Latifa raafat biography for kids

Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, ), better known by her mistreat nameQueen Latifah, is an Denizen rapper, singer, and actress. She has received various accolades, containing a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Earth Award, three Screen Actors Order Awards, and two NAACP Graphic Awards, in addition to grand nomination for an Academy Prize 1.

In , she became excellence first hip hop artist round on receive a star on character Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Latifah asterisked as Khadijah James on picture Fox sitcom Living Single flight to Her third album, Black Reign (), became the crowning album by a solo feminine rapper to receive a money certification from the Recording Work Association of America (RIAA), queue spawned the single "U.N.I.T.Y.", which was influential in raising remove of violence against women.

Glory track reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot , and won a Grammy Present. She then starred in goodness lead role of Set Skilful Off () and released give someone the brush-off fourth album, Order in influence Court, on June 16, , with Motown Records.

Latifah garnered eclat with her role of Grande dame "Mama" Morton in the mellifluous film Chicago (), receiving unadorned nomination for the Academy Present for Best Supporting Actress.

Latifah unfastened her fifth album The Dana Owens Album in In nearby , she released two make more complicated studio albums – Trav'lin' Light and Persona.

She created loftiness daytime talk show The Queen mother Latifah Show, which ran plant to , and again free yourself of to , in syndication. She has appeared in a crowd of films, such as Bringing Down the House (), Taxi (), Barbershop 2: Back accomplish Business (), Beauty Shop (), Last Holiday (), Hairspray (), Joyful Noise (), 22 Bound Street () and Girls Trip () and provided voice outmoded in the Ice Age pelt series.

Latifah received critical hail for her portrayal of reminiscent singer Bessie Smith in prestige HBO film Bessie (), which she co-produced, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Bear on Movie. From to , she starred as Carlotta Brown con the musical drama series Star. In , she portrayed Hattie McDaniel in the miniseries Hollywood.

Since , she has taken aloof the lead role on CBS' revival of the action pageant The Equalizer.

Noted for her pointless in music, film and stress a newspapers, Latifah has earned a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, clean up Golden Globe Award, three Shield Actors Guild Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and has back number nominated for an Academy Accolade.

In , she became loftiness first hip hop artist get in touch with receive a star on probity Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life

Dana Elaine Owens was born buy Newark, New Jersey, on Pace 18, , and lived essentially in East Orange, New Sweater. She is the daughter point toward Rita Lamae (née Bray; course.

), a teacher at Irvington High School (Latifah's alma mater), and Lancelot Amos Owens, undiluted police officer. Her parents divorced when Latifah was ten.

Latifah was raised in the Baptist duty. She attended Catholic school march in Newark, New Jersey and County Catholic Girls' High School rework Irvington, but graduated from Irvington High School.

After high secondary, Queen Latifah attended classes take a shot at Borough of Manhattan Community College.

She found her stage name, Latifah (لطيفةlaţīfa), meaning "delicate" and "very kind" in Arabic, in regular book of Arabic names as she was eight. Always soaring, the 5-footinch ( m) Latifah was a power forward on prudent high school basketball team.

She performed the number "Home" stay away from the musical The Wiz subordinate a grammar school play.

Music career

– Career beginnings

She began beat enclosing for the hip-hop group Elite Fresh and was an modern member of the Flavor Habitation, which, at that time, was a crew of MCs classified around producer DJ King Person, who made a demo vinyl of Queen Latifah's rap Empress of the Posse.

He gave the recording to Fab 5 Freddy, the host of Yo! MTV Raps. The song got the attention of Tommy Immaturity Music employee Dante Ross, who signed Latifah and in hit her first single, "Wrath admire My Madness". More recent artists, like Ice Cube and Lil' Kim, would go on count up sample Latifah's track in their songs, "Wrath of Kim's Madness" and "You Can't Play Attain My Yo-Yo" in later stage.

Latifah has a two-octave said range. She is considered clever contralto, having the ability next both rap and sing.

– Apprehend and hip-hop

Latifah made her dent in hip-hop by rapping all but issues surrounding being a caliginous woman. Her songs covered topics including domestic violence and delight problems.

Freddy helped Latifah remnant with Tommy Boy Records, which released Latifah's first album All Hail the Queen in , when she was nineteen. She received a Candace Award yield the National Coalition of Inky Women in The single "Ladies First" featuring Monie Love became the first collaborative track bypass two female rappers not beginning a group.

In , she released the album Black Reign, which was certified Gold plod the United States and befall the Grammy Award-winning song "U.N.I.T.Y." In , co-produced by Ro Smith, now CEO of Brill Ro Inc., she released composite fourth hip-hop album Order draw out the Court, which was unattached by Motown Records. Latifah was also a member of picture hip-hop collective Native Tongues.

Latifah intact in the Super Bowl Cardinal halftime show, making her leadership first rapper to do so.

– Change to traditional singing

After Order intricate the Court, Latifah shifted especially to singing soul music sports ground jazz standards, which she challenging used sparingly in her erstwhile hip-hop-oriented records.

In , she released the soul/jazz standards The Dana Owens Album. On July 11, , Latifah sang mass the famed Hollywood Bowl prosperous Los Angeles as the chief act in a live embellishment concert. In front of skilful crowd of more than 12,, she was backed by elegant piece live orchestra and troika backup vocalists, which was billed as the Queen Latifah Affiliate.

Latifah performed new arrangements position standards including "California Dreaming", twig made popular by s icons the Mamas & the Papas. Later in , Latifah insecure an album titled Trav'lin' Light. Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Joe Sample, George Duke, Christian McBride, and Stevie Wonder made company appearances.

It was nominated collaboration a Grammy in the "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album" category.

In , Latifah, along with picture NJPAC Jubilation Choir, recorded decency title track on the volume Oh, Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration, covering the freshen that the Edwin Hawkins Vocalists burden made popular in

–present: Reinstate to hip-hop

In , Latifah was asked if she would put a label on another hip-hop album.

She was quoted stating that the photo album was done already and impassion would be called All Barrage the Queen II. The multitude year, in , she unrestricted her album Persona. The sticker "Cue the Rain" was loose as the album's lead singular. saw Queen Latifah sing "Who Can I Turn To" get a move on a duet with Tony Airman for his album Duets II.

In January , while attendance on & Park look after Dolly Parton, to promote Joyful Noise, Latifah stated that she had been working on top-hole new album.

Film and television

– Indeed career

She began her film employment in supporting roles in class and films House Party 2, Juice and Jungle Fever.

Besides, she has guest starred blot two episodes during the in a tick season (–) of the NBC hit The Fresh Prince receive Bel-Air and had a visitor role as herself on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper in Munch through to , Latifah had spiffy tidy up starring role on Living Single, the FOX sitcom, which gained high ratings among black audiences; she also wrote and undivided its theme music.

Her stop talking Rita played her mother on-screen. Latifah appeared in the box-office hit, Set It Off, extremity had a supporting role mark out the Holly Hunter film Living Out Loud (). She acted upon the role of Thelma contact the movie The Bone Collector, alongside Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. She also had laid back own talk show, The Ruler Latifah Show, from to captain revamped in On January 6, , The Queen Latifah Show was renewed for a quickly season.

However, on November 21, , Sony Pictures Television canceled Latifah's show due to past it ratings. Production of the periodical closed down, taking effect arched December 18, , leaving fresh episodes that were broadcast depending on March 6,

–present: Mainstream success

Although Latifah challenging previously received some critical approbation, she gained mainstream success rearguard being cast as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago, a euphonic film that won the College Award for Best Picture.

Latifah herself received the nomination oblige Best Supporting Actress for have a lot to do with role, but lost to co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones. Latifah is disposed of five hip-hop/R&B artists concern receive an Academy Award tryst in an acting category. Representation others are Will Smith (Best Actor, Ali, , and The Pursuit of Happyness, ), Jennifer Hudson (Best Supporting Actress, "Dreamgirls", ), Jamie Foxx, (Best Performer, Ray, and Best Supporting Entertainer Collateral, both in , too winning the first) and Habitual J.

Blige, (Best Supporting Team member actor, Mudbound.)

In , she starred accommodate Steve Martin in the hide Bringing Down the House, which was a major success shock defeat the box office. She further recorded a song "Do Your Thing" for the soundtrack. On account of then, she has had both leading and supporting roles blessed a multitude of films consider it received varied critical and snout bin office receptions, including films much as Scary Movie 3, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Taxi, Kung Faux, Beauty Shop, mount Hairspray.

In early , Latifah appeared in a romantic comedy/drama entitled Last Holiday. Film connoisseur Richard Roeper stated that "this is the Queen Latifah shadowing I've been waiting for cunning since she broke into movies". Also in , Latifah verbal Ellie, a friendly mammoth, set a date for the animated film, Ice Age: The Meltdown (her first categorical appearance in an animated film), and appeared in the display Stranger Than Fiction.

The summer keep in good condition brought Latifah triple success resolve the big-screen version of grandeur Broadway smash hit Hairspray, of the essence which she acted, sang, delighted danced.

The film rated warmly with critics. It starred, amongst others, John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Allison Janney, James Marsden, Christopher Walken, and Zac Efron. Besides in , she portrayed break off HIV-positive woman in the fell Life Support, a role send off for which she garnered her supreme Golden Globe Award, Screen Hurl Guild Award and an Honor nomination.

For her work, Ruler Latifah received a star group the Hollywood Walk of Repute, on January 4, , set at Hollywood Blvd.

Queen Latifah in a recover from the film The Perfect Holiday. In addition to producing primacy film, Latifah starred alongside Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Entity, Charles Q. Murphy, Jill Marie Jones, and Faizon Love.

Attach importance to , Latifah appeared in class crime comedy Mad Money contrary Academy Award–winner Diane Keaton trade in well as Katie Holmes opinion Ted Danson. She appeared predisposition Saturday Night Live on Oct 4, , as moderator Gwen Ifill in a comedic adumbrate depicting the vice-presidential debate amidst then-Senator Joe Biden and then-Governor Sarah Palin and played wear The Secret Life of Bees.

In , Latifah was dexterous presenter at the 81st Institution Awards, presenting the segment fervor film professionals who had sound during and singing "I'll Replica Seeing You" during the icon. Latifah spoke at Michael Jackson's memorial service in Los Angeles. She also hosted the People's Choice Awards. Latifah sang America the Beautiful at Super Bewilder XLIV hosted in Miami, Florida, on February 7, , be different Carrie Underwood.

Latifah hosted integrity BET Awards on June 27, She starred with Dolly Parton in Joyful Noise (). Direction June , Latifah received let down honorary doctorate degree in Kind Letters from Delaware State Home in Dover, Delaware. On Sep 16, , Latifah premiered rebuff own syndicated daytime television extravaganza titled The Queen Latifah Show.

On January 26, , Latifah officiated the weddings of 33 same-sex and opposite-sex couples past a performance of "Same Love" by Macklemore at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. In , Latifah received a Best Sportswoman Emmy nomination for her manipulate role as Bessie Smith nondescript Bessie, an HBO film which received a total of 12 Emmy nominations.

On April 26, , MTV announced that Latifah inclination be an executive producer unpolluted the third season of integrity slasher television series Scream.

Class show will undergo a revive with a new cast current Brett Matthews serving as disclose runner. In addition, Matthews, Shakim Compere and Yaneley Arty prerogative also be credited as as long as producers for the series inferior to Flavor Unit Entertainment. On June 24, , it was official that the third season survey scheduled to premiere over yoke nights on VH1, starting overexert July 8, The third occasion titled Scream: Resurrection premiered veneer July 8,

Latifah played goodness sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid Live!.

Although rank production itself was not convulsion received, critics widely praised Latifah's performance, with The Hollywood Reporter calling her performance "the cap moment of the evening".

CBS has announced a new active Box series, The Equalizer, a revive of the s detective keep fit of the same name, superintendent Latifah in the lead separate (renamed as Robyn for bunch up version).

More recently, she full-strength a deal with Audible.

Artistry

Latifah's masterpiece usually contains hip-hop, jazz don gospel and has the bit of R&B, soul, and skip. She possesses a two-octave spoken range. Queen Latifah is top-hole contralto, and she has interpretation ability to rap and chewy. Her biggest musical influences pour out EPMD, KRS-One, LL Cool Count, Public Enemy, and Run–D.M.C.

She also cites Bessie Smith restructuring one of her influences.

Al Burst the Queen features hip-hop, reggae, soulful back-up vocals, boppish scatting, snappy horn back-ups, and dynasty music. She described the take pains as "a creative outlet view sometimes it can become affection a newspaper that people scan with their ears."

Early in spurn career, Queen Latifah's lyrics were described as woman-centered and Afrocentric.

The rapper often used Afrocentric attires during public appearances flourishing music videos, looks that became her trademark. For AllMusic, tiara "strong, intelligent, no-nonsense" persona indebted her "arguably the first Presenter who could properly be stated doubtful as feminist". Queen Latifah outspoken not identify as a reformer at the time, and oral that her music was howl exclusive for the female conference.

On the topic, author Tricia Rose wrote that Black motherly rappers likely did not ascertain with feminism during that halt in its tracks because it was perceived pass for a movement that focused mainly on white women's issues.

Products promote endorsements

Latifah is a celebrity instrument for CoverGirl cosmetics, Curvation women's underwear, Pizza Hut, and Ass Craig.

She represents her violate line of cosmetics for platoon of color called the CoverGirl Queen Collection. Latifah has too launched a perfume line hailed "Queen" and "Queen of Hearts". On May 23, , Latifah was named the godmother sign over Carnival Cruise Lines' vessel Funfair Horizon. Apart from singing, Emperor Latifah has written a textbook on confidence and self-respect entitled Ladies First: Revelations of on the rocks Strong Woman.

Personal life

Raised in Adapt Orange, New Jersey, Latifah has been a resident of Colts Neck, New Jersey; Rumson, Additional Jersey; and Beverly Hills, California.

Latifah's older brother, Lancelot Jr., was killed in in an prominence involving a motorcycle that Latifah had purchased for him.

Nifty interview revealed that Latifah even wears the key to interpretation motorcycle around her neck, ocular throughout her performance in go to pieces sitcom Living Single.

On March 21, , her mother, actress Rita Owens, died due to sentiment failure, an issue she confidential been battling since

Latifah toldThe New York Times in put off "I don't feel like Wild need to share my actual life, and I don't concern if people think I'm epigrammatic or not".

At the Chance Awards , during her approval speech for the Lifetime Culmination Award, she publicly acknowledged sit on partner Eboni Nichols and limitation Rebel for the first period, ending the speech with "happy Pride!"

In the January season 6, episode 4 of Finding Your Roots titled "This Land Silt My Land", Latifah learned guarantee her family were descended punishment a line of freed Negros, since her ancestors were planned by name in the Ambition pre-civil war census of Slaves were almost never listed descendant name in pre-US civil fighting censuses.

Latifah also learned honourableness exact date her ancestors became free: October 1, , rank date her second earliest primogenitor, a woman named 'Jug' balmy Juggy Owens, was emancipated implant slavery.

Legacy

Music

Often cited as one adherent the best female rappers, Monarch Latifah achieved groundbreaking success expect the late s and inauspicious s, and became what Pitchfork considered as the "most familiar female rapper" of the flourishing era of hip hop.

AllMusic writer Steve Huey stated make certain Latifah was "certainly not decency first female rapper, but she was the first one slant become a bona fide star." In the book Notable Sooty American Women, Jessie Carney Adventurer hailed her as "rap's greatest feminist" and "one of depiction few women to make simple mark in the male-dominated specialty of rap music".

Variety dubbed her "one of the elder forerunners for women in latest hip-hop," and The Guardian referred to her as a "pioneer of female rap."

Throughout her vitality, several media publications have referred to her as the "Queen of Rap" including New York magazine () via editor Dinitia Smith, as well as "Queen of Hip Hop".

Latifah became the first solo female doorknocker to receive a RIAA credentials for an album (Black Reign), a commercial breakthrough that depiction AllMusic editor considered as creating a path for "a exalted crew of women rappers conjoin make their own way gather the charts as the 90s progressed". Her breakthrough also helped place New Jersey on significance hip hop map.

In , she performed in the Superior Bowl XXXII halftime show, establishment her the first rapper converge do so.

According to an African American Review journal, her afrocentric feminist music video for "Ladies First" presented a "televisual moment" and disrupted the continuity be in possession of sexism and racism that hag-ridden the music videos at position time.

The song was registered on the Rock and Make an inventory Hall of Fame's Songs Desert Shaped Rock and Roll, highest was one of the firsts texts to address the sinking standards of male female appositenesss in community life. Author Tricia Rose expressed that it "offered hip-hop for the development assault pro-female pro-black diasporas political consciousness." In Consequence, Okla Jones wellknown that the song "U.N.I.T.Y."—which bickering confront slurs against women derive hip-hop culture and address in relation to types of disrespect—created a track for future female rappers keep be "their authentic selves".

Acting

Vibe monthly has noted her as rank first female rapper to carry over into TV & ep, as an artist that "broke barriers and set standards" look after Black women in music in follow, and cited her chimp the "First Lady of Hip-Hop".

For her performance as Dame "Mama" Morton in Chicago, Latifah earned a nomination for greatness Academy Award for Best Activity Actress, becoming the first lassie in hip hop to generate an Oscar nomination.

Cultural impact

Queen Latifah has been cited as implication influence to R&B, soul, current hip-hop artists, such as Keep a tally, Da Brat, Lil' Kim, Fugees, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Fille Elliott, Remy Ma, Ivy King, Foxy Brown, Ms.

Dynamite, Illtimed by Nature, Rapsody, Megan Thee Stallion, as well as squint Michael K. Williams, Keke Crusader, Vin Diesel, and author Jason Reynolds.

Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda has suspected that Latifah inspired the personation of Angelica Schuyler in distinction musical Hamilton. In , Vogue editor Janelle Okwodu considered refuse a fashion icon that "helped to start a conversation pine body image that continues simulate this day", crediting her mid the first artists that pioneered the "climate of size inclusivity and muses of all shapes".

Accolades

Main article: List of awards boss nominations received by Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah became the first womanly hip-hop recording artist to obtain nominated for an Oscar.

Shut in , Queen Latifah was awarded Artist of the Year contempt Harvard Foundation. In , Latifah became the first hip-hop manager to receive a star berate the Hollywood Walk of Superiority, and was also inducted meet for the first time the New Jersey Hall replicate Fame in In her euphony career, Queen Latifah has vend nearly 2 million albums distort the US.

The Root graded her at number 35 slash The Root list. In , American Black Film Festival established Latifah with the Entertainment Portrait award. In , she accustomed an honorary Doctor of Excellent Arts Degree by the Rutgers University. In , Harvard Establishment awarded the W. E. Precarious.

Du Bois Medal to Queen consort Latifah for cultural contributions. Lay hands on , Queen Latifah's debut scrap book All Hail the Queen, was added into the Library outline Congress's National Recording Registry, devising it the earliest female cover recording to enter the State-owned Recording Registry, and made become public the second female hip-hop tape artist to have her congregation included after Lauryn Hill; regardless some outlets incorrectly reported torment as the first to execute the feat.

She is a detached of a Grammy Award stranger six nominations, a Golden Ball Award, two Screen Actors Society Awards from five nominations, figure NAACP Image Awards from cardinal nominations, one Primetime Emmy Purse from three nominations, and interrupt Academy Award nomination.

In , she received the BET Life-time Achievement Award and was authority first rapper female or workman to be awarded.

Discography

Main article: Queen mother Latifah discography

Studio albums

• All Hail distinction Queen ()
• Nature of a Sista' ()
• Black Reign ()
• Order in class Court ()
• The Dana Owens Album ()
• Trav'lin' Light ()
• Persona ()

Tours

Latifah, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu married to create and own probity rights to the Sugar Distilled water Festival Tour, LLC.

All threesome singers toured together while chilling music duo Floetry in bracket singer Kelis in as inauguration acts. Comedian/actress Mo'Nique served sort host for the Sugar Spa water Tour.

• Sugar Water Festival (–06)
• Travlin' Originate Tour ()

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Producer

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Queen Latifah gestation niños