Latifah was born and raised in the public housing projects of Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of Rita, a schoolteacher who worked at Irvington High School, and Lancelot Owens, a policeman. Her parents divorced when Latifah was ten. Latifah performed the number "Home" from the musical The Wiz in a high school play. Her stage name, Latifah (ูุทููุฉ), meaning "kind" in Arabic, was given to her when she was eight by her cousin. Latifah was raised in the Baptist church, and, while in high school, was a power forward on her basketball team.
She started her career beatboxing for the rap group Ladies Fresh. Latifah was one of the members of the original version of the Flavor Unit MC's, which, at that time, was a crew of MC's grouped around producer DJ Mark The 45 King. In 1988, DJ Mark the 45 King heard a demo version of Latifah's single Princess of the Posse and gave the demo to Fab 5 Freddy, who was the host of Yo! MTV Raps. The recording captured the attention of Tommy Boy Music employee Dante Ross, who immediately signed Latifah, and in 1988 issued her first single, Wrath of My Madness. The track met with a positive response and afforded her the opportunity to launch a European tour, and to perform at the Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. The next year Latifah released her first album, All Hail the Queen, which went on to sell more than 1 million copies.
As she began to earn money, Latifah displayed an interest in investment, putting money into a delicatessen and a video store on the ground floor of the apartment in which she was living. She came to realize that she had a knack for business, and realized that there was an opening for her in record production. In 1991, Latifah organized and became chief executive officer of the Flavor Unit Records and Management Company, headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. In the same year she was released her sophomore album, called Nature of a Sista'. It was the final album on Tommy Boy Records. By late 1993, the company had signed 17 rap groups, including the very successful Naughty by Nature. In 1993, Latifah recorded a jazz- and reggae-influenced album titled Black Reign. While the album sold more than 500,000 copies, the single U.N.I.T.Y. earned Latifah her first Grammy Award in 1995. In 1998, Co Produced by Ro Smith now CEO of Def Ro Inc. she released her fourth hip hop album Order in the Court. After Order in the Court, Latifah shifted primarily to sung lyrics in soul music and jazz standards, which she had used sparingly in her previous hip hop-oriented records.
In 2004, she released the soul/jazz standards The Dana Owens Album. On July 11, 2007, Latifah sang at the famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles as the headlining act in a live jazz concert. Before a crowd of more than 12,400, she was backed by a 10-piece live orchestra and three backup vocalists, The Queen Latifah Orchestra. Latifah performed new arrangements of standards including California Dreaming, first made popular by '60s icons The Mamas & the Papas. In 2007, Latifah released an album entitled Trav'lin' Light. Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Joe Sample, George Duke, Christian McBride, and Stevie Wonder made guest appearances. It was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album" category. On September 12, 2008, Rolling Stone reported that Queen Latifah is working on a new album that is due in sometime in 2009; this album will be, at least partially, produced by Dr. Dre. She will also work with Missy Elliott.
Acting Success
In the 1990s, Latifah branched out into acting. She made her big screen debut in Spike Lee's interracial romance drama Jungle Fever (1991). The following year, Latifah appeared in the crime thriller Juice with Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur. She soon landed a leading role on the small screen, appearing in the sitcom Living Single from 1993 to '98. The comedy, which also starred Kim Coles, Kim Fields and Erika Alexander, proved to be a ground-breaking show. It remains one of the few sitcoms to focus on a group of African-American women.
A talented performer, Latifah continued to tackle both comedic and dramatic parts. She co-starred in 1996's Set It Off with Jada Pinkett Smith, Kimberly Elise and Vivica A. Fox, playing as a lesbian bank robber. Two years later, Latifah teamed up with Holly Hunter and Danny DeVito for the comedy Living Out Loud (1998). She also appeared with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie[[i]i] in The Bone Collector (1999).
Perhaps Latifah's most acclaimed film role to date came in the 2002 hit musical Chicago, starring Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger. Her portrayal of prison matron Mama Morton gave her a chance to show off both her singing talents and acting skills. For her work in the film, Latifah earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. She lost to Chicago co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Latifah went on to receive strong reviews for 2003's romantic comedy Bringing Down the House co-starring with Steve Martin. The following year, she experienced some disappointment with Taxi, which co-starred Jimmy Fallon. The comedy proved to be a critical and commercial dud. She fared better with Beauty Shop (2005) and her voice-over work in the hit animated film Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006).
In 2007, Queen Latifah again delighted movie-goers with her musical talents. She appeared as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray with John Travolta. Her crime caper Mad Money (2008) with Diane Keaton and Katie Holmes received much colder reception. Returning to drama, Latifah gave a strong performance in The Secret Life of Bees (2008).
On the small screen, Latifah has made a number of guest television appearances over the years, including on the shows 30 Rock and Single Ladies. She also co-starred in the 2012 TV remake of Steel Magnolias with Alfre Woodard, Phylicia Rashad and Jill Scott. Latifah branched out in a new direction the following year. She will enter the daytime television market with a new talk show. The Queen Latifah Show will debut in the fall of 2013. The program promises to be a mix of interviews and comedic and musical performances, according to BET.com.
In addition to acting, Queen Latifah serves as a spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics. She even has her own line with the company: The Queen Collection.
Fly Girl
Queen Latifah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there's no forecast of rainfall
And I'm in the mood for a party
So I'm gonna go out to a club
And give the dancefloor body
So I jump in the car and go to the venue
Walk in the door and now I'm on the menu
Guys in the house they're wacthing me
(Desire) I know you want me
(You're fine) thank you
But I'm not the type of girl that you think I am
I don't jump into the arms of every man
(But I'm paid) I don't need your money
(I love you) you must be mad
Easy lover is something that I ain't
Besides, I don't know you from a can of paint
Tell me why is it when I walk past the guys
I always hear, yo, baby?
I mean like what's the big idea?
I'm a queen, nuff respect
Treat me like a lady
And, no, my name ain't yo and I ain't got your baby
I'm looking for a guy who's sincere
One with class and savoir faire
I'm looking for someone who has to be
Perfect for the queen latifah me
Fly girl, fly girl
Come here, 'cause you're sexy and you're fine
And I want you to be mine
Fly girl, fly girl
Have no fear, your heart is in good hands
Won't you let me be your man?
All my friends are in relationships
Some of then good ones and some of them bad ones
Some of the bad ones took a turn for the better
And some of the good ones ended up sad ones
You see? loving, it ain't hard to get
I want a friend not just a lover
Someone who is dedicated only to me
Not to me and two or three others
One who will not lie to me or think
He can get my love by buying me
I know I'll find him some day
And when I find him
He sure won't say
Fly girl, fly girl
Come here, 'cause you're sexy and you're fine
And I want you to be mine
Fly girl, fly girl, have no fear
Have no fear, your heart is in good hands
Won't you let me be your man?
Lounging, sitting in the house
And I'm cooling, first day of the week
So there's nothing to do
And I'm in the mood for a real soft kiss
Momma never said there'll be days like this
So I called her and we talked for a while
Hang up the phone feeling better
With a smile
It's cool, 'cause 91 is my year
And this time I know I'm gonna hear
Fly girl, fly girl, come here
Come here, 'cause you're sexy and you're fine
And I want you to be mine
Fly girl, fly girl
Have no fear, your heart is in good hands
Won't you let me be your man?
(Desire) I know you want me
(You're fine) thank you
But I'm not the type of girl that you think I am
I don't jump into the arms of every man
(But I'm paid) I don't need your money
(I love you) you must be mad
Easy lover is something that I ain't
Besides, I don't know you from a can of paint
Fly girl, Fly girl, Fly girl
Fly girl, Fly girl, Fly girl
Fly girl, Fly girl, Fly girl
Fly girl, Fly girl, Fly girl
Fly girl, Fly girl
In "Fly Girl," Queen Latifah touches on the topic of female empowerment and independence. She starts off by stating her desire to go out and dance at a club. She then reflects on her experiences being constantly catcalled by men and not wanting to be objectified or defined by their attention. Queen Latifah declares that she is not the typical woman that is easily swayed by financial gestures but instead is looking for someone genuine who is focused solely on her. As she navigates the dating world, she emphasizes the importance of a relationship built on friendship, loyalty, and mutual respect.
The song resonates with women who have experienced the frustration of being objectified and underestimated by men. Queen Latifah's lyrics convey a meaningful message to women that it is okay to be independent and that men should treat them with respect. She emphasizes her own success and self-sufficiency, declaring that she does not need a man to take care of her. Overall, the song inspires women to stand on their own and to seek out genuine relationships rather than being blinded by materialism.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it's almost nightfall
It's getting late in the day
And there's no forecast of rainfall
It's not going to rain
And I'm in the mood for a party
I want to have some fun
So I'm gonna go out to a club
I'm going to a club
And give the dancefloor body
I'm going to dance
So I jump in the car and go to the venue
I get into my car and drive to the club
Walk in the door and now I'm on the menu
All the guys in the club are looking at me
Guys in the house they're watching me
The guys in the club are looking at me
They're clocking me there's no stopping me
They're interested in me and I'm not going to stop doing what I want
(Desire) I know you want me
I know you're attracted to me
(You're fine) thank you
Thank you for the compliment
But I'm not the type of girl that you think I am
I'm not interested in sleeping with every guy who shows interest in me
I don't jump into the arms of every man
I'm selective about who I'm intimate with
(But I'm paid) I don't need your money
I have my own money, I don't need yours
(I love you) you must be mad
I don't know you well enough to say I love you
Easy lover is something that I ain't
I'm not an easy person to date
Besides, I don't know you from a can of paint
I don't know you well enough to date you
Tell me why is it when I walk past the guys
When I walk past guys
I always hear, yo, baby?
They always call me baby
I mean like what's the big idea?
What's the point?
I'm a queen, nuff respect
I'm a strong, respected woman
Treat me like a lady
Respect me
And, no, my name ain't yo and I ain't got your baby
My name is not yo and I'm not your baby
I'm looking for a guy who's sincere
I'm looking for a guy who's honest
One with class and savoir faire
One who is sophisticated and has good social skills
I'm looking for someone who has to be
I'm looking for someone who needs to be
Perfect for the queen latifah me
Perfect for me, Queen Latifah
Fly girl, fly girl
Woman who is stylish and has confidence
Come here, 'cause you're sexy and you're fine
I like you because you're attractive
And I want you to be mine
I want to be in a relationship with you
Have no fear, your heart is in good hands
I'll take care of your heart
Won't you let me be your man?
Will you be my partner?
All my friends are in relationships
My friends are all dating someone
Some of then good ones and some of them bad ones
Some are in good relationships and some are in bad ones
Some of the bad ones took a turn for the better
Some bad relationships turned into good ones
And some of the good ones ended up sad ones
Some good relationships ended badly
You see? loving, it ain't hard to get
It's not difficult to find love
I want a friend not just a lover
I want someone who is more than just a romantic partner
Someone who is dedicated only to me
Someone who is committed to me and not anyone else
Not to me and two or three others
Not to me and other people too
One who will not lie to me or think
Someone who won't be dishonest with me or believe
He can get my love by buying me
That buying me things will make me love him
I know I'll find him some day
I believe I will find the right person one day
And when I find him
When I meet the right person
He sure won't say
He won't say
Lounging, sitting in the house
Relaxing at home
And I'm cooling, first day of the week
I'm relaxing on the first day of the week
So there's nothing to do
I have nothing planned
And I'm in the mood for a real soft kiss
I'm in the mood for a gentle kiss
Momma never said there'll be days like this
My mother never warned me that there would be days like this
So I called her and we talked for a while
I called my mother and we talked for a bit
Hang up the phone feeling better
I felt better after the phone call
With a smile
I smiled
It's cool, 'cause 91 is my year
I'm happy because 1991 is my year
And this time I know I'm gonna hear
I believe I will find happiness
Fly girl, Fly girl, Fly girl
Woman who is stylish and has confidence
Fly girl, Fly girl, Fly girl
Woman who is stylish and has confidence
Fly girl, Fly girl, Fly girl
Woman who is stylish and has confidence
Fly girl, Fly girl, Fly girl
Woman who is stylish and has confidence
Fly girl, Fly girl
Woman who is stylish and has confidence
Lyrics ยฉ Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANA DENISE OWENS, KARSTEN SHACK, MICH HANSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
seaconfused
In 1991 I was an 18 year old white girl from Greece and this song was my ANTHEM. 30 years later still I'm jumping when I hearing it. Thank you Queen Latifah, gorgeous woman, symbol to all women black, white, yellow, green, whatever!
Ethan Creed
@Mario Remington you are welcome =)
Mario Remington
@Ethan Creed thank you, signed up and it seems like a nice service =) I appreciate it !!
Ethan Creed
@Mario Remington Flixportal :P
Mario Remington
i guess I'm kind of off topic but do anyone know of a good website to stream new tv shows online ?
Laurie Wolfe
July 2021. Still love it girl.
Eric Jones
Positive music I love it . I wish more women was like her.
Zynas Moreno
Like what?
Sandro Mauro
Queen Latifah is a LEGEND!!! Hip-hop Classic!!! ๐๐ง๐ถ
Th3rd 3ar Plan3t Radio
The roots of hip hop