Queen Latifah

Dana Elaine Owens - better known to the public as Queen Latifah - is an American performer, actress, and singer. Her career as a musician actor, filmmaker and TV performer has garnered the actress two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Image Awards. She also received an Grammy Award along with six additional Grammy nominations. Queen Latifah's parents are Lancelot and Rita Owens, both police officers. Rita was a Newark New Jersey teacher who taught in Irvington High School. Her parents divorced in the year Latifah was ten years old. Latifah grew up in the Baptist faith and attended Catholic school at Newark New Jersey. Latifah was the stage name she used when she was eight years old. It means fragile in Arabic. Always a tall girl the 5'10 tall Latifah was a forward for her high school basketball team. She sang the song Home from The Wiz at a school play. Latifah was part of the Ladies Fresh, a rap group which launched her journey into beatboxing. Latifah was among those who were part of the first form of Flavor Unit which at that time consisted of MCs grouped around producer DJ Mark the 45 King. Mark James aka the 45 King, made a recording of Queen Latifah's Princess of the Posse rap. The song was sent to host Yo! MTV Raps Freddy. Dante Ross of Tommy Boy Music was interested by the song. He signed Latifah and dropped her first single Wrath of My Madness in 1988.