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Queen Latifah
Age: 39
Height: 5' 10"
Birth Place: Newark, New Jersey, USA
Born: Mar. 18th, 1970
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Queen Latifah's Main TV Roles
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at
IMDB
BIOGRAPHY: Hip-hop's first lady (though some would attribute that to Roxanne Shanté), the woman behind the moniker is Dana Owens, who was born on March 18th, 1970, in East Orange, New Jersey. She came from a police family--both her father and older brother were cops, which would later influence her rhyming style and life philosophy. Owens witnessed both sides of Black urban life in the USA while growing up. After a brief stint as a Burger King employee, she soon found herself making waves in the hip-hop music scene.
After working as the human beat box alongside Ladies Fresh, she was just 18 years old when she originally broke through in the late 1980s with a style that picked selectively from jazz, reggae, and soul traditions, from beats produced by 'D.J. Mark the 45 King'. Her debut single, "Wrath of My Madness," was released in 1988. A year later, her debut long-player, "All Hail the Queen," enjoyed favored reviews: an old, wise head was evident on the top of her young shoulders. The former Burger King employee maintained her early commitment to answer the misogynist armory of some of her male counterparts and, at the same time, imparted musical good times to all genders. Her name means "delicate and sensitive" in Arabic, but she has often been anything but in her rhymes and the messages she sends out through them. One of the most prominent female hip-hop artists on the scene for over a decade, Queen Latifah has also made tremendous inroads in movies, television, and artist management, with her management company, Flavor Unit, alongside her business partner Shakim Compere. A role model who takes the responsibility to heart, Latifah carefully constructed a fine career for herself--one that is constantly moving upward.
TRIVIA:
- Became the first hip-hop artist honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [4 January 2006]
- Older brother Lance Owens, who was a police officer, died in an accident on the motorcycle Latifah bought for him as a present. She still wears the motorcycle key around her neck.
- She was nicknamed "Latifah" (Arabic for delicate and sensitive) by a cousin while she was in her teens.
- Had not done any musical theatre since high school prior to her role in _Chicago (2002)_ (qv).
- Was set to star in _Monster's Ball (2001)_ (qv) alongside 'Robert De Niro' (qv) with 'Sean Penn (I)' directing. Unfortunately, producers could not set up the film in time and it was delayed and recast. Her role went to 'Halle Berry' (qv), and DeNiro's to 'Billy Bob Thornton' (qv).
- Had to coach her _Bringing Down the House (2003)_ (qv) co-stars 'Steve Martin (I)' (qv) and 'Eugene Levy' (qv) in hip-hop slang.
- Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. She was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actress category for her performances in the films _Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)_ (qv), _The Cookout (2004)_ (qv), and _Taxi (2004/I)_ (qv), however, she failed to receive a nomination.
- First female rapper to be nominated for an Academy Award.
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