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Queen Latifah

We Insist: A Century Of Black Music Against State Violence

Lil Baby performs during a Juneteenth voter registration rally on June 19, 2020 at Murphy Park Fairgrounds in Atlanta, Ga. One week earlier, he released "The Bigger Picture," a song protesting police brutality. Paras Griffin/Getty Images hide caption

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Paras Griffin/Getty Images

America Reckons With Racial Injustice

We Insist: A Century Of Black Music Against State Violence

These songs take on some of the ugliest stories in our history and reflect the commitment of Black musicians to telling the truth of how Black people have been wronged, and survived, and fought back.

How Slick Rick And Queen Latifah 'Breathed Life Into Hip-Hop' In 1988

Slick Rick released his debut album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick in 1988. Al Pereira/Getty Images hide caption

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Music News

How Slick Rick And Queen Latifah 'Breathed Life Into Hip-Hop' In 1988

Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia of NPR's podcast What's Good explain why they think 1988 was a banner year for hip-hop.

How Slick Rick And Queen Latifah 'Breathed Life Into Hip-Hop' In 1988

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New Mix: Turning The Tables Takes Over All Songs Considered

Clockwise from upper left: Lauryn Hill, Joni Mitchell (Blue album cover), PJ Harvey (Rid of Me album cover), Nina Simone, Ofra Haza (Fifty Gates of Wisdom album cover), Aretha Franklin. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

New Mix: Turning The Tables Takes Over All Songs Considered

Five critics join forces on this week's All Songs Considered to unpack the some of the highlights of Turning The Tables.

New Mix: Turning The Tables Takes Over All Songs Considered

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Music Interviews

Queen Latifah Tunes into 'Trav'lin' Light'

Latifah has always followed her mother's advice: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Her success in music and film has allowed her to do things she loves, like singing old jazz and R&B tunes.

Queen Latifah Tunes into 'Trav'lin' Light'

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In HBO's 'Bessie,' Queen Latifah Stars As Empress Of The Blues

Queen Latifah plays blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO movie Bessie. Frank Masi/Courtesy of HBO hide caption

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Frank Masi/Courtesy of HBO

Music Interviews

In HBO's 'Bessie,' Queen Latifah Stars As Empress Of The Blues

It took Queen Latifah more than 20 years to bring the life of pioneering blues singer Bessie Smith to the screen. "Inhabiting her has inhabited me," she says.

In HBO's 'Bessie,' Queen Latifah Stars As Empress Of The Blues

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Queen Latifah: The Fresh Air Interview

Queen Latifah. Frank Micelotta/Getty Images hide caption

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Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

The History of Hip-Hop

Queen Latifah: The Fresh Air Interview

Fresh Air

Her critically acclaimed 1989 debut album All Hail The Queen is considered one of the best rap albums of all time, and she has starred in many movies. (This interview originally aired March 15, 1999.)

Queen Latifah Reigns Over Music, Movies

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Review

Music Reviews

Queen Latifah Turns to Ballads

Many may not recognize The Dana Owens album as the latest work of Queen Latifah. Music critic Oliver Wang reviews her new album and says its ballads are far from the hip-hop sound that brought her fame.

Queen Latifah Turns to Ballads

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Music Interviews

Queen Latifah: From Hip-Hop to Big Band

Fifteen years after her hard-hitting hip-hop debut, All Hail the Queen, Queen Latifah has a new CD of jazz, soul and pop standards covering artists as diverse as Dinah Washington and Al Green.

Queen Latifah: From Hip-Hop to Big Band

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Music News

Queen Latifah: She Sings, She Acts... She Produces

Queen Latifah rose to prominence as a rapper and soon made an impact on the film business. She's nominated for an Oscar for her robust role in Chicago, and her latest movie is Bringing Down the House, which she also produced. Weekend Edition entertainment critic Elvis Mitchell and NPR's Scott Simon chat about the Queen.

Queen Latifah: She Sings, She Acts... She Produces

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