All Hail The Queen: A tribute to Queen Latifah

“The ladies will kick it, the rhyme that is wicked

Those that don't know how to be pros get evicted

A woman can bear you, break you, take you

Now it's time to rhyme, can you relate to

A sister dope enough to make you holler and scream” - Queen Latifah (Ladies First).

The name Queen Latifah could not be a more fitting stage name for Dana Elaine Owens, who is the undisputed queen of Hip Hop. Her life’s journey is a story that has inspired countless lives including my own.

Born Dana Elaine Owens on March 18, 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, Queen Latifah grew up in the inner city New Jersey where her experiences shaped how she progressed in the future and who she would become. As a youth in the 1980’s Dana became inspired by the growing scene of Hip Hop, like most young Black youth of the inner city. Her days of a Hip Hop B-Girl started off with beatboxing and eventually she started rapping. As a childhood student of Black history and culture, Dana adopted the name “Latifah” which means “delicate” and “kind” in Arabic.

Queen Latifah released her first album All Hail The Queen in 1989. Latifah’s lyrical subject mattered was centered around consciousness in the inner city, the plight of the Black community, especially that of Black women. All Hail The Queen was a landmark album for both Latifah and Hip Hop and she instantly became one of Hip Hop’s biggest superstars as the 90’s arrived. In 1992 tragedy struck Latifah’s personal life when in 1992 when her older brother Lance was killed in a motorcycle accident. The perseverance through his death was a big inspiration on her 1993 hit album Black Reign.

“Well it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

Can't go wrong, I feel strong and the flavor's good

I'm with whateva' comes my way, hip-hop hooray

Latifah's on vacation, I'm just plain ol' Dana today

I strap out, step out in every direction

Glock, tech, jimmy hat's, in case I need protection

So I land cruise, play I wanna be's

A kid in the M3 is gettin' jacked right in front of me.” - Queen Latifah (Just Another Day).

This was the album that made Queen Latifah one of my favorite rappers. Her conscious grooves like “Coochie Bang” and “U.N.I.T.Y” addressed issues in the Black community including domestic violence, safe sex and empowering the self reverberated through all of Hip Hop. Following the success of Black Reign, Latifah landed the starring role of Khadijah on the hot sitcom Living Single in 1993. The series ran for five seasons and made Latifah a household name as an actress.

I can honestly say I have looked up to Queen Latifah my whole life. As a big Hip Hop head and a movie buff I loved her as a double dose of both. As a rapper myself she is one of my biggest female influences in Hip Hop. I love how she broke stereotypes about Black women and how she always displayed her lyrical talent as equal to or even better than her male counterparts. The subject matter she rapped about in regards to the Black community also inspired me as a writer. She always knew how to give constructive criticism while telling us how we could all do better. Many of her movies are also some of my favorite movies ever like Set It Off (1996) and Bringing Down The House (2003). Along with other films she has made like Bessie she has shown incredible range as an actress being a great performer in multiple genres like comedy, action and drama.

The moniker of Queen fits Dana Owens perfectly because she is a queen in every sense of the word. A queen of Hip Hop, a queen actress and a queen of inspiration who has inspired me greatly. I am proud to say Queen Latifah is one of my heroes.

“Lately, it just seems to me

That people ain't what they seem to be

They all want me torn up

I know there's snakes in the grass

So I pay my staff, to keep the lawns cut

I see all the drama you bringin'

I combat that with positive thinking

I'm me till I'm old and grey

And when that day comes

Imma teach my daughters to be the same way

I am the way I am, I'm from the hood

So crème de le crème

And specially when, y'all pray for my downfall

That's why I try to stay from round y'all (that's why)

You never keep me down

So I'll always be around (forget about it)

Still doin' it, (still doin me)

So beautifully I see you rushin' them papers that ain't new to me” - Queen Latifah (Do Your Thing).