Queen Latifah was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. The Queen got her first break in music when a demo tape featuring one of her raps made its way to Tommy Boy Records. She was signed and immediately became a hit. She won the Best New Artist Award in 1990 for her album
All Hail the Queen, which also went platinum. The second single from the album, Ladies First, was eventually named by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll.
By the time her second album Nature of a Sista' came out in 1991, Queen Latifah had begun investing in small businesses in her neighborhood, and acting both in television and movies. After the death of her brother and a soured deal with Tommy Boy, The Queen released her third album,
Black Reign, and founded Flavor Unit Records and Management. She also landed a regular spot on
Living Single and went on to star in a plethora of feature films including:
Set It Off, The Perfect Holiday, Taxi, and
Bringing Down the House.
