“As a rapper, you sort of act in music videos and in the persona you adopt onstage. You kinda have to put yourself out there and be courageous even to be a rapper. So, to step into acting was not that difficult a transition to make.”

American rapper, actress, and singer

Queen Latifah, born Dana Elaine Owens, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. She has worked across music, film, and television, and her career has brought her major recognition in each field. She has received a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Actor Awards, and two NAACP Image Awards, and was also nominated for an Academy Award. In 2006, she became the first hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2026 through the musical influence category.