Queen Latifah is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress and producer. She signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen on November 28, 1989, featuring the hit single Ladies First. Nature of a Sista’ was her second and final album with Tommy Boy Records. Latifah’s work in music, film and television has earned her a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, an Academy Award nomination and sales of over two million records.
Birth Name
Dana Elaine Owens
Nickname
Queen Latifah, Hip-Hop’s First Lady, Queen of Jazz-Rap
Profession
Singer, Songwriter, Rapper, Actress, Producer, Model, Talk Show Host
Genre
Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Gospel, Dance
Instruments
Vocals, Piano
Labels
Tommy Boy, Verve, A&M, Interscope, Motown, Polygram, Warner Bros, Walt Disney Records
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Queen Latifah was born on the 18th of March 1970, in Newark, New Jersey, United States.
Age
She’s currently 49 years old.
Sun Sign
Pisces
Ethnicity
Black
She has African-American ancestry.
Religion
Christianity (Baptist Church)
Education
Queen attended Essex Catholic Girls’ High School in Irvington but graduated from Irvington High School. Latifah was raised in the Baptist faith and attended Catholic school in Newark, New Jersey. During her high school days she was part of girls basketball team.
Family Details
- Father – Lancelot Owens (Police Officer)
- Mother – Rita Bray (Teacher)
- Siblings – Lancelot Owens Jr. (Older Brother) (Police Officer, Expired in 1992 in a motorcycle accident)
Marital Status
Single
Boyfriend / Spouse
Queen Latifah has dated –
- Sean Moon (1995) – Queen Latifah faced a car-jacking in the neighborhood of NYC in 1995. Her then boyfriend/bodyguard was shot in the stomach by a couple of teenagers on the lookout to steal a car at 2:45 am while Latifah awaited a group of friends with Sean Moon and another friend sitting inside her green BMW. As soon as the teens sped away leaving Latifah stranded with her bleeding boyfriend and friend, she got hold of the cab and managed to reach the nearest hospital in Harlem saving Sean’s life. The suspects were eventually caught and convicted for theft and attempt to murder.
- Martin Kendu Isaacs (1992–2001) – Kendu being a famous music producer and Latifah being a singer on top of her game throughout the 1990s hung around the same social circle. The two were rumored to be dating on and off during the same time period but broke up in 2001. However, their camaraderie was not affected. In fact, Queen Latifah introduced Kendu to his long-term wife-to-be, Mary J. Blige to whom he was married from 2003 to 2016.
- Jeanette Jenkins (2002–2011) – The famous Hollywood trainer and Latifah were inseparable in a serious relationship for many years. They even purchased a house together in Beverly Hills, California which Latifah sold soon after their break-up. Though over the years, the paparazzi took several pictures of them sharing an intimate moment, both women continued to evade any acknowledgment of their mutual involvement. Jeanette went as far as to claim that she is not even gay after her break-up with Latifah and went back to dating men. Speculations were there that Jenkins and Latifah were planning a lavish same-sex marriage ceremony but Jeanette often questioned Latifah’s fidelity which led to frequent fights and ensuing tension.
- Eboni Nichols (2011–2015) – Latifah first met dancer-choreographer, Eboni on the sets of Dancing with the Stars in 2009 where Eboni put together a routine for Latifah’s guest appearance on the show. Their friendship was also supposedly a major cause of conflict between Jeannette and Latifah. Once Latifah started dating Eboni, their mutual chemistry clearly implied to the rest of the world that they were a lot closer than just friends. But, even this relationship wasn’t meant to last long and the ladies called it quits in 2015.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 10 inches
- In centimeters – 178 cm
- In meters – 1.78 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 91 kg
- In Pounds – 201 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 45-40-45
- Bust – 45 inches
- Waist – 40 inches
- Hip – 45 inches
- Bra Size – 40DD
Body Build
Large
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Black
Shoe Size
She wears a size 10 (US) shoe.
Dress Size
Her dress size is 16 (US).
Sexuality
Bisexual
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the FOX sitcom Living Single from 1993 to 1998. Her third album, Black Reign (1993), spawned the single U.N.I.T.Y., which being a large influence on women, won a Grammy Award and peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Album Debut
In 1989, she released her first album All Hail the Queen by Tommy Boy Records.
Film Debut
In 1991, her minor role of a waitress in Jungle Fever starring Wesley Snipes and first main role was alongside Jada Pinkett Smith in Set It Off (1996), a crime action film with an all-female lead.
Television Debut
In 1991, Latifah appeared in 2 episodes as Dee Dee / Marissa Redman in NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Brand Endorsements
Queen did television commercials for the following brands: US Milk Commission (Voice) (1996), Freedom Card – Gold Mastercard (2000), Cover Girl Make-up (2001), Cover Girl Smoothers Make-up (2002), Pizza-Hut (Voice) (2003), Mariott Courtyard Hotels (2003), Walmart (2005), Jenny Craig (2008), Macy’s ‘Believe’ Campaign (2009), Cover Girl’s ‘Clean’ Make-up (2010) & Pantene Pro-V (2014). As a brand ambassador for Cover Girl, Latifah has endorsed their products through multiple channel marketing campaigns (both print & TV) from 2001 to 2011.
Queen Latifah Favorites
- Favorite Cuisine – Italian
- Favorite Stylist – Timothy Snell
- Favorite Movies – Boomerang (1992), Forrest Gump (1994)
- Favorite City – New York
- Favorite Genre (Books) – Science Fiction
- Favorite Preferred Magazine Type – Interior Design
- Favorite Gospel Group – Clark Sisters
- Favorite Music Influences – Rock and Reggae
- Favorite Electronic Band – Zero 7 (When it Falls, 2004)
- Favorite Hip-Hop Inspiration – Common (Finding Forever, 2007)
- Favorite Female Artist – Beyoncé (I am….Sasha Fierce, 2008)
- Favorite Jazz Group – The Horace Silver Quintet (Finger Poppin’, 1959)
- Favorite Movie Role – Cleopatra Sims in Set It Off (1996)
- Favorite Supplement – Magnesium
- Favorite Cartoons – Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Yu-gi-Oh
- Favorite Season – Summer
- Favorite Vacation Destination – Italy
- Favorite Color – Purple
- Favorite Health Food – Eggs
- Favorite Food – Macaroni and Cheese, Funnel Cake, Zeppole, Steak, Pasta, Jimmy Buff’s Italian Hot Dog
Queen Latifah Net worth
Queen Latifah has an estimated net worth of $62 million dollars as of 2020.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Queen Latifah
- Instagram – queenlatifah
- Twitter – Queen Latifah
- YouTube Channel – Queen Latifah
Some Lesser Known Facts About Queen Latifah
- Being one of the taller students in the class, she was also on her school basketball team.
- She wanted to be an actress since the 9th grade but before that, she thought of being a marine biologist and a truck driver.
- Her first job was to work at Burger King which she did while working at Manhattan Community College.
- She signed her first contract at the age of 17 and the first expensive gift she bought herself with the money was a gold tooth which was lost within a week.
- At the age of 18, Latifah began beat-boxing and rapping for local hip hop groups in the Bronx, New York City.
- She was one of the first few members of the Flavor Unit, a group of rap artists and MCs led by a DJ called The 45 King.
- She is very close to her mother Rita who was a single mom and often worked 3 jobs to bring up her kids.
- In 1988, this music company offered her first single, Wrath of My Madness. The song got a positive response and she got an opportunity of a European tour and to perform at the Apollo Theater.
- In 1989, when she was just 19 years old, Latifah released her first album, All Hail to the Queen, which went on to sell more than 1 million copies.
- In 1991, when she was just 21 years old, she rolled out Flavor Unit Records and Management Company in New Jersey in partnership with her old friend Shakim Compere. She became the CEO of this company.
- In 1992, after her brother’s accidental death, she fell into bout of depression and drug abuse. She recovered later.
- In 1992, she appeared in crime thriller Juice. Soon she grabbed a leading role in a sitcom Living Single. This comedy show was a ground breaking one.
- In 1993, shortly after her brother’s death, she released the album Black Reign. This album was jazz / reggae influenced. The single U.N.I.T.Y was a huge hit.
- In 1996, she was arrested for assaulting a photographer. Later the same year she was again arrested for carrying loaded pistol and marijuana.
- In 1999, along with Angelina Jolie she appeared in The Bone Collector.
- In 2009, she along with the NJPAC Jubilation Choir, recorded the title track on the album Oh, Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration, covering the song that was popular in 1969.
- In June 2011, she received an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters from Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware.
- In 2015, she gave a powerful performance in Bessie. She portrayed legendary singer Bessie Smith in this HBO film. Latifah received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for this role.
- In June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Queen Latifah among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
- Visit her website @ queenlatifah.com.
