Queen Latifah

Rapper, record producer, and actress Dana Owens aka Queen Latifah was born on March 18, 1970 in Newark, New Jersey. She came from a police family–both her father and older brother were police officers, which would later influence her rhyming style and life philosophy. Owens witnessed both sides of Black urban life in the USA while growing up. After a brief stint as a Burger King employee, she soon found herself making waves in the hip-hop music scene. Her first album All Hail to the Queen sold over a million copies and the single "U.N.I.T.Y" earned Latifah her first Grammy Award. Latifah’s acting received strong reviews where she earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the blockbuster musical Chicago. A role model who takes the responsibility to heart, Latifah carefully constructed a fine career for herself–one that is constantly moving upward.