Queen Latifah Just Received This Major Honor From The Library Of Congress
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Queen Latifah has made history by officially being recognized by the world’s largest library.
The music icon and actor’s debut album, 1989’s “All Hail the Queen,” has become the earliest work by a female rapper to join the National Recording Registry, the Library of Congress announced this month.
The album was celebrated for its ability to “cross genres including reggae, hip-hop, house and jazz — while also opening opportunities for other female rappers,” a press release said.
Latifah, born Dana Owens, is only the second female rapper to join the registry. Lauryn Hill’s 1998 classic “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” received the honor in 2014, according to the registry website.
Latifah joined 24 other artists whose music was inducted into the registry this week. Music by Madonna, Mariah Carey, The Police, John Lennon and Irene Cara was also included in the 2023 class.
The National Recording Registry aims to preserve music that “reflects our nation’s diverse culture,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in the release.
The release of @IAMQUEENLATlFAH's debut album “All Hail the Queen” in 1989 (when she was just 19) solidified the success of her previous singles while also announcing that rap could be female, Afrocentric, and incorporate a fusion of musical genres. #NatRecRegistrypic.twitter.com/4eR54mXPS1
— Library of Congress (@librarycongress) April 12, 2023
Latifah has received a lot of praise for her music legacy in recent weeks.
Last month, Usher paused one of his Las Vegas residency shows to hand a bouquet of red roses to the “Equalizer” actor, who was seated in the audience. Latifah’s hit 1993 single “U.N.I.T.Y.” could be heard playing in the background.
“Giving the queen her flowers,” Usher wrote in a text overlay on the since-expired Instagram story he posted himself.
“U.N.I.T.Y.” earned Latifah a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1994 Grammy Awards.
UPDATE: April 17 ― After an inquiry from HuffPost, the Library of Congress updated its press release to clarify that Latifah’s debut album was not the first work by a female rapper to be inducted into the registry, as the library originally stated, but the earliest such work.
