In honor of Black History Month, I’ll be featuring African-American artists who have helped shape the way we do music in America. Enjoy!
Queen Latifah has been on the music scene long before she appeared on the silver screen. She started beatboxing professionally in 1988 and put out her first album in 1989 at the age of nineteen. The 90’s were a huge decade for Latifah; she put out three albums and appeared in eleven films. She had a major role in the rise of women in rap, and combined a silky voice with hard-hitting beats. In 2002 she was brought to the forefront of popular media by starring in the film adaptation of Chicago. Since then she’s appeared in over 20 films, but music continued to be a huge part of her career, evidenced by her putting out three albums in the 2000’s and seeking out roles in which she could show her diverse talents.
I’ve admired Queen Latifah for a long time – she was one of the first strong, confidant, curvy celebrity figure I ever saw. She always struck me as a woman who is uncompromising, who knew how talented she was, and just waited for the rest of the world to get a clue.
For fans of Lauryn Hill, Janet Jackson, Nina Simone, and Etta James.
Bigger in Real Life 
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