| Queen Latifah, previously known as Dana Elaine Owens was born March 18, 1970 in Newark, New Jersey. Her father was a Newark policeman. At age eight she assumed the name Latifah, which means delicate and sensitive, in Arabic.
As a teenager she worked at Burger King and sold records at the Wiz Record Store chain.
Queen Latifah has had an illustrious 15 year career in the music, televison and movie industries. She started her musical career with the rap group Ladies Fresh. Fab 5 Freddy heard her rendition of "Princess of the Posse" in 1988 and helped her get signed with Tommy Boy Records. Tommy Boy Records released her first album in 1989, All Hail the Queen. This album was followed by Nature of a Sista. Both albums were very well reviewed. In 1992, Queen Latifah dedicated her third album, Black Reign to her brother, deceased. Another album, Order in the Court was produced in 1998. In 2004, Queen Latifah recorded the Dana Owens Album, an album with recordings of jazz and pop songs.
Most of Queen Latifah's exposure has been through her acting roles. For five years she was a smash hit on the sitcom Living Single. This was followed by her hosting her own talk show for two years in 2000. She exploded to super stardom with her Oscar nominated role in the movie musical Chicago. Following her role in Chicago she teamed up with Steve Martin in the film Bring down the House. Queen Latifah has also appeared in the movies; Taxi, Scary Movie 3, and Barbershop2: Back in Business.
Her beauty graces Cover Girl magazine ads and show that a plus size woman of color can be very successful as a model for one of the most prominent cosmetics companies. She stands 5'9" and underwent a breast reduction in 2003 due to the strain on her back.
by, Jan, contributing editor
|
Click on the heart to sign up for our free newsletter! Prize drawings held monthly for new subscribers!!