Queen Latifah Biography

Queen Latifah, actress/rapper/singer

Birthdate: March 18, 1970

Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey

Sign: Pisces

Dana Elaine Owens, but better known as her stage name Queen Latifah, grew up in Newark, NJ. Both her father and older brother were cops and her mother was a schoolteacher. After a brief run as a Burger King employee, Latifah started to focus on her rap career. She started beatboxing for the rap group Ladies Fresh and was a member of a group named Flavor Unit before a solo demo of hers got into the hands of Tommy Boy Records, which released Latifah's first album, 1989's "All Hail The Queen", when she was 19. She continued releasing albums, including 1993's Gold-selling "Black Reign", earning her the title of Hip-Hop's First Lady. She won a Grammy in 1994 for Best Solo Rap Performance for "U.N.I.T.Y."

Her personal life experienced some trouble when her old brother, Lance Owens, died in a motorcycle accident. The motorcycle was given to him by Latifah as a gift and she'll still be seen wearing the key around her neck. She was also involved in a carjacking where a friend was shot, was arrested for carrying a loaded pistol and for possession of marijuana, and also for assaulting a photographer.

She began her feature film acting with roles in films like "House Party 2", Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever" and "My Life" with Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman, and also had memorable recurring role on TV's "Fresh Price of Bel-Air" with Will Smith. In 1993, she landed the role of Khadijah James on the hit FOX sitcom "Living Single". The show went on for five successful seasons and made Queen Latifah a television star.

With successful roles in films like "Set It Off", Latifah continued to balance her acting and music career with some hits and misses. Her turn as Matron Mama Morton in 2002's musical movie "Chicago", alongside Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones, earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Latifah's music changed over the years, learning to a more vocal route where she sings standards and jazz renditions of classics on her 2004 "The Dana Owens Album" and 2007's "Trav'lin' Light". She is also a model for Cover Girl and spokeswoman for Jenny Craig. She could recently be seen in the film "The Secret Life of Bees", opposite Jennifer Hudson and Dakota Fanning. She'll reprise her role as Ellie in "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs", the new sequel to the hit animated series.