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.
Lush Life
Queen Latifah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those come what may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails.
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distant gay traces
By too many through the day
Twelve o'clock tales.
Then you came along with your siren of song
To tempt me to madness!
I thought for a while that your poignant smile was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me.
Ah yes! I was wrong
Again,
I was wrong.
Life is lonely again,
And only last year everything seemed so sure.
Now life is awful again,
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore.
A week in Paris will ease the bite of it,
All I care is to smile in spite of it.
I'll forget you, I will
While yet you are still burning inside my brain.
Romance is mush,
Stifling those who strive.
I'll live a lush life in some small dive
And there I'll be, while I rot
With the rest of those whose lives are lonely, too..
The song "Lush Life" by Queen Latifah is a cover of the famous jazz standard written by Billy Strayhorn. The song is about a person who used to go to extravagant and carefree places where people would relax and enjoy jazz and cocktails. The singer talks about the girls she knew who used to have happy faces but now have sad and sullen ones, possibly due to the struggles and hardships they faced in their lives. The arrival of a person with a siren-like voice attracts and tempts the singer to feel the madness and passion of life, but in the end, the singer realizes that it was just a temporary moment of infatuation.
The lyrics reflect the ups and downs of life and how people quickly shift from feeling happy to feeling lonely, from feeling sure to feeling lost. It also touches on the impact that fleeting moments and connections with people can have on our lives. The singer dreams of living a lush life in some small dive, away from the superficiality and loneliness of life.
Despite the somber lyrics, the song is beautifully arranged and performed by Queen Latifah, who infuses the jazz standard with her soulful voice and classic style.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to visit all the very gay places
I used to go to the most lively and cheerful places.
Those come what may places
Even if anything could happen there, I still went to these places.
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
Where a person can unwind and feel the ups and downs of life.
To get the feel of life
To experience different aspects of life.
From jazz and cocktails.
From listening to jazz music and drinking cocktails.
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
The females I associated with had gloomy and miserable expressions.
With distant gay traces
With remnants of joy and happiness that were once present but have now disappeared.
That used to be there you could see where they'd been washed away
Those traces were actually gone and one could see that they had vanished over time.
By too many through the day
By the pressures of the day-to-day life.
Twelve o'clock tales.
Stories that are exchanged at midnight when people are tired and weary.
Then you came along with your siren of song
Then you arrived with your enchanting voice.
To tempt me to madness!
To entice me towards the point of insanity!
I thought for a while that your poignant smile was tinged with the sadness
For a brief period, I believed that your meaningful smile was indicative of sadness.
Of a great love for me.
A love which was intense and passionate.
Ah yes! I was wrong
Unfortunately, I was incorrect.
Again, I was wrong.
Once more, I was mistaken.
Life is lonely again,
I am feeling solitary and secluded once again.
And only last year everything seemed so sure.
Just last year, everything was certain and clear to me.
Now life is awful again,
Now life is terrible and challenging once more.
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore.
Being surrounded by people who love me seems dull and uninteresting.
A week in Paris will ease the bite of it,
A week-long trip to Paris could alleviate my suffering.
All I care is to smile in spite of it.
All I desire is to remain cheerful despite the situation.
I'll forget you, I will
I'll erase all memories of you from my mind.
While yet you are still burning inside my brain.
Even though you still remain vividly in my thoughts.
Romance is mush,
Romance is nothing but sentimentality.
Stifling those who strive.
Suppressing the ambitions of the people who aim high.
I'll live a lush life in some small dive
I'll lead a luxurious and extravagant life in a modest bar.
And there I'll be, while I rot
I'll continue to exist there, as time moves on.
With the rest of those whose lives are lonely, too.
I'll be alongside those individuals who also lead solitary and desolate lives.
Lyrics © K SMITH MUSIC CO., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Strayhorn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dermeistefan
Would you please name these two (jazz) albums (artists - album name- year).
What really made me an (almost completely) fanboy of hers is her album "Queen latifah - black reign". (god, i love this one)..
Also her song in the movie "chicago", as well as this song here.
I love her mastery in different genres and styles of music.
(Yes, there are these mediocre movies, but let us just ignore them)
Grégory Alfonso García Morán
It is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in my life, as much as the lyrics as in the melody. Initially, the first time I heard it, it was in the version of Stephen Grappelli with the Big Band by Claude Bolling ... but recently I notice, in such beautiful lyrics. What to say ... Queen Latifah, sing this piece of music, and she does it infinitely... Grégory Alfonso García Morán, MD (Desde la Dama Gris de los Andes: Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia).
"I used to visit all the very gay places
Those come what may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails.
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distant gay traces
That used to be there you could see where they'd been washed away
By too many through the day
Twelve o'clock tales.
Then you came along with your siren of song
To tempt me to madness!
I thought for a while that your poignant smile was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me.
Ah yes! I was wrong
Again,
I was wrong.
Life is lonely again,
And only last year everything seemed so sure.
Now life is awful again,
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore.
A week in Paris will ease the bite of it,
All I care is to smile in spite of it.
I'll forget you, I will
While yet you are still burning inside my brain.
Romance is mush,
Stifling those who strive.
I'll live a lush life in some small dive
And there I'll be, while I rot
With the rest of those whose lives are lonely, too..
A week…"
Crystal Cotton
I have never understood why this woman has not been celebrated so much more then she is. I love how she can cover any arrangement put in front of her. So damn talented and so damn beautiful.
Nadya Rossi
She is the only one to play Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I wish Hollywood considered making biographical movies about great stars & pioneers like her, instead of schlocky remakes.
Lauren B
The Queen is one of the most talented woman in the industry.
Bar Scott
I agree, Crystal. Amazing talent in everything she does.
Skin EyemIn
Because, she unapologetically black and represented rap / hip hop music with NO apologies, and the "white" establishment back then never like that genre of entertainment nor what it represented, that is why.
Erique Johnson
I feel you. Goes to show you how uptight the jazz world is - she really did obliterate this. - after attempting to get into jazz later in life - i do feel its a young persons game.... doesn't feel like it but it has always shown its ugly head.
Photo Guy
I miss real music like this. Completely blown away by Queen Latifah’s range. I had no clue she was this talented. Bravo.
pnojazz
She’s got a rare two octave range.
John Jacobe
Without any doubt, this is the best performance of Billy Strayhorn's masterpiece EVER! Queen Latifa you have talent in abundance! Big shout out to the producer(s), music arranger(s). Absolutely brilliant! Extraordinary!!! Love this so much!
Sal DeVere
#2 for me. for me #1 goes to Hartman and Coltrane ♥