"We entered this industry together and hip hop has shaped us. It has grown into more than just music and has left a mark on our culture and society", says Latifah, or Dana Elaine Owens as she is actually named, in a statement.
Both Queen Latifah and Will Smith started making music in the late 1980s. Recently, Will Smith launched a podcast, "Class of '88", where one episode focused on Latifah's impact on hip hop.
Latifah has focused more on her acting career than music in recent years. She has starred in films such as "Valentine's Day", "Bringing Down the House", and "Hairspray". She became the first female hip hop artist to be nominated for an Oscar for her role as prison warden Mama Morton in the musical "Chicago" in 2003.
In 2021, she made headlines when she came out as gay in an acceptance speech at the Bet Awards, where she thanked her partner Eboni Nichols and ended with "Happy Pride". Latifah had previously not wanted to reveal anything about her private life, despite speculation about her sexuality.
Her latest album "Persona" was released in 2009.
