Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah

Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, actress, and producer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen the same year, featuring the hit single "Ladies First". Nature of a Sista (1991) was her second and final album with Tommy Boy Records.

Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the FOX sitcom Living Single, from 1993 to 1998. Her third album Black Reign (1993), spawned the single "U.N.I.T.Y.", which won a Grammy Award and was successful on the Billboard Hot 100. She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off (1996) and released her fourth album, Order in the Court, in 1998, with Motown Records. Latifah gained mainstream success and acclaim with her performance in the film Chicago (2002), receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Latifah released her fifth album The Dana Owens Album in 2004. In 2007 and 2009, she released two more studio albums – Trav'lin' Light and Persona. She created the daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show, which ran from late 2013 to early 2015 on CBS. She has appeared in a number of films, such as Bringing Down the House (2003), Taxi (2004), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2005), Beauty Shop (2005), Last Holiday (2006), Hairspray (2007), Joyful Noise (2012), 22 Jump Street (2014) and Girls Trip (2017). Latifah received critical acclaim for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie (2015), which she co-produced, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. Since 2016, she has starred as Carlotta Brown in the musical drama series Star.

She has long been considered one of hip-hop's pioneer feminists. Queen Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. Latifah's work in music, film and television has earned her a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, an Academy Award nomination and sales of over two million records.

Albums/Movies/TV Shows


2009

Persona

Persona is the seventh studio album by hip hop artist Queen Latifah. It marks Latifah's return to hip hop music since 2003.

Genre: R&B, hip hop, dance-pop

Release date: Aug 25, 2009

Persona Tracks
1 Fast Car 4:52
2 Cue The Rain 6:03
3 People 3:55
4 The World 5:34
5 Champion 3:39

2007

Trav'lin' Light

Trav'lin' Light is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Queen Latifah, released in the United States on September 25, 2007 by Verve Records. Following 2004's The Dana Owens Album, this is Latifah's second all-singing album containing cover versions of jazz standards.

Genre: Jazz, soul, blues, easy listening

Release date: Sep 25, 2007

Trav'lin' Light Tracks
1 Poetry Man 4:40
2 Georgia Rose 3:44
3 Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars 3:55
4 Don't Cry Baby 2:54
5 I Love Being Here With You 2:58
6 I'm Gonna Live Till I Die 3:00
7 Trav'lin' Light 4:40
8 I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl 3:06
9 I'm Not In Love 4:40
10 What Love Has Joined Together 3:44
11 How Long (Betcha' Got A Chick On The Side) 5:43
12 Gone Away 5:51
13 I Know Where I've Been 4:14

2004

The Dana Owens Album

The Dana Owens Album is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Queen Latifah, released in the United States on September 28, 2004 by A&M Records. Unlike Latifah's previous hip hop/R&B-oriented efforts, this album showcases a jazz vocal performance. Even though Latifah has sung songs and choruses during her rap career, she has never put out a full singing album before. The album's title—Latifah's birth name—indicates the different style of music contained on the album. Moreover, the album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2005. July 2005, Latifah performed on ABC's Good Morning America concert series. R&B singers Erykah Badu and Jill Scott joined her in a singing tribute to singer Luther Vandross. Latifah, Badu and Scott headlined together for a summer concert tour, 2005's Sugar Water Festival Tour. The album has sold 730,000 copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and has been certificate gold by the Recording Industry Association of America

Genre: Jazz

Release date: Sep 28, 2004

The Dana Owens Album Tracks
1 Baby Get Lost 3:43
2 I Put A Spell On You 3:07
3 Simply Beautiful 4:14
4 The Same Love That Made Me Laugh 3:53
5 Moody's Mood For Love 4:00
6 Close Your Eyes 2:56
7 California Dreamin' 3:43
8 Hard Times 5:22
9 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy 3:55
10 Hello Stranger 3:01
11 If I Had You 4:01
12 Lush Life 4:26

1998

Order In The Court

Order In The Court Tracks
1 Bananas (Who You Gonna Call?) 4:13
2 Turn You On 4:22
3 Paper 4:00
4 It's Alright 3:32
5 I Don't Know 4:30
6 Life 4:11
7 Court Is In Session 3:9
8 No/Yes (Skit) 3:39
9 Black On Black Love 3:7
10 Parlay 3:27
11 What Ya Gonna Do 3:49
12 Phone Call (Skit) 3:18

1993

Black Reign

Black Reign is the third studio album by American rapper Queen Latifah, released on November 16, 1993 in the United States. Black Reign was her most successful album up to this point, peaking at number 60 on the Billboard 200 and declared gold by the RIAA. The album also peaked at number fifteen on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Genre: Hip Hop, vocal jazz

Release date: Nov 16, 1993

Black Reign Tracks
1 Black Hand Side 3:29
2 I Can't Understand 3:41
3 Rough... 5:06
4 Superstar 3:58
5 Just Another Day... 3:58
6 U.N.I.T.Y. 4:16
7 Weekend Love 4:11
8 Winki's Theme 5:30
9 Listen 2 Me 3:27
10 Bring The Flavor 3:22
11 Coochie Bang... 3:18
12 No Work 3:58
13 Just A Flow (Interlude) 3:54
14 Mood Is Right 3:34

1991

Nature Of A Sista'

Nature Of A Sista' Tracks
1 Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here 4:31
2 Nuff Of The Ruff' Stuff' 3:52
3 Give Me Your Love 3:52
4 Fly Girl 4:01
5 How Do I Love Thee 8:36

1989

All Hail The Queen

All Hail the Queen is the debut album by hip hop artist Queen Latifah, released on November 28, 1989, under Tommy Boy Records. The album was unusually successful for a hip hop record at the time, buoyed by the single "Wrath of My Madness", and was certified gold in July of 1990. The feminist anthem "Ladies First" (with Monie Love) remains one of Latifah's signature songs.

Genre: Golden age hip hop

Release date: Nov 28, 1989

All Hail The Queen Tracks
1 Dance For Me 3:46
2 Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children 4:41
3 Come Into My House 4:01
4 Latifah's Law 3:54
5 Wrath Of My Madness 4:06
6 The Pros 5:50
7 Ladies First 3:59
8 A King And Queen Creation 3:40
9 Queen Of Royal Badness 3:30
10 Evil That Men Do 4:08
11 Princess Of The Posse 3:55
12 Inside Out 4:17