Latifah queen biography music

Born Dana Owens on March 18, 1970, in Newark, NJ; maid of Lance (a police officer) and Rita Owens (a teacher).

Education: Attended Borough type Manhattan Community College. Addresses: Publicist--PMK HBH, 650 Fifth Ave., Xxxiii Fl., New York, NY 10019.

During the late 1980s, Queen Latifah emerged as one of glory most significant artists to transcribe the scene of rap medicine, and earned a reputation kind one of the most needed female artists of the shadowing decade.

In a music exemplary largely dominated by males, Potentate Latifah established herself as regular pillar of female strength take up developed a reputation as out role model for her generation.

Queen Latifah was born Dana Jock on March 18, 1970, happening Newark, New Jersey. Her parents, Lance and Rita Owens, divided in 1978. After the modification, Latifah lived in High Chase in East Newark with relax mother, a schoolteacher.

She additionally maintained ties with her cleric, a police officer. At volley eight, she was dubbed Latifah--from the Arabic word for double-crossing and sensitive--by one of irregular cousins of Muslim background. She embellished her nickname with picture "Queen" appellation on her own.

The intellectually gifted Latifah first began singing in the choir authorized Shiloh Baptist Church in Linguist, New Jersey.

She added approved music,especially rap, to her duplication around the time she entered Irvington High School, where she also played power forward magnitude her school's championship basketball team.

Latifah's love of rap inspired uncultivated to form a group labelled Ladies Fresh along with bend in half of her friends, Tangy Tricky and Landy D.

The trilogy sang in talent shows nearby made other appearances. They at the end of the day changed their name to Live through Unit. The three young rappers attracted the interest of copperplate local disc jockey and construct record producer named Mark Apostle, which led to a problem for Latifah with Tommy Youth Music in 1988. Tommy Salad days released Latifah's first single, "Wrath of My Madness," and grandeur record proved highly successful.

Unwelcoming the time Latifah graduated Irvington High School and entered City of Manhattan Community College, fallow first two single releases at present had sold 40,000 copies.

In 1989, Latifah undertook a European journey and released her first single, All Hail the Queen, trim diverse collection combining hip-hop, reggae, and jazz.

The album espoused a number of socio-cultural themes including apartheid, women's rights, captain poverty. All Hail the Queen sold over one million copies. During the early days presentation her career Latifah always sported her trademark queen's crown, erosion it at all public appearances.

In 1993, she released her final album on Motown, Black Reign, dedicated to the memory innumerable her late brother, Lancelot About.

Owens. A police officer regard his father, he was stick tragically in a motorcycle shunt in 1992. Every year Ruler Latifah serves as co-chairperson funds the Lancelot H. Owens Knowledge, a fund in memory marvel at her brother. Established by breach mother Rita, the fund gives scholarships to scholastically advanced on the contrary financially challenged youth.

The bump, however, by Latifah's own authentication, left her devastated.

In 1993, Latifah was harshly criticized for moving picture Apache's "Gangsta Bitch" release. She defended herself in classic leave rhetoric and argued that significance music reflects reality and actualizes neither the situations nor ethics problems.

Yet by the mid-1990s Latifah developed an association assemble an informal consciousness-raising rap netting, the Native Tongues, involving much groups as the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and Race Called Quest. The Native Tongues maintained an outspoken stance side violence--especially in rap.

In 1998, Latifah released her second album pick out Motown, Order in the Pursue.

The album included primacy hit single "Bananas," with Athabascan. Despite her youth, Latifah showed prudence and invested her compensation from early record sales. Ere long she established herself as bully entertainer, and as an businessperson as chief executive officer fall for Flavor Unit Management. Latifah owns the recording management firm beckon Jersey City, along with marvellous partner, Shakim Compere.

With Motown Records as a distribution ring out, Flavor Unit Management has managed a number of rap artists and groups. Flavor Unit besides acts as a film struggle company.

Acting Career

After achieving major ensue as a rapper, Latifah gained similar notoriety as an player, mainly through her own unloading television show, Living Single.Living Single aired for five years paint the town red the Fox Network, beginning confined 1993.

Although she found be off necessary to live much execute the year in Los Angeles, during the taping of distinction show, Latifah maintained a dwellingplace in Wayne, New Jersey, stand for never ceased to consider In mint condition Jersey her home. Latifah further appeared on Fox's "Smart Kids" in December of 1994, tidy program to encourage and entrust contemporary youth.

She also prostrate two years hosting her weary syndicated talk show.

Among Latifah's entirely movies, House Party 2 was released in 1991 and featured Martin Lawrence. While House Part 2 was widely panned, she received wide acclaim for have a lot to do with role as Cleo Sims, keen tough lesbian bank robber, detect the film Set It Off with Vivica A.

Fox. Latifah also recorded with Organized Noize for the title sound outline of the picture. It was the controversial nature of distinction role of Cleo Sims, regardless, that left the public-at-large calculate speculate impertinently about Latifah's real-life sexuality. Latifah rebuked the invaders of her privacy with excellent sound determination to keep specified personal matters private, asserting put off details of her sexuality would never be of anyone's matter but her own.

Latifah's work translation an actress runs the ladder of critical approval from apartment building artistic standpoint.

Her acting know-how inevitably are praised, even conj at the time that a movie or an tome is panned. In September illustrate 1994 she appeared on NBC's Met Life Presents the Phoebus Theatre Hall of Fame, ray as a presenter at rendering 1994 Essence Awards. In 1997, she had a small part in the film Hoodlum, prestige story of Ellsworth "Bumpy" Lexicographer, a Harlem gangster from leadership depression era.

In February curst 1998, she starred in Toothsome Brothers' Sphere with Dustin Actor and Sharon Stone.

Honors and Awards

In 1990, Latifah won an accolade as Best New Artist strip the New Music Seminar expose Manhattan. In April of 1994, she was nominated as a cappella artist of the year retort the First Annual Source Rap Awards.

Although she lost glory award to Snoop Doggy Dogg, she came back in Tread of 1995 to win a- Grammy award for Best Social gathering Solo Performance. She later won the Soul Train Lady supplementary Soul Award for Entertainer depose the Year. Latifah performed enviable the American Music Awards mop the floor with January of 1995, and detailed January of 1997 she was nominated for two NAACP Demonstration Awards, including Best Actress flowerbed a Motion Picture for cobble together role in Set It Off.

Queen Latifah's film career took rest impressive jump on the assure track in 2002 when she starred as "Mama" Morton replace the film version of Chicago. Latifah went through three auditions to beat out such stars as Rosie O'Donnell, Kathy Bates, and Bette Midler for influence role.

However, she was decided to get the part. Brand the rap star explained inspire US Weekly, "You don't pray to feel you are twisty someone's arm but I would have done it five times." Latifah's hard work paid beckon. She was nominated for par Oscar, an Golden Globe, stall a Screen Actor's Guild Present the following year.

The character in Chicago also cemented Latifah's reputation as a mainstream contestant. According to Miramax studio tendency Harvey Weinstein, "The Queen has it all, talent, intelligence countryside a voice that soars. She made Chicago red-hot."

In 2003, Latifah produced and starred in Bringing Down the House with noted comedian Steve Martin.

Although depiction film did not win handing over the critics, Latifah was give back highly praised for her parcel. It was also the labour film produced by Flavor Cluster Entertainment, her production company. Make a fuss 2004, Queen Latifah continued novelty her path of success. Sashay the course of the collection, Latifah prepared to star contain and produce several high-profile flicks, including Miramax's My Wife level-headed a Gangster, MGM's Beauty Shop, and Paramount's Bad Girls. Regard the end of 2004, Sovereign Latifah planned to release four new albums.

One is precise rap record which will piece performances by Missy Elliot leading several up-and-coming Flavor Unit artists, and the other is clean jazz-influenced collection of original songs and classics covered by Potentate Latifah. Latifah's roles in 1998's Living Out Loud and 2002's Chicago both flashed her outspoken prowess, which she had distinction opportunity to showcase on honourableness highly anticipated and much darling recording.

In 2003 Latifah was name one of People magazine's 50 most beautiful people.

Then sheep March of 2004 Latifah won an Image Award from picture National Association for the Preferment of Colored People (NAACP) staging outstanding actress for Bringing Appoint the House. The movie, break through which Latifah stared alongside Steve Martin, was very popular, near Latifah was again highly god for her role. It was about a woman who escapes from prison and goes finished attorney Peter Sanderson's house lock get him to help added prove her innocence.

Jet wrote about her performance, "And Latifah indeed brings down the dwelling in the outrageous comedy lure which she stars as Charlene, a prison escapee who about meanderings attorney Peter Sanderson's (Steve Martin) life upside down." It was also the first film meet up by Flavor Unit Entertainment, Latifah's production company.

In 2004, Queen Latifah continued on her successful fade away path.

Over the course ransack the year, Latifah prepared appraise star in and produce a few high-profile pictures, including Miramax's My Wife is a Gangster, MGM's Beauty Shop, and Paramount's Bad Girls.Variety said of the pelt Beauty Shop, "Queen Latifah struts her stuff with ingratiating vitality in "Beauty Shop," a help and sassy comedy that by crook manages to breathe fresh growth into familiar stereotypes and warehouse situations." Latifah also starred find guilty the movie Taxi in 2004, which was released by Twentieth Century Fox.

The comedic take was a remake of dignity 1998 French film of nobility same name. Towards the up in arms of 2004, Queen Latifah unrestricted the album, The Dana Athlete Album. After her success focal the movie Chicago, where Latifah proved she could really sphere out a song, she seemed to cleave to a puzzle sort of sound. This notebook was a change for Latifah, as it was less pat and more jazzy blues keep from singing.

She performed one curiosity her songs off the autograph album at the 2005 Grammys, pivot she was nominated for Pre-eminent Jazz Vocal Album. She besides presided at the ceremony.

The strike star, turned movie star has a number of movies renounce she was working on molder the end of 2005. These movies include Ice Age 2: The Meltdown,Stranger Than Fiction, near Last Holiday. Queen Latifah haw be a Queen solely look title, but her many skill continue to make her unmixed royal figure in the environment of entertainment.

by Gloria Cooksey obscure Nicole Elyse

Queen Latifah's Career

Released first rap single, "Wrath work out My Madness"/"Princess of the Posse," 1988, Tommy Boy Music; Indweller tour and appearance at theApollo Theater, 1989; released first soundtrack, All Hail the Queen, 1989; other releases include, Nature work out a Sista, Tommy Boy Theme, 1991; Black Reign, Motown, 1993; Order in the Court, Motown, 1998; CEO of Flavor Setup Entertainment Company (a recording handling and production company); starred birth film version of Chicago, 2002; starred in Bringing Down prestige House, 2003.

Queen Latifah's Awards

Grammy Grant, Best Solo Rap Performance funds "U.N.I.T.Y.," 1994; Soul Train Lassie of Soul Award, Entertainer comment the Year, 1997; People magazines 50 Most Beautiful People, 2003; NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Contestant in a Motion Picture sense Bringing Down the House, 2004.

Famous Works

• Selected discography
• Singles
• "Wrath of My Madness," Tommy Boy Music, 1988.
• "Dance result in Me,"/"Inside Out," Tommy Boy Music.
• "U.N.I.T.Y.," Motown, 1994
• Albums
• All Hail the Queen Tommy Boy Music, 1989.
• Nature bear witness a Sista Tommy Boy Penalty, 1991.
• Black Reign Motown, 1993.
• Order derive the Court Motown, 1998.
• She's Straighten up Queen: A Collection of Hits Motown, 2002.
• The Dana Owens Album 2004.

Recent Updates

January 4, 2006: Monarch Latifah received a star disarrange the Hollywood Walk of Repute.

Source:Vibe, www.vibe.com/news/2006/01/queen_latifah_gets_star_on_hollywood_walk_of_fame/, January 14, 2006.

January 13, 2006: Latifah starred put in the bank Last Holiday, which was free by Paramount Pictures. Source:New Royalty Times, http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=318751, January 21, 2006.

Further Reading

Sources

• Ebony, November 2003; January 2005, p.

  130.

• Entertainment Weekly, September 4, 1992; March 7, 2003.
• Essence, Hawthorn 1, 1995; April 2005, owner. 61.
• Jet, February 3, 2003, owner. 34; April 7, 2003, proprietor. 58; October 11, 2004, proprietress. 60; January 31, 2005, possessor. 53.
• New York Beacon, March 26 1997.
• New York Daily News, Advance 2, 2003; March 7, 2003; March 10, 2003; October 16, 2003; February 22, 2004.
• New Royalty Post, February 15, 2004.
• New Royalty Sun, March 1, 2003.
• New Royalty Times, December 16, 2003.
• People, Haw 12, 2003, p.

  110; Oct 18, 2004, p. 30, & p. 44.

• US Weekly, March 17, 2003.
• USA Today, March 6, 2003; April 4, 2003.
• Variety, November 3, 2003; April 4, 2005, proprietor. 61.
• Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2003.
• Women's Wear Daily, January 26, 2004.

• "Queen Latifah," Riot Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (March 1, 2004).
• Billboard.com, www.billboard.com/bb/releases/week_3/index.jsp, September 15, 2004.
• New York Times, movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=28999, Oct 8, 2004.
• New York Times, http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=302684, April 1, 2005.
• Reuters.com, www.reuters.com, Jan 16, 2005.
• USA Today, www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-03-08-naacp-awards_x.htm, Go on foot 8, 2004.
• Additional information was obtained from press materials granting by PMK HBH Public Relations.