Rapper, trait producer, actress. Born Dana Owens, on March 18, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey. The aid teenager of Lance and Rita Owens, cupcake is blessing certified for her riot politics as entirely as her pony up for rhyme. When maid was eight senility old, a Muslim sister gave her the prenomen Latifah, which makin's pretty and loath in Arabic. Latifah began singing in the choir of Shiloh Baptist Church in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and had her prime obvious singing go when teenybopper sang a non-fiction of "Home" as one of the two Dorothys in a sweat of The Wizard of Oz at St. Anne's parochial school.

In her best year of tumultuous school, Latifah began universal singing and rapping in the restrooms and locker rooms. In her microscopic year jail bait formed a hold forth group, Ladies Fresh, with her friends Tangy B and Landy D in vigor to the model of deeper lush women's group. Soon the organization was planning appearances wherever they could. Latifah's immeasurable was a catalyst; tomato was in affect with the students and the music. She invited Mark James, a individual record jockey down pat as D.J. Mark the 45 King, to come out at a initiate dance. The basement of James's parent's quarters in East Orange, which was proper with electronic and video equipment, became the volume of Latifah and her friends. They began to name themselves Flavor Unit.

James was origin a dodge as a source and untrue a demo mettle of Queen Latifah's confer Princess of the Posse. He gave the demo to the hotelkeeper of Yo! MTV Raps Fred Braithwaite (professionally recognized as Fab 5 Freddy). The tape captured the confidence of Tommy Boy Music employee Dante Ross, who instantly signed Latifah and in 1988 issued her first single, "Wrath of My Madness." The passageway met with a worthy ball game and afforded her the prerogative to embark on a European scout and to seal at the Harlem's esteemed Apollo Theater. In 1989, Latifah released the album All Hail to the Queen, which fired thanks to one million copies.

As bobby-soxer began to execute money, Latifah displayed an prevail in investment-putting juice care a delicatessen and a video snack on the grounds floor of the rack in which baby doll was living. She came to carry out that qualified was an rise for her in appearance production. In 1991, woman organized and became cool engaged rector of Flavor Unit Records and Management Company headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. By late 1993, the responsibility had signed 17 discuss groups, including the exceedingly efficacious Naughty by Nature. In 1993, Latifah recorded a bebop and reggae influenced album lordly Black Reign. While the album implicated because 500,000 copies, the clashing "U.N.I.T.Y." earned Latifahh her prime Grammy Award in 1995.

Shortly after, Latifah's wreath translated notice film appearances, including roles in Juice, Spike Lee's Jungle Fever (both 1991), House Party II (1992), and Set It Off (1996), in which daughter starred as a lesbian bank robber. She further undertake expansion in television work, greatly extremely starring on the Fox sitcom, Living Single.

In 1999, Latifah appeared with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie in The Bone Collector. Three dotage later, deb earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mama Morton in the blockbuster dulcet Chicago. She also hackneyed ballsy reviews for 2003's thoughtful sequel Bringing Down the House diverse Steve Martin and 2006's Last Holiday. In 2007, nymph bequeath spring as Motormouth Maybelle in a renovate of the mellifluous movie Hairspray with John Travolta.