pass
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American artist with many talents. She is an actress, rapper, singer and songwriter. She made her music debut in 1989 with the album Long Live the Queen, which was a huge success and the hit single “Ladies First” from the album topped the charts.
Over the years, Queen Latifah has received numerous accolades for her contributions to music, acting, and more. Her awards include coveted Grammys, Emmys, and Golden Globes. She made history by becoming the first female hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, solidifying her status as a true pioneer in the industry.
Queen Latifah’s albums, including Nature of a Sista’ (1991), Black Reign (1993) and Order in the Court (1998), are testaments to her impressive musical talent and creative vision. Her breadth and versatility as an artist is also reflected in her acting roles. In 2002, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the musical film Chicago, and in 2015, she played blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award.
American rapper
Queen Latifah |
|
|---|---|
 Queen Latifah: History, Biography, Photos |
|
| Wiki facts and figures | |
| Name: | Dana Elaine Owens |
| stage name: | Queen Latifah |
| Date of Birth: | March 18, 1970 (54 years old) |
| place of birth: | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Country of Citizenship: | American |
| high: | 1.78m |
| parents: | Rita Owens, Lancelot Owens |
| Brothers and sisters: | Lancelot Owens Jr. |
| spouse: | Ebony Nichols |
| Girlfriend • Boyfriend • Partner: | Sean Moon (front), Janet Jenkins (2002-2011), Monifa Carter (1997) |
| Children: | Rebel Nichols |
| Profession: | Rapper • Television personality |
| net worth: | $70 million |
Early life and education
Dana Elaine Owens, also known as Queen Latifah, was born on March 18, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey. She spent most of her early years in East Orange, New Jersey. Her mother, Rita Owens, was a teacher at Irvington High School, where she attended, while her father, Lancelot Owens, was a police officer. Unfortunately, her parents divorced when she was ten years old, and her father died soon after.
Queen Latifah attended Catholic school in Newark and later transferred to Essex Catholic High School for Girls in Irvington, where she played for the school’s basketball team as a power forward. After graduating from Irvington High School, she took classes at Manhattan Community College.
At the age of eight, Queen Latifa found her stage name “Latifa” in an Arabic name book, which means “delicate” and “very kind” in Arabic. She loved music since she was a child. In a grammar school play, she sang the song “Home” from the musical “The Wizard of Oz”.
Tragically, in 1992, Queen Latifah’s older brother, Lancelot Owens Jr., was killed in an accident involving a motorcycle that Quin had purchased. Despite this tragedy, Latifah persevered and rose to fame in the music industry, becoming a famous rapper, singer, and actor.
Personal life
Queen Latifah went on the show Living Single to show off the bike keys she bought as a memorial for her late brother, Lancelot Owens II, in 2006. Unfortunately, the rapper and actress has also experienced some painful personal tragedies, such as a 1995 carjacking that resulted in the shooting death of her then-boyfriend, Sean Moon.
She has also faced legal problems, including an arrest for possession of marijuana and a loaded handgun in 1996, and an arrest for drunk driving in 2002, for which she was sentenced to three years of probation. However, Queen Latifah has moved on from these incidents and is focusing on her career and personal life.
Unfortunately, in March 2018, Queen Latifah’s mother, Rita Owens, passed away from heart failure, which was a devastating loss for the artist. Although she is reluctant to speak publicly about her personal life, she eventually acknowledged her partner, Eboni Nichols, and son, Rebel Nichols, during her acceptance speech at the 2021 BET Awards.
In addition to her personal life, Queen Latifah also revealed interesting insights about her ancestry through the show Finding Her Roots. She discovered that her ancestors were listed as freed blacks in the pre-Civil War census of the United States, with a specific date of October 1, 1792.
Throughout her career, Queen Latifah has also been in relationships with Janet Jenkins (2002-2011) and Monifa Carter (1997), but since July 2010, she has been in a stable relationship with Eboni Nichols.
Profession
The name Queen Latifah is hip-hop royalty. An original member of the Flavor Unit and percussionist for the hip-hop group Ladies Fresh, she was a pioneer in the music industry. Her demo recordings caught the attention of Fab 5 Freddy, the host of Yo! MTV Raps and later of Tommy Boy Music employee Dante Ross, who signed her to his record label. Her single “Wrath of My Madness” was sampled by Ice Cube and Lil’ Kim.
As an artist, Queen Latifah has had a significant impact on hip-hop music by rapping about the difficulties faced by black women, and her songs explore issues such as domestic violence, street harassment and relationship problems. In 1989, at the age of 19, Queen Latifah signed with Tommy Boy Records with the help of Fab 5 Freddy and released her first album, All Hail the Queen, which solidified her position as a force to be reckoned with in the industry.
Her work has attracted widespread attention, and in 1992, Queen Latifah received the Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. She also made history with Monie Love as the first female rappers from two different groups to collaborate on a song called “Ladies First.” Her 1993 album Black Reign went gold, and she won a Grammy Award for “Unity”
But Queen Latifah’s talents are not limited to rap. With a vocal range of two octaves, she is considered a contralto who can sing as well as rap. She switched from mainly rapping in her early works to singing soul and jazz. In 2004, she released “The Dana Owens Album”, which included songs from these genres. In 2007, she performed live in front of an audience at the Hollywood Bowl, accompanied by an orchestra and backup singers. In the same year, she released “Trav’lin’ Light”, which included collaborations with well-known artists such as Jill Scott and Stevie Wonder. The album received a Grammy nomination for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album”.
Queen Latifah’s acting career also reflects her versatility. She began her acting career in supporting roles in 1991 and 1992, and appeared in television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and A Good Night with Mr. Cooper. She gained widespread recognition by starring in the Fox sitcom Living Single.
Queen Latifah had major roles in Set It Off and Living Out Loud, and played Thelma in The Bone Collector alongside Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. She also hosted the talk show The Queen Latifah Show from 1999 to 2001 and from 2013 to 2015.
Queen Latifah has also produced and starred in several films, including 2007’s A Perfect Day, which starred Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Charlie Murphy, Jill Marie Jones and Faizon Love. The following year, she starred in the crime comedy Mad Money with Diane Keaton, Katie Holmes and Ted Danson.
In addition to her music and film career, Queen Latifah has hosted Saturday Night Live and attended the 81st Academy Awards in 2009. She spoke at Michael Jackson’s memorial service, hosted the 2010 People’s Choice Awards, sang “America the Beautiful” at the 2010 Super Bowl, hosted the 2010 BET Awards, and starred in 2012’s Sing Along with Dolly Parton.
net worth
Queen Latifah has an estimated net worth of $70 million. Her wealth comes from a variety of sources.
She initially made her fortune as a successful rapper, singer, and songwriter; her songs are included in five gold and platinum albums. She has also starred in many films, television shows, and commercials.
Social Media
- Instagram account: @Queenlatifah
- Twitter: @Iamqueenlatifah
Discography
- Walking Dinosaur
- You can’t stop the rhythm
- unified
- I know where I’ve been
- Tall, blond, beautiful
- Just another day
- He is everything
- Advanced Medley
- Ladies first
- When you are nice to your mother
- Go so far
- Fix Me, Jesus
- Who can I turn to for help?
- Jersey
- Prison Cell Tango
- Weekend romance
- call
- class
- It doesn’t matter
- free
- Hello stranger
- Black Hand
Filmography
- Joyful sound
- Just Wright
- taxi
- End of the Road
- Dumped the whole audience
- Beauty Salon
- Mad Money
- Last holiday
- Girls Trip
- Barber Shop
- Dilemma
- brown sugar
- Arctic Stories
- Detonate it
- Outdoor picnic
- Bessie
- House of Corpses
- Hairspray
- Valentine’s Day
- Chicago
- juice
- Family Reunion 2
- Busy
