Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens, known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, actress, model, television producer, record producer, comedian, and talk show host. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen the same year, featuring the hit single "Ladies First". Her second album, Nature of a Sista, was her final album with Tommy Boy Records...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth18 March 1970
CityNewark, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
I believe that the kids, young people should have an opportunity to have Oscar nominated actors in their movies too.
We all have to show up and do our job regardless of our life circumstances or situations. We don't have to do it with an attitude or whatever but maybe we do that day. Everyone understands that life happens and we have to create a whole other life where our life doesn't even exist. You know, our real life doesn't exist, these characters exist. And that is our life. And that's who we are.
I definitely think we need to lean more on God. And I do think we need to praise, because we need to give it outward. You know, whenever you think you're in tough circumstances, there's always somebody who's in a worse position than you.
If you're prematurely born or if you have things happening when you're like a baby being born. If you have to learn how to walk right or if there's something wrong with your gait or just physical things that are happening. Illnesses affect your family and they impact you because you want to do the best you can to help your family member become more healthy.
I feel very positive about Newark's future, but I know we need a lot of help. I think that starts with the education of our kids and making the streets safer.
I'm as involved as I can be. Whenever I'm asked to do something, I always tend to show up.
To step into acting was not that difficult a transition to make. What was difficult was the work and the practice that went into becoming good at it, because I hadn't had any training.
So often, you don't get that opportunity. You only go over everything once and, the next thing you know, you're on set.
I'm not living large; I just want to live comfortably. I wanna have financial stability that is unshakable.
Musicals are good times. I live to do a musical, there's nothing like it, no experience like that in the movie business. You don't get to pull all those triggers at the same time doing anything else. Nothing pulls that from you. Dancing, acting and singing is like "Alright, I gotta fire on all cylinders right now" because that's what it requires. It's fun getting to exercise all those muscles.
God has always been in my life and his little voice in me that lets me know when I'm falling a little too far left or right, up or down. I know because there is a little voice that starts saying 'Dana, what are you doing? You need to slow down with that.' So God will do this to me in some sort of way or something bad will happen to me.
I tend to share whatever I know in general. I've never been a person to horde information for the sake of my own skin, you know what I mean? Not share so somebody doesn't take your job, I've never had that kind of insecurity. I also had a management company, too, so we were always one of those companies that shared information with our artists. Whatever they wanted to know, as much as they wanted to know, they could know.
It's not necessarily what a family is typically supposed to look like. But it is what it is. It's about a connection and bond that everyone can identify with.
For myself music definitely informs my emotions. And I can literally play a song that will get me where I need to be emotionally. I don't have to think about the tragic things that happened in my life or the greatest things that happened in my life.