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.
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
Queen Latifah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quiet chords from my guitar
Floating on the silence that surrounds us
Quiet thoughts 'n quiet dreams,
quiet walks by quiet streams
Climbing hills where lovers go to watch the world below together
We will live eternally in this mood of reverie
Away . . . from all the earthly cares around us
And all at once the happiness I knew,
Became these quiet nights of loving you!
[instrumental break]
We will live eternally in this mood of reverie
Away . . . from all the earthly cares around us
My world was dull each minute until I found you in it
And all at once the happiness I knew,
Became these quiet nights of loving you!
[adlib quiet nights ect.]
The lyrics of Queen Latifah's song "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" express the tranquility and contentment of being with the person you love in a peaceful and idyllic setting. The opening lines describe the scene of a serene night with the gentle sounds of a guitar playing quiet chords, surrounded by the quietness of the night. The lyrics portray a sense of intimacy and solitude as the couple takes quiet walks by quiet streams and climbs hills together to watch the world below. The singer expresses the desire to stay in this moment of peaceful joy forever, away from the troubles and worries of the world.
As the instrumental break takes over, it brings the listener into the same mood of calmness and tranquility that the singer is experiencing. At the end of the song, the singer declares that her world was dull until she found her lover in it, and now she's experiencing happiness that's manifested into these quiet nights of loving each other. The song is a tribute to the beauty and power of being in love, surrounded by the quietness and stillness of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Quiet nights 'n quiet stars,
The peacefulness of the night is emphasised by the quiet stars and it sets the mood for the rest of the song.
Quiet chords from my guitar
The gentle music from the guitar sets the tranquil atmosphere and creates a sense of intimacy.
Floating on the silence that surrounds us
The stillness of the surroundings allows for an almost out-of-body floating sensation.
Quiet thoughts 'n quiet dreams,
The peacefulness allows for a clear mind, leading to tranquil thoughts and dreams.
quiet walks by quiet streams
The imagery of the quiet stream accentuates the calming feeling and suggests a calming walk.
Climbing hills where lovers go to watch the world below together
Sharing a special view with a loved one can create a lasting memory and an intimate bond.
We will live eternally in this mood of reverie
This moment of tranquility and happiness will be remembered forever because of how special it is.
Away . . . from all the earthly cares around us
The outside noise is silenced, allowing for a break from the chaos of everyday life.
My world was dull each minute until I found you in it
The happiness of finding love has transformed the artist's world from a dull one to a vibrant and exciting one.
And all at once the happiness I knew,
The lyricist found happiness with love during their nightly moments.
Became these quiet nights of loving you!
The peace of the nights are amplified by the presence of love shared during these times.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM, GENE LEES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind