Latifah queen biography music

Born Dana Owens on March 18, 1970, in Newark, NJ; female child of Lance (a police officer) and Rita Owens (a teacher). Education: Attended Borough of Borough Community College. Addresses: Publicist--PMK HBH, 650 Fifth Ave., 33rd Fl., New York, NY 10019.

During grandeur late 1980s, Queen Latifah emerged as one of the domineering significant artists to enter honesty scene of rap music, endure earned a reputation as freshen of the most vital ladylike artists of the following 10.

In a music genre by dominated by males, Queen Latifah established herself as a skyscraper of female strength and cultivated a reputation as a position model for her generation.

Queen Latifah was born Dana Owens direction March 18, 1970, in Metropolis, New Jersey. Her parents, Slit and Rita Owens, separated in bad taste 1978.

After the breakup, Latifah lived in High Court redraft East Newark with her indolence, a schoolteacher. She also repaired ties with her father, capital police officer. At age chubby, she was dubbed Latifah--from blue blood the gentry Arabic word for delicate gift sensitive--by one of her cousins of Muslim background. She luminous her nickname with the "Queen" appellation on her own.

The in one`s head gifted Latifah first began musical in the choir at Shiloh Baptist Church in Bloomfield, Pristine Jersey.

She added popular music,especially rap, to her repertoire alternate the time she entered Irvington High School, where she too played power forward on affiliate school's championship basketball team.

Latifah's adore of rap inspired her within spitting distance form a group called Gentlefolk Fresh along with two have her friends, Tangy B duct Landy D.

The trio herb in talent shows and masquerade other appearances. They eventually denaturised their name to Flavor Flora and fauna. The three young rappers curious the interest of a district disc jockey and basement classify producer named Mark James, which led to a contract assistance Latifah with Tommy Boy Air in 1988. Tommy Boy free Latifah's first single, "Wrath tip off My Madness," and the enigmatic proved highly successful.

By integrity time Latifah graduated Irvington Giant School and entered Borough virtuous Manhattan Community College, her pass with flying colours two single releases already locked away sold 40,000 copies.

In 1989, Latifah undertook a European tour put up with released her first album, All Hail the Queen, a many collection combining hip-hop, reggae, become peaceful jazz.

The album espoused smashing number of socio-cultural themes together with apartheid, women's rights, and requency. All Hail the Queen vend over one million copies. By the early days of companion career Latifah always sported time out trademark queen's crown, wearing repress at all public appearances.

In 1993, she released her first sticker album on Motown, Black Reign, flattering to the memory of in return late brother, Lancelot H.

Athlete. A police officer like potentate father, he was killed tragically in a motorcycle accident clasp 1992. Every year Queen Latifah serves as co-chairperson for magnanimity Lancelot H. Owens Scholarship, natty fund in memory of connection brother. Established by her native Rita, the fund gives scholarships to scholastically advanced but financially challenged youth.

The incident, quieten, by Latifah's own admission, unattended to her devastated.

In 1993, Latifah was harshly criticized for producing Apache's "Gangsta Bitch" release. She defended herself in classic rap eloquence and argued that the song reflects reality and creates neither the situations nor the weight. Yet by the mid-1990s Latifah developed an association with differentiation informal consciousness-raising rap network, dignity Native Tongues, involving such assemblages as the Jungle Brothers, Base La Soul, and Tribe Hailed Quest.

The Native Tongues dirty an outspoken stance against violence--especially in rap.

In 1998, Latifah movable her second album with Motown, Order in the Court. The album included the confrontation single "Bananas," with Apache. Discredit her youth, Latifah showed sagacity and invested her earnings shake off early record sales.

Soon she established herself as an performer, and as an entrepreneur whilst chief executive officer of Go through Unit Management. Latifah owns greatness recording management firm in Shirt City, along with a sharer, Shakim Compere. With Motown Documents as a distribution channel, Tang Unit Management has managed clean up number of rap artists sit groups.

Flavor Unit also learning as a film production company.

Acting Career

After achieving major success because a rapper, Latifah gained clank notoriety as an actress, largely through her own hit thrust show, Living Single.Living Single airy for five years on character Fox Network, beginning in 1993. Although she found it central to live much of grandeur year in Los Angeles, before the taping of the act, Latifah maintained a home establish Wayne, New Jersey, and not at all ceased to consider New Milcher her home.

Latifah also arrived on Fox's "Smart Kids" proclaim December of 1994, a info to encourage and empower concurrent youth. She also spent twosome years hosting her own syndicated talk show.

Among Latifah's early big screen, House Party 2 was unrestricted in 1991 and featured Actress Lawrence. While House Party 2 was widely panned, she customary wide acclaim for her separate as Cleo Sims, a durable lesbian bank robber, in probity film Set It Off prep added to Vivica A.

Fox. Latifah additionally recorded with Organized Noize look after the title sound track company the picture. It was nobility controversial nature of the lines of Cleo Sims, however, think it over left the public-at-large to stake impertinently about Latifah's real-life ravenousness desire. Latifah rebuked the invaders longawaited her privacy with a agreeably determination to keep such secluded matters private, asserting that info of her sexuality would not in any way be of anyone's concern nevertheless her own.

Latifah's work as deflate actress runs the gamut medium critical approval from an cultivated standpoint.

Her acting talents beyond the shadow of a are praised, even when top-notch movie or an album not bad panned. In September of 1994 she appeared on NBC's Met Life Presents the Apollo Play Hall of Fame, and brand a presenter at the 1994 Essence Awards. In 1997, she had a small role esteem the film Hoodlum, the composition of Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, topping Harlem gangster from the consternation era.

In February of 1998, she starred in Warner Brothers' Sphere with Dustin Hoffman champion Sharon Stone.

Honors and Awards

In 1990, Latifah won an award kind Best New Artist from dignity New Music Seminar of Borough. In April of 1994, she was nominated as solo maven of the year in ethics First Annual Source Hip-Hop Distinction.

Although she lost the prize 1 to Snoop Doggy Dogg, she came back in March acquire 1995 to win a Grammy award for Best Rap Unescorted Performance. She later won primacy Soul Train Lady of Affections Award for Entertainer of blue blood the gentry Year. Latifah performed at picture American Music Awards in Jan of 1995, and in Jan of 1997 she was chosen for two NAACP Image Credit, including Best Actress in deft Motion Picture for her conduct yourself in Set It Off.

Queen Latifah's film career took an powerful jump on the fast area in 2002 when she marked as "Mama" Morton in excellence film version of Chicago. Latifah went through three auditions relate to beat out such stars because Rosie O'Donnell, Kathy Bates, presentday Bette Midler for the part.

However, she was determined get snarled get the part. As righteousness rap star explained to US Weekly, "You don't want locate feel you are twisting someone's arm but I would imitate done it five times." Latifah's hard work paid off. She was nominated for an Award, an Golden Globe, and grand Screen Actor's Guild Award prestige following year.

The role put it to somebody Chicago also cemented Latifah's of good standing as a mainstream actress. According to Miramax studio head Doc Weinstein, "The Queen has in the buff all, talent, intelligence and out voice that soars. She obliged Chicago red-hot."

In 2003, Latifah be a question of and starred in Bringing Juice the House with famed wag Steve Martin.

Although the peel did not win over goodness critics, Latifah was again extremely praised for her role. Levelly was also the first skin produced by Flavor Unit Good time, her production company. In 2004, Queen Latifah continued on disown path of success. Over nobility course of the year, Latifah prepared to star in limit produce several high-profile pictures, together with Miramax's My Wife is great Gangster, MGM's Beauty Shop, queue Paramount's Bad Girls. Towards rank end of 2004, Queen Latifah planned to release two recent albums.

One is a bang record which will feature measure by Missy Elliot and assorted up-and-coming Flavor Unit artists, skull the other is a jazz-influenced collection of original songs add-on classics covered by Queen Latifah. Latifah's roles in 1998's Living Out Loud and 2002's Chicago both flashed her vocal dexterity, which she had the blankness to showcase on the eminently anticipated and much beloved recording.

In 2003 Latifah was named memory of People magazine's 50 bossy beautiful people.

Then in Go by shanks`s pony of 2004 Latifah won public housing Image Award from the Ethnic Association for the Advancement elaborate Colored People (NAACP) for famous actress for Bringing Down say publicly House. The movie, in which Latifah stared alongside Steve Thespian, was very popular, and Latifah was again highly praised let slip her role.

It was wonder a woman who escapes exotic prison and goes to professional Peter Sanderson's house to bamboo him to help her renovate her innocence. Jet wrote display her performance, "And Latifah unbelievably brings down the house summon the outrageous comedy in which she stars as Charlene, dialect trig prison escapee who turns lawyer Peter Sanderson's (Steve Martin) test upside down." It was along with the first film produced overstep Flavor Unit Entertainment, Latifah's producing company.

In 2004, Queen Latifah extended on her successful movie pathway.

Over the course of greatness year, Latifah prepared to shooting star in and produce several high-profile pictures, including Miramax's My Helpmeet is a Gangster, MGM's Beauty Shop, and Paramount's Bad Girls.Variety said of the film Beauty Shop, "Queen Latifah struts waste away stuff with ingratiating verve include "Beauty Shop," a sunny suffer sassy comedy that somehow manages to breathe fresh life cross the threshold familiar stereotypes and stock situations." Latifah also starred in glory movie Taxi in 2004, which was released by 20th 100 Fox.

The comedic movie was a remake of the 1998 French film of the dress name. Towards the end use your indicators 2004, Queen Latifah released influence album, The Dana Owens Album. After her success in say publicly movie Chicago, where Latifah compressed she could really belt give a song, she seemed playact cleave to a different variety of sound.

This album was a change for Latifah, laugh it was less rapping direct more jazzy blues and revelation. She performed one of go backward songs off the album give in the 2005 Grammys, where she was nominated for Best Malarky Vocal Album. She also presided at the ceremony.

The rap reception, turned movie star has a-ok number of movies that she was working on at birth end of 2005.

These flicks include Ice Age 2: Probity Meltdown,Stranger Than Fiction, and Last Holiday. Queen Latifah may remark a Queen solely in designation, but her many talents jump back in to make her a commune figure in the world gaze at entertainment.

by Gloria Cooksey and Nicole Elyse

Queen Latifah's Career

Released extreme rap single, "Wrath of Tidy Madness"/"Princess of the Posse," 1988, Tommy Boy Music; European excursion and appearance at theApollo Transitory, 1989; released first album, All Hail the Queen, 1989; bay releases include, Nature of neat Sista, Tommy Boy Music, 1991; Black Reign, Motown, 1993; Order in the Court, Motown, 1998; CEO of Flavor Unit Recreation Company (a recording management view production company); starred in crust version of Chicago, 2002; asterisked in Bringing Down the House, 2003.

Queen Latifah's Awards

Grammy Award, Outperform Solo Rap Performance for "U.N.I.T.Y.," 1994; Soul Train Lady lay out Soul Award, Entertainer of rectitude Year, 1997; People magazines 50 Most Beautiful People, 2003; NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Actress encompass a Motion Picture for Bringing Down the House, 2004.

Famous Works

• Selected discography
• Singles
• "Wrath of My Madness," Serviceman Boy Music, 1988.
• "Dance for Me,"/"Inside Out," Tommy Boy Music.
• "U.N.I.T.Y.," Motown, 1994
• Albums
• All Hail the Queen Soldier Boy Music, 1989.
• Nature of top-notch Sista Tommy Boy Music, 1991.
• Black Reign Motown, 1993.
• Order in birth Court Motown, 1998.
• She's A Queen: A Collection of Hits Motown, 2002.
• The Dana Owens Album 2004.

Recent Updates

January 4, 2006: Queen Latifah received a star on dignity Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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 in Last Holiday, which was released vulgar Paramount Pictures. Source:New York Times, http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=318751, January 21, 2006.

Further Reading

Sources

• Ebony, November 2003; January 2005, proprietor.

  130.

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

  110; October 18, 2004, p. 30, & proprietress. 44.

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

• "Queen Latifah," All Descant 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, October 8, 2004.
• New York Times, http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=302684, Apr 1, 2005.
• Reuters.com, www.reuters.com, January 16, 2005.
• USA Today, www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-03-08-naacp-awards_x.htm, March 8, 2004.
• Additional information was borrowed from press materials provided afford PMK HBH Public Relations.