Hello,
Today's Artist is Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), she is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and producer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen on November 28, 1989, In her music career, Dana has sold nearly 2 million records worldwide. She has been dubbed as the "Queen of Jazz-Rap". She became the first female hip-hop recording artist to get nominated for an Oscar. she is a recipient of a Grammy Award, with six nominations, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, with two nominations, two NAACP Image Awards, including thirteen nominations, one Emmy Award, with three nominations and an Academy Award nomination. She was the first hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. . ....... N Joy
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Queen Latifah was certainly not the first female rapper, but she was the first one to become a bona fide star. She had more charisma than her predecessors, and her strong, intelligent, no-nonsense persona made her arguably the first MC who could properly be described as feminist. Her third album, Black Reign, was the first album by a female MC ever to go gold, a commercial breakthrough that paved the way for a talented crew of women rappers to make their own way onto the charts as the '90s progressed. Latifah herself soon branched out into other media, appearing in movies and sitcoms and even hosting her own talk show. Yet even with all the time she spent away from recording, she remained perhaps the most recognizable woman in hip-hop, with a level of respect that bordered on iconic status.
Queen Latifah was born Dana Owens in Newark, NJ, on March 18, 1970; her Muslim cousin gave her the nickname Latifah -- an Arabic word meaning "delicate" or "sensitive" -- when she was eight. As a youngster, she starred in her high school's production of The Wiz, and began rapping in high school with a group called Ladies Fresh, in which she also served as a human beatbox. In college, she adopted the name Queen Latifah and hooked up with Afrika Bambaataa's Native Tongues collective, which sought to bring a more positive, Afrocentric consciousness to hip-hop. She recorded a demo that landed her a record deal with Tommy Boy, and released her first single, "Wrath of My Madness," in 1988; it was followed by "Dance for Me." In 1989, Latifah's full-length debut, All Hail the Queen, was released to strongly favorable reviews, and the classic single "Ladies First" broke her to the hip-hop audience. In addition to tough-minded hip-hop, the album also found Latifah dabbling in R&B, reggae, and house, and duetting with KRS-One and De La Soul. It sold very well, climbing into the Top Ten of the R&B album charts. Latifah quickly started a management company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, and was responsible for discovering Naughty by Nature. Her 1991 sophomore album, the lighter Nature of a Sista, wasn't quite as popular, and when her contract with Tommy Boy was up, the label elected not to re-sign her. Unfortunately, things got worse from there -- she was the victim of a carjacking, and her brother Lance perished in a motorcycle accident.
Latifah emerged with a new sense of purpose and secured a deal with Motown, which issued Black Reign in 1993. Dedicated to her brother, it became her most popular album, eventually going gold; it also featured her biggest hit single, "U.N.I.T.Y.," which hit the R&B Top Ten and won a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance. By this point, Latifah had already begun her acting career, appearing in Jungle Fever, House Party 2, and Juice, as well as the TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. In 1993, she was tabbed to co-star in the Fox comedy series Living Single, which ran until 1997; during that period, acting was her primary focus, and she also co-starred as a bank robber in the 1996 film Set It Off. That same year, Latifah was pulled over for speeding and was arrested when a loaded gun and marijuana were discovered in her vehicle; she pled guilty to the charges and was fined.
Order in the Court
After Living Single was canceled in 1997, Latifah returned to the recording studio and finally began work on her fourth album. Order in the Court was released in 1998 and found her playing up the R&B elements of her sound in a manner that led some critics to draw comparisons to Missy Elliott; she took more sung vocals, and also duetted with Faith Evans and the Fugees' Pras. The album sold respectably well on the strength of the singles "Bananas (Who You Gonna Call?)" and "Paper." The same year, she appeared in the films Sphere and Living Out Loud, singing several jazz standards in the latter. The Queen Latifah Show, a daytime talk show, debuted in 1999 and ran in syndication until 2001. In November 2002, Latifah ran afoul of the law again; she was pulled over by police and failed a sobriety test, and was placed on three years' probation after pleading guilty to DUI charges. However, this mishap was somewhat overshadowed by her performance in the acclaimed movie musical Chicago, which garnered her Best Supporting Actress nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes.
In 2004, she released The Dana Owens Album, a diverse collection of covers and interpretations -- from Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band's "Hard Times" to Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" -- that highlighted her singing skills rather than her rapping. Trav'lin' Light followed with a similar format in 2007, ranging from the Pointer Sisters to Shirley Horn, with guest appearances from Joe Sample, George Duke, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott. During the years between the releases, she acted in several movies, including Taxi, Beauty Shop, Last Holiday, and Hairspray. In 2009, she released the star-studded Persona, a pop-flavored album produced by Cool & Dre.
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Not flawless, no, but pretty damn great anyway and ca. 1989 let me tell you it was a breath of fresh air just to hear a female rapper who not only could hold her own - she wasn't the first by any means - but who also didn't feel the need to stoop down to the guys' level. Nothing like "The Showstopper" or "Roxanne's Revenge" here where Latifah takes one of theirs and flips it around, she just rolls her eyes at the knuckleheads and moves along to do her own thing. And don't get me wrong, it's a fine thing in a battle of the sexes to use the enemy's own weapons against him, but in some ways it's even better just to sneak around the side and flank them outright, not allowing the sexists to define the terms of the battle.
As strong a buzz as Queen Latifah created with her debut single of 1988, "Wrath of My Madness" and its reggae-influenced B-side "Princess of the Posse," one would have expected the North Jersey rapper/actress' first album, All Hail the Queen, to be much stronger. Though not a bad album by any means, it doesn't live up to Latifah's enormous potential. The CD's strongest material includes "Evil That Men Do," a hardhitting duet with KRS-One addressing Black-on-Black crime and other social ills; the infectious hip-house number "Come Into My House"; the rap/reggae duet with Stetsasonic's Daddy-O "The Pros"; and the aforementioned songs. Unfortunately, boasting numbers like "A King and Queen Creation" and "Queen of Royal Badness" aren't terribly memorable. Especially disappointing is "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children," a duet with De La Soul that surprisingly, is both musically and lyrically generic. To be sure, Latifah's rapping skills are top-notch -- which is why All Hail the Queen should have been consistently excellent instead of merely good.
Queen Latifah - All Hail The Queen (flac 385mb)
01 Dance for Me 3:46
02 Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children (feat. De La Soul) 4:29
03 Come Into My House 4:18
04 Latifah's Law 3:53
05 Wrath of My Madness 4:17
06 The Pros (feat. Daddy-O) 5:47
07 Ladies First (feat. Monie Love) 3:58
08 A King and Queen Creation (feat. DJ Mark The 45 King) 3:39
09 Queen of Royal Badness 3:29
10 Evil That Men Do 4:07
11 Princess of the Posse 3:54
12 Inside Out 4:16
13 Dance for Me (Ultimatum Remix) 4:09
14 Wrath of My Madness (Soulshock Remix) 5:34
15 Princess of the Posse (DJ Mark The 45 King Remix) 4:06
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Nature of a Sista isn't the outstanding album Queen Latifah is quite capable of recording. But even so, it's a decent sophomore effort that has more strengths than weaknesses. The North Jersey native tends to spend too much time boasting about her microphone skills -- something that can wear thin in a hurry -- but there's no denying the fact that she has considerable technique. As on her first album, Latifah indicates that she could hold her own in a battle with just about any rapper, male or female. And the positive image she projects is certainly commendable. But as likeable as much of this album is, it's obvious that she is capable of a lot more. Her use of Jamaican dialect and her ability to ride rhythms is just amazing.Her voice is a charm.This album reveals her intellect through her lyrics.It led m to get atleast one other of her albums - no regrets.She does not call herself QUEEN for nothing.Listen to this album and you will see for yourself.
Queen Latifah - Nature Of A Sista' (flac 286mb)
01 Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here 4:26
02 Nuff of the Ruff' Stuff' 3:50
03 One Mo' Time 4:49
04 Give Me Your Love 3:49
05 Love Again 3:40
06 Bad As a Mutha 4:00
07 Fly Girl 4:01
08 Sexy Fancy 3:55
09 Nature of a Sista' 3:19
10 That's the Way We Flow 3:22
11 If You Don't Know 4:58
12 How Do I Love Thee 4:59
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Latifah's best album and one of the definitive (and most significant) female Hip-Hop albums and albums in general. Nearly every track is nothing less than spectacular, an amazing soundtrack. Latifah proved once again why she's just as good as any of the males out there. Black Reign marked Latifah's move to Motown, and was also a return to the tough-talking, lyrically frank, frequently controversial material that established her as arguably the finest female rapper. "Coochie Bang" and "Weekend Love" were harsh and explicit attacks on would-be hit-and-run lovers, while "Just Another Day" and "I Can't Understand" examined the continuing inequities plaguing inner-city youth, and "Superstar" took a pointedly unglamorous view of her situation and the perils of hip-hop supremacy. The singles "Black Hand Side", "UNITY" and "Just Another Day" are early '90s classics that everybody knows and loves, but the rest of the record benefits from this combination of Dirty Jerz grit & grime, mixed with beautiful jazz chords, and an all around East Coast sensibility that is reminiscent of Black Moon and early Wu-Tang. The best thing about this record is how Queen manages to execute the difficult task of educating the masses, and getting her much deserved props, all the while maintaining her femininity, which is something female MC's have always had trouble doing. This record is REAL Hip-Hop with class, dignity, respect, great singing, and beautiful production.
Queen Latifah - Black Reign (flac 324mb)
01 Black Hand Side 3:22
02 Listen 2 Me 4:42
03 I Can't Understand 3:49
04 Rough... 5:03
05 4 the DJ's (Interlude) 1:37
06 Bring tha Flava 3:25
07 Coochie Bang... 3:46
08 Superstar 3:56
09 No Work 2:51
10 Just a Flow (Interlude) 1:30
11 Just Another Day... 4:27
12 U.N.I.T.Y. 4:11
13 Weekend Love 4:09
14 Mood Is Right 3:27
15 Winki's Theme 5:29
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Today's Artist is Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), she is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and producer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen on November 28, 1989, In her music career, Dana has sold nearly 2 million records worldwide. She has been dubbed as the "Queen of Jazz-Rap". She became the first female hip-hop recording artist to get nominated for an Oscar. she is a recipient of a Grammy Award, with six nominations, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, with two nominations, two NAACP Image Awards, including thirteen nominations, one Emmy Award, with three nominations and an Academy Award nomination. She was the first hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. . ....... N Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Queen Latifah was certainly not the first female rapper, but she was the first one to become a bona fide star. She had more charisma than her predecessors, and her strong, intelligent, no-nonsense persona made her arguably the first MC who could properly be described as feminist. Her third album, Black Reign, was the first album by a female MC ever to go gold, a commercial breakthrough that paved the way for a talented crew of women rappers to make their own way onto the charts as the '90s progressed. Latifah herself soon branched out into other media, appearing in movies and sitcoms and even hosting her own talk show. Yet even with all the time she spent away from recording, she remained perhaps the most recognizable woman in hip-hop, with a level of respect that bordered on iconic status.
Queen Latifah was born Dana Owens in Newark, NJ, on March 18, 1970; her Muslim cousin gave her the nickname Latifah -- an Arabic word meaning "delicate" or "sensitive" -- when she was eight. As a youngster, she starred in her high school's production of The Wiz, and began rapping in high school with a group called Ladies Fresh, in which she also served as a human beatbox. In college, she adopted the name Queen Latifah and hooked up with Afrika Bambaataa's Native Tongues collective, which sought to bring a more positive, Afrocentric consciousness to hip-hop. She recorded a demo that landed her a record deal with Tommy Boy, and released her first single, "Wrath of My Madness," in 1988; it was followed by "Dance for Me." In 1989, Latifah's full-length debut, All Hail the Queen, was released to strongly favorable reviews, and the classic single "Ladies First" broke her to the hip-hop audience. In addition to tough-minded hip-hop, the album also found Latifah dabbling in R&B, reggae, and house, and duetting with KRS-One and De La Soul. It sold very well, climbing into the Top Ten of the R&B album charts. Latifah quickly started a management company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, and was responsible for discovering Naughty by Nature. Her 1991 sophomore album, the lighter Nature of a Sista, wasn't quite as popular, and when her contract with Tommy Boy was up, the label elected not to re-sign her. Unfortunately, things got worse from there -- she was the victim of a carjacking, and her brother Lance perished in a motorcycle accident.
Latifah emerged with a new sense of purpose and secured a deal with Motown, which issued Black Reign in 1993. Dedicated to her brother, it became her most popular album, eventually going gold; it also featured her biggest hit single, "U.N.I.T.Y.," which hit the R&B Top Ten and won a Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance. By this point, Latifah had already begun her acting career, appearing in Jungle Fever, House Party 2, and Juice, as well as the TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. In 1993, she was tabbed to co-star in the Fox comedy series Living Single, which ran until 1997; during that period, acting was her primary focus, and she also co-starred as a bank robber in the 1996 film Set It Off. That same year, Latifah was pulled over for speeding and was arrested when a loaded gun and marijuana were discovered in her vehicle; she pled guilty to the charges and was fined.
Order in the Court
After Living Single was canceled in 1997, Latifah returned to the recording studio and finally began work on her fourth album. Order in the Court was released in 1998 and found her playing up the R&B elements of her sound in a manner that led some critics to draw comparisons to Missy Elliott; she took more sung vocals, and also duetted with Faith Evans and the Fugees' Pras. The album sold respectably well on the strength of the singles "Bananas (Who You Gonna Call?)" and "Paper." The same year, she appeared in the films Sphere and Living Out Loud, singing several jazz standards in the latter. The Queen Latifah Show, a daytime talk show, debuted in 1999 and ran in syndication until 2001. In November 2002, Latifah ran afoul of the law again; she was pulled over by police and failed a sobriety test, and was placed on three years' probation after pleading guilty to DUI charges. However, this mishap was somewhat overshadowed by her performance in the acclaimed movie musical Chicago, which garnered her Best Supporting Actress nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes.
In 2004, she released The Dana Owens Album, a diverse collection of covers and interpretations -- from Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band's "Hard Times" to Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" -- that highlighted her singing skills rather than her rapping. Trav'lin' Light followed with a similar format in 2007, ranging from the Pointer Sisters to Shirley Horn, with guest appearances from Joe Sample, George Duke, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott. During the years between the releases, she acted in several movies, including Taxi, Beauty Shop, Last Holiday, and Hairspray. In 2009, she released the star-studded Persona, a pop-flavored album produced by Cool & Dre.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Not flawless, no, but pretty damn great anyway and ca. 1989 let me tell you it was a breath of fresh air just to hear a female rapper who not only could hold her own - she wasn't the first by any means - but who also didn't feel the need to stoop down to the guys' level. Nothing like "The Showstopper" or "Roxanne's Revenge" here where Latifah takes one of theirs and flips it around, she just rolls her eyes at the knuckleheads and moves along to do her own thing. And don't get me wrong, it's a fine thing in a battle of the sexes to use the enemy's own weapons against him, but in some ways it's even better just to sneak around the side and flank them outright, not allowing the sexists to define the terms of the battle.
As strong a buzz as Queen Latifah created with her debut single of 1988, "Wrath of My Madness" and its reggae-influenced B-side "Princess of the Posse," one would have expected the North Jersey rapper/actress' first album, All Hail the Queen, to be much stronger. Though not a bad album by any means, it doesn't live up to Latifah's enormous potential. The CD's strongest material includes "Evil That Men Do," a hardhitting duet with KRS-One addressing Black-on-Black crime and other social ills; the infectious hip-house number "Come Into My House"; the rap/reggae duet with Stetsasonic's Daddy-O "The Pros"; and the aforementioned songs. Unfortunately, boasting numbers like "A King and Queen Creation" and "Queen of Royal Badness" aren't terribly memorable. Especially disappointing is "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children," a duet with De La Soul that surprisingly, is both musically and lyrically generic. To be sure, Latifah's rapping skills are top-notch -- which is why All Hail the Queen should have been consistently excellent instead of merely good.
Queen Latifah - All Hail The Queen (flac 385mb)
01 Dance for Me 3:46
02 Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children (feat. De La Soul) 4:29
03 Come Into My House 4:18
04 Latifah's Law 3:53
05 Wrath of My Madness 4:17
06 The Pros (feat. Daddy-O) 5:47
07 Ladies First (feat. Monie Love) 3:58
08 A King and Queen Creation (feat. DJ Mark The 45 King) 3:39
09 Queen of Royal Badness 3:29
10 Evil That Men Do 4:07
11 Princess of the Posse 3:54
12 Inside Out 4:16
13 Dance for Me (Ultimatum Remix) 4:09
14 Wrath of My Madness (Soulshock Remix) 5:34
15 Princess of the Posse (DJ Mark The 45 King Remix) 4:06
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Nature of a Sista isn't the outstanding album Queen Latifah is quite capable of recording. But even so, it's a decent sophomore effort that has more strengths than weaknesses. The North Jersey native tends to spend too much time boasting about her microphone skills -- something that can wear thin in a hurry -- but there's no denying the fact that she has considerable technique. As on her first album, Latifah indicates that she could hold her own in a battle with just about any rapper, male or female. And the positive image she projects is certainly commendable. But as likeable as much of this album is, it's obvious that she is capable of a lot more. Her use of Jamaican dialect and her ability to ride rhythms is just amazing.Her voice is a charm.This album reveals her intellect through her lyrics.It led m to get atleast one other of her albums - no regrets.She does not call herself QUEEN for nothing.Listen to this album and you will see for yourself.
Queen Latifah - Nature Of A Sista' (flac 286mb)
01 Latifah's Had It Up 2 Here 4:26
02 Nuff of the Ruff' Stuff' 3:50
03 One Mo' Time 4:49
04 Give Me Your Love 3:49
05 Love Again 3:40
06 Bad As a Mutha 4:00
07 Fly Girl 4:01
08 Sexy Fancy 3:55
09 Nature of a Sista' 3:19
10 That's the Way We Flow 3:22
11 If You Don't Know 4:58
12 How Do I Love Thee 4:59
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Latifah's best album and one of the definitive (and most significant) female Hip-Hop albums and albums in general. Nearly every track is nothing less than spectacular, an amazing soundtrack. Latifah proved once again why she's just as good as any of the males out there. Black Reign marked Latifah's move to Motown, and was also a return to the tough-talking, lyrically frank, frequently controversial material that established her as arguably the finest female rapper. "Coochie Bang" and "Weekend Love" were harsh and explicit attacks on would-be hit-and-run lovers, while "Just Another Day" and "I Can't Understand" examined the continuing inequities plaguing inner-city youth, and "Superstar" took a pointedly unglamorous view of her situation and the perils of hip-hop supremacy. The singles "Black Hand Side", "UNITY" and "Just Another Day" are early '90s classics that everybody knows and loves, but the rest of the record benefits from this combination of Dirty Jerz grit & grime, mixed with beautiful jazz chords, and an all around East Coast sensibility that is reminiscent of Black Moon and early Wu-Tang. The best thing about this record is how Queen manages to execute the difficult task of educating the masses, and getting her much deserved props, all the while maintaining her femininity, which is something female MC's have always had trouble doing. This record is REAL Hip-Hop with class, dignity, respect, great singing, and beautiful production.
Queen Latifah - Black Reign (flac 324mb)
01 Black Hand Side 3:22
02 Listen 2 Me 4:42
03 I Can't Understand 3:49
04 Rough... 5:03
05 4 the DJ's (Interlude) 1:37
06 Bring tha Flava 3:25
07 Coochie Bang... 3:46
08 Superstar 3:56
09 No Work 2:51
10 Just a Flow (Interlude) 1:30
11 Just Another Day... 4:27
12 U.N.I.T.Y. 4:11
13 Weekend Love 4:09
14 Mood Is Right 3:27
15 Winki's Theme 5:29
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