Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah is a New Jersey rapper, singer, actor and producer whose work runs from “Ladies First” and “U.N.I.T.Y.” to Chicago, Bessie and The Equalizer.
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Latest
Queen’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus her backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Tommy Boy
Motown
Miramax
HBO
CBSOverview
- Birth name
- Dana Elaine Owens
- Born
- March 18, 1970 · Newark, New Jersey
- Work
- Rapper, singer, actor and producer
- Breakout
- All Hail the Queen (1989), featuring “Ladies First” with Monie Love
- Production company
- Flavor Unit Entertainment, with Shakim Compere
Mini bio
How it started.
Born Dana Elaine Owens in Newark, Queen began beatboxing with the group Ladies Fresh while still in high school. A 1988 demo led to a deal with Tommy Boy Records. Her 1989 debut, All Hail the Queen, introduced a voice that made room for women’s self-respect and Black identity in hip-hop.
Ladies first.
With Monie Love beside her on “Ladies First,” Queen mixed sharp rhymes with a broader musical palette. All Hail the Queen brought together hip-hop, reggae, house and jazz. Black Reign followed in 1993, including “U.N.I.T.Y.,” which won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1995 Grammys.
Beyond the records.
Queen starred in Living Single from 1993 to 1998 and earned an Oscar nomination for playing Mama Morton in Chicago. She later played Bessie Smith in HBO’s Bessie, sharing its 2015 Emmy win as an executive producer. She also co-owns Flavor Unit Entertainment with Shakim Compere.
Still making room.
The Dana Owens Album showed her love of jazz singing, while The Equalizer gave her five seasons as Robyn McCall. In 2026 she joined The Voice’s coaching panel, returned to host the AMAs and sang on Dolly Parton’s new version of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”
Creditschronological, newest first
Music
- 2026Light of a Clear Blue MorningFeatured vocalist with Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus and Reba McEntire
- 1993U.N.I.T.Y.Rapper and songwriter
- 1989Ladies FirstRapper, featuring Monie Love
Film & television
- 2026The Voice, season 30Coach
- 202652nd American Music AwardsHost
- 2021–2025The EqualizerRobyn McCall and executive producer
- 2015BessieBessie Smith and executive producer
- 2002ChicagoMatron “Mama” Morton
Awards
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame selection2026 · Named an Early Influence Award recipient; the induction ceremony is scheduled for November 14.
- CinemaCon Cultural Impact in Film2026 · Big Screen Achievement Award.
- National Medal of Arts2023 recipient class · Medal presented in 2024.
- Primetime Emmy Award2015 · Outstanding Television Movie for Bessie, as executive producer.
- Golden Globe Award2008 · Television actress award for Life Support.
- Grammy Award1995 · Best Rap Solo Performance for “U.N.I.T.Y.”
Quotes
We all must continue to raise our voice and funds to keep awareness and prevention services accessible for all.Queen Latifah, AIDS Healthcare Foundation announcement
Speaking about headlining the 2026 Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival.
Trivia
- She started out as a beatboxer in Ladies Fresh.
- “Latifah” means “gentle” in Arabic, according to the Library of Congress essay on her debut album.
- All Hail the Queen entered the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2023.
- Her Grammy nominations span rap, jazz and traditional pop.
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