Also, at the age of eight, Dana Owens decided she wanted to change her name to a Muslim name. According to Amy Ruth, “Dana changed her name to Latifah because she liked how the name sounded, and even more than that, she liked what it meant: sensitive, kind, and delicate” (21). According to Amy Ruth, Latifah said, "The name accurately described exactly who I was inside. I love how it made me feel feminine and special. The people in my world may have perceived it as something else, but. I knew who I was inside and I wanted to show a bit of that on the outside" (21). As a young child, Latifah attended a Catholic school, which taught her a strong sense of discipline. Later, she enrolled at Irvington High School, where her mom taught. It was during Latifah’s high school years that she began to find herself both academically and socially. In Latifah's first year of high school, she participated in a talent show where she sang, and with the appreciation of the audience and her older brother, she was encouraged to pursue her dream of being a rapper. Throughout Latifah's life she had shared a special bond with her older brother Lancelot Owens Jr. As siblings they navigated many …show more content…
Latifah’s impact in female hip-hop was revolutionary and pioneering. According to Jonathan C. Friedman, “Queen Latifah is rap’s first diva” (1). Jonathan C. Friedman also states that, “Latifah had battled stereotypes about women’s place in the male-dominated genre as she sought to create a space for women that at once acknowledged their femaleness and observed the conventions of hip-hop performance” (1). The book Rebel Music: Resistance through hip-hop and punk states, “Queen Latifah rapped with a Black feminist perspective that made her anti-sexist anthems become popular among urban women” (Parmar 23). She addressed the issues of empowerment, social justice, and identity. Her debut album “All Hail the Queens” was the song she wrote that became one of the first female voices in the male-dominated genre of hip-hop. Queen Latifah's music talked about sexual harassment, domestic violence, and the struggles that black women faced. Furthermore, Latifah has been a great supporter of women’s rights and the LGTBQ+ community during her career. Queen Latifah supports women's rights through her public statements and music. She continues to support the LGTBQ community as much as possible because when she can