Following Queen Latifah’s stellar rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the Cowboys and Giants NFL game on Sunday, theGrio highlights five times the hip-hop legend gave amazing performances as a singer.
Is there anything Queen Latifah can’t do? Before Sunday night’s prime-time NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, the rapper-actress sang the “Star-Spangled Banner,” reminding people to put an extra hyphen after her name.
Latifah gave a stunning, powerful rendition of the national anthem, adding to a long list of impressive occasions where she sang. She’s accomplished so much that her singing ability must often be remembered.
The Grammy and Emmy Award winner earned much of her accolades as a rap superstar with hits like “Ladies First” and “U.N.I.T.Y.,” and as a versatile actress in films like “Beauty Shop,” television shows including “Living Single” and her current hit action series, “The Equalizer.” Throughout her multifaceted career, including hosting a talk show and managing hip-hop royalty like Naughty By Nature, Latifah has blessed the world with extraordinary singing performances.
In honor of Latifah’s brilliance, theGrio is highlighting five times that she blew us away with her singing voice.
Latifah Croons in her “Black Reign”
Queen Latifah peaked as an MC with her third album, 1993’s “Black Reign.” While its lead single, “U.N.I.T.Y.,” is the crown jewel of that release, Latifah also expanded her chops as a singer on that album. The singles “Just Another Day” and “Weekend Love” showed a side of Latifah’s vocals that few realized she had. Turns out, that was just the beginning.
Latifah Goes To “Chicago”
By 2002, Latifah was a rising actress, thanks to her hit Fox sitcom, “Living Single,” and cult classic film, “Set It Off.” Her acting reached a new plateau in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Chicago.” Latifah played Matron “Mama” Morton and sang her way to her first Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.
From Rap To Jazz
After four albums, Latifah decided to put rap aside and go full gusto into singing. In 2004, she introduced fans to “The Dana Owens Album,” titled after her birth name. Latifah recorded an album full of jazz standards with an all-star cast of session musicians and a full orchestra. The highlight of the gold-certified album is her stunning closer, “Lush Life.” Her follow-up, 2007’s “Trav’lin Light,” earned a Grammy Award nomination for best traditional pop vocal album.
A Little “Hairspray” at the Nobel Peace Concert
Back in 2007, Latifah starred in another Broadway musical film adaptation, “Hairspray.” In the film, her Motormouth Maybelle’s signature song was “I Know Where I’ve Been,” which Latifah successfully executed. In 2014, Latifah performed at the Nobel Peace Concert. She opened with a gorgeous, poignant rendition of “I Know Where I’ve Been,” inspiring a standing ovation at the song’s end. She kept the audience on their feet as she transitioned to “U.N.I.T.Y.”
Latifah Becomes “Bessie”
In 2015, Latifah turned in a performance for the ages as the lead in the HBO film, “Bessie,” a biopic about blues singer Bessie Smith. Flanked by co-stars like Mo’Nique, the late Michael K. Williams and Mike Epps, Latifah shined bright in the film while singing all of Smith’s parts with her own voice. She truly embodied Smith’s provocative yet delicate persona and vocals, earning “Bessie” an Emmy Award for outstanding television movie and Latifah a Golden Globe nomination.
Matthew Allen is an entertainment writer of music and culture for theGrio. He is an award-winning music journalist, TV producer and director based in Brooklyn, NY. He’s interviewed the likes of Quincy Jones, Jill Scott, Smokey Robinson and more for publications such as Ebony, Jet, The Root, Village Voice, Wax Poetics, Revive Music, Okayplayer, and Soulhead. His video work can be seen on PBS/All Arts, Brooklyn Free Speech TV and BRIC TV.
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