiphop.com/news/queen-latifah-becomes-first-female-rapper-to-join-library-of-congress-national-recording-registry/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20230412150446/https://allhiphop.com/news/queen-latifah-becomes-first-female-rapper-to-join-library-of-congress-national-recording-registry/ |archive-date=April 12, 2023 |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=All Hip Hop }}

She is a recipient of a Grammy Award from six nominations, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards from five nominations, two NAACP Image Awards from thirteen nominations, one Primetime Emmy Award from three nominations, and an Academy Award nomination. In 2021, she received the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and was the first rapper, female or male, to be so awarded.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/queen-latifah-lil-kim-monie-love-rapsody-mc-lyte-bet-awards-1190018/|title=Lil' Kim, Monie Love, Rapsody, MC Lyte Pay Tribute to Queen Latifah at 2021 BET Awards|magazine=Rolling Stone}} In 2023, she became the first female rapper to be a Kennedy Center honoree.{{Cite web|url=https://www.advocate.com/news/queen-latifah-kennedy-center-honors|title=Queen Latifah Breaks Barriers, Awarded Kennedy Center Honors|website=www.advocate.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/its-kennedy-center-honors-time-for-a-group-including-queen-latifah-billy-crystal-and-dionne-warwick/3485091/|title=Kennedy Center Honors fetes new inductees, including Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal and Dionne Warwick|first=Ashraf|last=Khalil • •|date=December 3, 2023}}

{{Main|Queen Latifah discography}}

Studio albums

• All Hail the Queen (1989)
• Nature of a Sista' (1991)
• Black Reign (1993)
• Order in the Court (1998)
• The Dana Owens Album (2004)
• Trav'lin' Light (2007)
• Persona (2009)

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

• Sugar Water Festival (2005–06)
• Travlin' Light Tour (2007)

{{Reflist}}

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