Biography
Who is Queen Latifah?
Early life and real name
Dana Elaine Owens was born in Newark, New Jersey, on March 18, 1970. She grew up primarily in East Orange, New Jersey, and was raised in the Baptist faith. Her mother, Rita Lamae, worked as a teacher at Irvington High School, and her father, Lancelot Amos Owens, worked as a police officer. Her parents divorced when she was ten years old.
She attended Catholic school in Newark and Essex Catholic Girls' High School in Irvington before graduating from Irvington High School. After completing high school, she attended classes at Borough of Manhattan Community College. She found her stage name, Latifah, in a book of Arabic names when she was eight years old, which means delicate and very kind in Arabic.
Musical career and albums
Queen Latifah began her music career beat boxing for the hip-hop group Ladies Fresh and was an original member of the Flavor Unit. She signed with Tommy Boy Music and released her debut album, All Hail the Queen, in 1989 at age nineteen, which featured the hit single "Ladies First". Her second album, Nature of a Sista', followed in 1991.
Her third album, Black Reign, released in 1993, became the first album by a solo female rapper to receive a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. It featured the single "U.N.I.T.Y.", which won a Grammy Award. She later released albums such as Order in the Court, The Dana Owens Album, Trav'lin' Light, and Persona, shifting between hip-hop, soul, and jazz.
Acting and television career
Queen Latifah expanded her career into television and film, starring as Khadijah James on the Fox sitcom Living Single from 1993 to 1998. She also landed leading and supporting roles in films such as House Party 2, Set It Off, and The Bone Collector. She gained mainstream success and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Matron Mama Morton in the musical film Chicago in 2002.
She later starred in Bringing Down the House, Taxi, Last Holiday, Hairspray, and Girls Trip, alongside providing voice work in the Ice Age film series. She also hosted The Queen Latifah Show and starred in television projects including Bessie, Star, Hollywood, and The Equalizer.
Birthday and age
Queen Latifah was born on March 18, 1970, which makes Queen 56 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Queen shares the date with 48 other famous people.
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