Last Updated on September 13, 2024
The name “Queen Latifah” needs no introduction since she’s such a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. The multi-talented television personality has made her mark in almost any lucrative industry you can think of: music, acting, modeling, and business. The woman really has done it all.
She started as a hip-hop artist, signed to Tommy Boy Records, and released her first two albums, “All Hail the Queen” (1989) and “Nature of a Sista” (1991). She speaks on her experiences as a black woman trying to navigate life in the albums. She tells of the rampant sexism that plagues the entertainment industry and touches on themes of domestic violence, harassment on the streets, and relationship problems. Little wonder why she’s dubbed “the feminist rapper.
Latifah’s music sound possesses elements of R&B, Soul, and Dance. She’s a contralto and manipulates a two-octave vocal range.
Her biggest influences include KRS-One, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, EPMD, Bessie Smith, and Run-DMC. Her exceptional work in music and acting has earned her numerous awards including, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, an Academy Award nomination.
The queen of Jazz-app prefers to keep her personal life under the wraps, but we know she shares a son, Rebel, with her longtime partner, Eboni Nichols. Latifah was very open about the trauma she faced when her older brother died from a motorcycle accident. A 2006 interview reviewed that she still wears the key to the motorcycle around her neck, visible throughout her performance in her sitcom, “Living Single.”
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Dana Elaine Owens |
| Popular Name: | Queen Latifah |
| Gender: | Female |
| Birth Date: | March 18, 1970 |
| Age: | 52 years |
| Parents: | Rita Lamae, Lancelot Amos Owens |
| Siblings: | Lancelot Owens, Jr. |
| Birth Place: | Newark, New Jersey |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | African-American |
| Education: | Borough of Manhattan Community College |
| Marital Status: | N/A |
| Sexual Orientation: | N/A |
| Wife/Spouse: | N/A |
| Children: | 1 |
| Dating: | Eboni Nichols |
| Net Worth: | $70 million |
| Source of Wealth: | music, acting, brand endorsements, entrepreneurship |
| Height: | 5ft10 (1.78m) |
| Weight: | 91kg (200lbs) |
Early Life and Career Information
Dana Elaine Owens, professionally known as Queen Latifah, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, producer, and businesswoman. She was born to Rita Lamae, a teacher, and Lancelot Amos Owens, a police officer in Newark, New Jersey. Owens was very active as a child. She participated in school plays such as “The Wiz,” where she performed “Home.” She was also a power forward in her school’s basketball team due to her towering height of 5ft10. After graduating high school, Dana Owens began taking classes at Borough of Manhattan Community College.
The stage name, “Queen Latifah,” was adopted after Owens and her cousin saw the name “Latifah” in an Arabic book, meaning “delicate and very kind.” She was eight years old at the time. Latifah started beatboxing in the late ‘80s. Her rap song “Princess of the Posse” garnered much attention from many in the hip-hop scene, especially Dante Ross. He signed Queen Latifah to Tommy Boy Records, and in 1989, her first single, “Wrath of My Madness,” was released.
After her first and second albums, the multi-talented entertainer released “Black Reign” (1993), her third album with her new record label, Motown Records. It was certified Gold in the United States and produced a Grammy Award-winning song, “UNITY.” The album was her best work yet, peaking at No. 60 on the Billboard 200 and No. 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. “Black Reign” was influential in raising awareness of women’s rights and perspectives in communities worldwide.
Latifah released “Order in Court” (1998), her fourth studio album, before shifting to Soul and Jazz music genres. Her subsequent two albums, “The Dana Owens Album” (2004) and “Trav’lin’Light” (2007), were both soul/jazz standards. On August 25, 2009, Queen Latifah released her seventh studio album, “Persona.” The album includes a mix of the music icon rapping and singing and marked her return to hip-hip since 2002.
Asides from her work in the music industry, Queen Latifah has had a highly prolific career in Hollywood. She began her film career in supporting roles in the 1991 and 1992 films “House Party 2”, “Juice,” and “Jungle Fever.” She guest-starred in two episodes of the NBC hit, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and had a guest role herself on “Hangin with Mr. Cooper.” Latifah earned a starring role in “Living Single,” the FOX sitcom which was much loved among many black audiences. The Living Single actor also wrote and performed the show’s theme song.
Latifah appeared in the 1996 box-office hit, “Set It Off,” and supported the 1998 film, “Living Out Loud.” The illustrious media personality launched her talk show, “The Queen Latifah Talk Show,” in 1999. Sadly, the show was canceled by Sony Pictures Television in 2014 due to declining ratings. Since then, Latifah has had both leading and supporting roles in several films that received varied critical and box office receptions. Some of these films include “Taxi,” “Barber’s Shop 2: Back in Business,” “Kung Faux,” “Beauty Shop,” and “Hairspray.”
For her work, Queen Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 4, 2006, located at 6915 Hollywood Blvd.
Queen Latifah’s Net Worth
Judging by the numerous projects Queen Latifah’s involved in, it’s not shocking that she has amassed a net worth of $70 million. She has sold over two million records, starred or featured in at least 59 movies, and Television shows combined.
The actor and business mogul also obtains income from her makeup line with Covergirl, “Queen Collection,” designed specifically for women of color. Additionally, Latifah has churned out three novels, “Put on Your Crown,” ‘Ladies First,” and “Queen of the Scene.” Then, of course, there are endorsements. Owens is a popular ambassador for Covergirl, Pizza Hut, and Jenny Craig.
Lessons from the Life of Queen Latifah
Stop Trying to Fit the Mold
Dana Owens knew she didn’t quite fit the description of a typical entertainer in the late ’80s. She’s a black woman with kinky hair and round hips, and the media wasn’t exactly eager to promote her or people who looked like her. In her SAG Awards Acceptance Speech, she encourages other black women “to keep fighting for it. Flip the rocks over and keep pushing.”
Be Adventurous With Your Skills
Queen Latifah’s broad profile as an entertainer is utterly exceptional. She’s a rapper, vocalist, actor, producer, and Television show host, not to mention other ventures she has on the side. The multi-talented superstar has proven to the rest of us that the “jack of all trades” mindset is a scam, and you really can do it all, with finesse even.
Peace over Publicity
Dana Owens hasn’t succumbed to pressure from the media to sell her private life, a common trend among many celebrities and public figures. Her sexuality, for instance, has been under much speculation by the media. When asked about it, the rapper and actress insisted that she wanted to keep that aspect of her life from the public, and they have to respect that.
