Queen Latifah

Dana Elaine Owens, better than Queen Latifah the United States is an actress and rapper. Her performance as a singer, music actor, filmmaker and TV performer has won the actress the distinction of two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Image Awards. She also was awarded a Grammy Award along with six additional Grammy nominations. Queen Latifah is the daughter of an Newark New Jersey schoolteacher and an Newark New Jersey police officer Lancelot Owens Senior, was born and raised in Newark New Jersey. Their divorce occurred at the age of Latifah was 10 years old. Latifah, who was born and was raised in Newark New Jersey attended Catholic schools in Newark. Latifah was her stage name at the time she was eight years old. The word means extremely fragile in Arabic. Always a tall girl the 5'10 tall Latifah was a power forward for her basketball team in high school. The song she sang was home from The Wiz at a school play. Latifah was a member of the Ladies Fresh, a rap collective that started her journey into beatboxing. Latifah was one of the founding members of the form of Flavor Unit which at that the time was comprised composed of MCs and producers led by DJ Mark the 45 King. Mark James aka DJ Mark the 45 King made an unreleased version of Queen Latifah's rap Princess of the Posse. The song was recorded and given to Yo! MTV Raps Freddy. Dante Ross of Tommy Boy Music, who worked for Latifah at the time, was impressed by her track. In 1988 she released Wrath of My Madness as the first single by Latifah.