One of hip hop's first major female stars, Queen Latifah's smooth, soulful house
beats and social raps made her an inspiration to the likes of Missy Elliott,
Nicki Minaj and Lauryn Hill. Nicknamed Latifah - meaning delicate and sensitive
in Arabic - by her cousin, she started beat-boxing for rap group Ladies Fresh
and joined DJ Mark The 45 King's New Jersey MC collective Flavor Unit, where she
impressed MTV host Fab Five Freddy and was signed up by Tommy Boy Records. Debut
All Hail The Queen (1989) became a classic, producing the feminist anthem Ladies
First and the UK Number 14 ...