By DJ YRS Jerzy
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Look back on how far Queen Latifah has come over the past 25 years. Before “Living Single” and the blockbuster smash movies, Queen Latifah was just another girl from Jersey trying to live out her dream. The thing was, Queen Latifah wasn’t just another girl from Jersey, she was a strong, confident, young woman.
Queen Latifah is the pioneer in female rap and without her legacy, Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj would have nothing to fight over and Eve’s records would not exist. A lot of homage is due to Queen Latifah, but it is overlooked for some reason. In television, film, and Jazz music, Latifah is Queen, but she started out here in hip hop.
Female anthems made Queen Latifah a legend and “Ladies First” was one of the first ones from her. Included on her 1989 debut, All Hail the Queen, Queen Latifah featured a then-unknown London femcee, Monie Love, on the track and she is now regarded as one of hip hop’s biggest media personalities. Had it not been for “Ladies First,” neither Queen Latifah nor Monie Love would be regarded quite as they are.
Watch “Ladies First” by Queen Latifah ft. Monie Love below:
