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.
I'm Gonna Live Till I Die
Queen Latifah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna take the town and turn it upside down,
I'm gonna live, live, live until I die.
They're gonna say "What a gal!" I'm gonna play for the sky.
Ain't gonna miss a thing, I'm gonna have my fling,
I'm gonna live, live, live until I die.
They'll never trail over my head.
I'll be a devil, till I'm an angel, but until then.
Hallelujah, gonna dance, gonna fly, I'll take a chance riding high,
Before my number's up, I'm gonna fill my cup,
I'm gonna live, live, live, until I die!
The blues I lay low, I'll make them stay low,
They'll never trail over my head.
I'll be a devil, till I'm an angel, but until then.
Hallelujah, gonna dance, gonna fly, I'll take a chance riding high,
Before my number's up, I'm gonna fill my cup.
I'm gonna live, live, live, until I die!
The song "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die" by Queen Latifah is a self-affirmation anthem. The lyrics suggest that no matter what happens in life, she will live it to the fullest. The first line of the song, "I'm gonna live till I die," sets the tone for the rest of the song. This line emphasizes the idea of embracing life to the fullest until one's last breath.
The next line, "I'm gonna laugh 'stead of cry," means that instead of looking at life with a negative perspective, she will choose to find the humor in situations. In essence, she is saying that she chooses joy over sadness. "I'm gonna take the town and turn it upside down" means that she will not let the city or any place get the best of her. Rather, she will take advantage of everything the city has to offer and make it work for her.
The chorus, "I'm gonna live, live, live until I die" is the most important part of this song. Queen Latifah repeats this line a few times in the song to emphasize that she will live life to the fullest before her time is up. In conclusion, this song has a simple message that can be applied to different aspects of one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna live till I die!
I will live my life to the fullest, without fear or hesitation, until the day I die.
I'm gonna laugh 'stead of cry,
I will choose to find joy in life's ups and downs, rather than succumbing to sadness and tears.
I'm gonna take the town and turn it upside down,
I will make my mark on the world, leaving a lasting impression and creating positive change.
I'm gonna live, live, live until I die.
I will not waste a single moment, but instead, I will live with purpose and passion until my last breath.
They're gonna say "What a gal!"
People will be in awe of my strength, confidence, and resilience.
I'm gonna play for the sky.
I will reach for the stars and dream big, knowing that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.
Ain't gonna miss a thing, I'm gonna have my fling,
I will live without regret, taking risks and seizing opportunities as they come.
The blues I lay low, I'll make them stay low,
I will not allow sadness or negativity to bring me down, but rather, I will rise above it and stay positive.
They'll never trail over my head.
My troubles will not define me, but rather, I will overcome them.
I'll be a devil, till I'm an angel, but until then.
I will make mistakes, take risks, and sometimes behave recklessly, but I will learn and grow from my experiences.
Hallelujah, gonna dance, gonna fly, I'll take a chance riding high,
I will celebrate the joys of life, and take bold steps towards achieving my dreams.
Before my number's up, I'm gonna fill my cup,
I will make the most of every opportunity and moment, living with no regrets.
I'm gonna live, live, live, until I die!
I will remain alive and present in every moment, making the most of the time I have on this Earth.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, GANNON & KENT MUSIC CO
Written by: Mann Curtis, Al Hoffman, Walter Kent
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind