Famed rapper, singer, model and actress Dana Elaine Owens, better known by … Read Full Bio ↴Famed rapper, singer, model and actress Dana Elaine Owens, better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, was born on March 18, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey. Her debut album All Hail to the Queen sold more than 1 million copies, and the single U.N.I.T.Y. earned Latifah her first Grammy Award. Latifah has also garnered acclaim for acting; she earned her first Oscar nomination (best supporting actress) for her performance in the blockbuster musical Chicago. She has also earned a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination.

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 (لطيفة), 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.

Give Me Your Love
Queen Latifah Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What this madness in my mind
Never really knew love before this time
Boy you'll take me where I've never been before
Now I what to explore more and more, just

[Chorus]
Give me your love, give me your love
Give me your love, give me your love,

Give me your love, give me your love,
Give me your love, give me your love

I'm your woman, you're my man,
Doesn't matter if the world can't understand
I know if you stay right here by my side
I'll have no fear; I'll never run and hide just

Captivate my soul, hold me
When I'm down I need your love to console me
Some weakness tells me when the morning comes
It's hard for me to try to see you're not the one
For the love of you I just might just do most anything
It's the sensation the slightest touch can bring
Baby I adore you this is not a fling
With every breath I sing for you to

[Chorus]

When I was a very small child
My mother told me
Hold on to the things that you love
And never let them go
Love is too precious to be wasted
And that is why I want you to know

What's this madness in my mind I really new love before this time
Boy you'll take me where I've never been before.
Now I want to explore more and more and more

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

Queen Latifah's song "Give Me Your Love" expresses the excitement and vulnerability that come with falling in love. The lyrics describe how the singer has never experienced love like this before and how her new partner is introducing her to new emotions and experiences. She desires to explore these feelings more and more and hopes that her partner will give her all of his love.

The chorus of the song is repetitive and serves to emphasize the intensity of the singer's feelings. She repeatedly pleads for her partner to give her his love, which suggests that she may feel insecure about his commitment to her. This is further emphasized in the second verse where she asks him to captivate her soul and hold her when she's down.

Furthermore, the song touches upon societal pressures and norms, suggesting that their love may not be understood by others. Despite this, the singer remains steadfast in her love for her partner and believes that as long as he is by her side, she has nothing to fear.

Overall, "Give Me Your Love" is a passionate and earnest love song that captures the feelings of falling in love for the first time.

Line by Line Meaning

What this madness in my mind
I'm experiencing overwhelming feelings of love that I've never felt before.

Never really knew love before this time
I've never experienced this level of love and affection in the past.

Boy you'll take me where I've never been before
You're showing me new experiences and emotions I've never felt before.

Now I what to explore more and more, just
I'm eager to keep exploring this new love and everything it has to offer.

Give me your love, give me your love
I want to feel your love and affection fully and completely.

I'm your woman, you're my man,
We are each other's significant other, committed to each other despite the world not always understanding.

Doesn't matter if the world can't understand
It doesn't matter what others think or say, our love is special and strong.

I know if you stay right here by my side
I know that as long as we are together, I won't be afraid or feel the need to run and hide.

I'll have no fear; I'll never run and hide just
Your presence gives me strength and comfort, and I trust you completely.

Captivate my soul, hold me
I want you to capture my heart and soul and hold me close.

When I'm down I need your love to console me
Your love is my source of comfort and support, especially during difficult times.

Some weakness tells me when the morning comes
Sometimes in the morning, I feel vulnerable and unsure of myself.

It's hard for me to try to see you're not the one
Even though I know that you are the one for me, my self-doubt can cause me to question things.

For the love of you I just might just do most anything
My love for you is so strong that I am willing to do almost anything for you.

It's the sensation the slightest touch can bring
Your touch and presence have a powerful effect on me, even the slightest touch can bring me joy and comfort.

Baby I adore you this is not a fling
I love you deeply and this relationship is not just a fling or temporary infatuation.

With every breath I sing for you to
Every moment I spend with you fills me with joy and happiness.

Give me your love, give me your love
I want to feel your love and affection fully and completely.

When I was a very small child
My mother taught me the importance of holding onto the things in life that we love.

My mother told me
My mother imparted this wisdom onto me.

Hold on to the things that you love
It's important to cherish and protect the things in our lives that bring us happiness and fulfillment.

And never let them go
We should never take for granted the things we cherish and always hold onto them tightly.

Love is too precious to be wasted
Love is rare and special, and we should treasure it for what it is.

And that is why I want you to know
This is why I am expressing myself to you so openly and honestly.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: QUEEN LATIFAH, CURTIS MAYFIELD, CARSTEN SHACK, MITCH HANSEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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