Bass of
Power
By
Rob Hooper, I'lihtnity limes, (California State l !.<»<> Angeles
Queen I atifah seems to tie sunny
on top of the world \t she
has accomplished more than most
artists ho|H- to in a lifetime
Her list of achievements includes tier
own record lahel, management enmpa
in, video store, platinum alliums and a
feature film role in last fall’s \/v Life
Now the t.'ueen sa\s she is glad to take
on vet another challenge in a long list of
< an er gi>als teles ishm
"l ie always liecn into a million differ
cut things at one tune,” she sa\s “1 his
is no more difficult than liemg in high
school, running through the streets of
New ^ ork and playing on a hasketlull
team I hat took the same amount of
tune, hut now I’m |ust focused on dit
ferent things "
( )ne of the main things she’s focused
on these days is her role m the lox 1 \
sitcom, l.r.ing Single. In the show,
I atifah plays maga/inc editor khadtiah.
a tough, outspoken entrepreneur who
shares a Brooklyn lirownstone ycith t\co
other successful women
I lose characters, along vcith
khadijah's liest friend from college, otter
each other advice on work, friendship
and, most importantly, the opposite se\
I Ih result is a stylish hlend of humor
and sincerity that ap|K*als to Inilh teen
age and adult audiences I atifah sees
many of her character’s personality
traits in herself. “kludi|ah and I do
lave .1 lut m iiimMiiin,n •'In- -..ns
'Win In ith Min esstul W c 11 .iK, I Ik ith
rotncgirls In mi .in hi ml the wit Inn
• tr-aighl up professionals .n work
I ten tthrn playing .1 pan. I .1111uh s
lown 111 earth attitude mints through in
ui performance “\ 1 y own integrity
lows through my 1l1.11.n1n." she cats,
‘so I won't do anything I don't agree
•titli on I \ I made that elear |to tin
irodticcrs| licit ire there was even a pilot
I .it 11 ah s.ns her eharaetcr's no non
,ensc approach to lile appeals to her
iw n sensibilities, but the show has not
net with equal praise among critics
Mthough /mg Single has garnvied
ugh ratings in its first season, some
elevision writers hate accused the show
it male bashing
“People are wan hum the show,
.ititah says deteiisitelt. so obviously
hey re not upset It stalled In soint guy
anting an article, and he was basically
ill puking lb wasii 1 looking .11 ant ot
he c'ikkI things we do on the show
he humor in 11 01 the camaraderie
letween the characters lie picket! out
me line in the pilot 10 write alxiut Vntl
,o what- It a gut does something
crone. then we ll talk aliotit Ins ass."
I ititah. whose real name is Dana
Iwens, has never Itccn at raid to spt ak
ter mind alxmt men, especially 111 her
nusu I ler first two ( mammy nominal
•d albums. Ill ILnl the Queen and
With music, TV and film success
at 23, Queen Latifah has a lot to
say - and people are listening.
\titure iff J ''I'ld 1 I o(U
im litiv), hoth toni.1 m
raps that speak out against
tht abuse ot ws>iiicn Hti
latest release, lil.iA- AYrgri
i Wo'tow n i • no < \ t ;>
lion
; 1 MM, the al
hum's hist single . I atitah
Issues h r I own i a 11 to
arms tor wointn to him!
together to men unit
op|)ttssion I )urint tin
song s tortttul thorns, she
si mis. Who ii tailin’ a
hitch l \ I 1 N You
mit to Itt tm know 'ton
ain't a hitch or i Im
"1 wrote l MM’
lietausc 1 was suk of w hat
I was sec me, she savs "I
w as at a ( .leek pit tin at a
i ol It pc in Philadelphia a
cituple ot tears ago with
some triends We weie
sitting oil our iars watih
I n g people go In , and
some guts from a trait!
nttt were sitting across
the street from us
‘‘I’very time a gil l
w al ked ht t hem. t het d
pn k her up "tt die ground
.tiul .ill the i»uvn would Ik teclm' her up
ll she cursed them nut, thes'd s.n 1 ”k
you, bitch,’ like she was in the ttriint’
Some nt the e;irls were actualh kicking
.iiul punchmi; on the Kms to lease them
alone
"It nude me wonder where then heads
were at," she sass " I tier claimed the\
were sill ij x rsed to lie in a tratetnit\ I want
ed them to tell tile exactls what dies were
I vrr\ v*tri in not Ilk* th.it \m! I think
it's i ! inn eu tisi h »t i lot < »t t fuse rap
iH'fs to s av thev imh I ill yirls bill hes «>r
In in U v .nnc thev .Kt liki t h.it It doesn t
make them ttght
\lth.Mieh I intah nivn vhi* dots not
want to he LiIk'IciI .is an issue oriented
artist, num of tin songv on lil.tA AYn
tie.11 with the problems *>t taeimii \ i««
lent e ami tuisu^yn\ that she has
eiucmntereil m her enmnvumtv
" Musk i an be a e i eat te.n Inn t
she na\s I just nhln what I \
of artists don't open their e\es t*» see
what’s going on out there I just want
|K»»plt to respet t one inotlu i am! show
eat h other some t ommon eourtesv
\ It he nigh slu ' u i'll • s h ; if mipU
i "eommon sensist. mam of I atifah s
Ians have identified her as the nutinuli
for the rap ami hip hop steru. a tub slu
savs she is willing to brush aside for
now "I’m too voting foi iliat imam
bet a use I still don’t know what to do all
the time I'm still growing up mvselt
lor the moment, though, I atifah i\
she is looking torwao! to i omuit tout
alter / /. mg S/n^Jr tinishes filming tor tlx
season "I love the t halienge < »t wmnmt'
over a crowd,’ slu avs "Sav voti make
S 1 s (HK) in a nieht It v on have to bust
your ass a little harder to get the audi
enct on vom ft am, then pavinent |is|
tine You’ve rained votir nuuu v
\\ hen ask til w hit h slu would ‘boose
it she had to pit k one career at tine
or singing she takes a long pause
Neither,” sht savs tm.illv with a hie
grin "Little kids see me and don t know
whether to ‘ ill me Dana. I atifah or
k had 11 ah I like that 'so fat I u learned
to follow through with tin own
mstltu ts It I Silt t eed, well then lu v
I [Kl II K \ < Ml
**** *00ut using the words
gfd or ho."
''^r^ "Just, AH
r w Wrt l
.? heart of latltah’s
J music She tiRi us
Mum a desire to over
hardship is the y
first step to lullnimq/
di earns. iBjbp' /
• um ihemjfe cpvering/
safer sex to antMfflljVlM to /
Self respect, ttM Quitfl/'
reign is sure to \6y
long lasting.
Rob Hooper
mini; n> represent I was tusi waiting
tm them in m iii.it s"t on me
mil cue mi- .1 reasi ill to tight
lul l t il like to vc the'
brothers in tin ( .reck
system try to uphold
what they re sup
nosed to In- up
holding."
I ike m.iin
females in r.ip
ftlUSK: tod.ii,
I J t I t .1 il S.I1S
she uses her
rhymes as a
tool to r.nse
consciousness
.ihoul women s
issues “I'm sir k
ot w ,iu hmg guv
look .it wh.it these
other knuckleheads
ttunonthtonfeasi \
‘U N I T Y ‘ the al
bum’s crowning glory. **<
expresses her disgust tor men
who treat women like pieces
of meat Blending rap and
\ hip-hop the song s
ate doing and support V punchy ch0fUS Will
mg them like we some n.make any man
kmda hitch or ho," she savs think ftyice