17 Rockin' Artifacts

Queen Latifah's African Print Outfit, 1989

Dana Owens, better known as Queen Latifah, added feminist activism to hip-hop's agenda with her declaration of "Ladies First" on her debut album, All Hail the Queen. Throughout the '90s and into the 21st century, Queen Latifah has been a strong presence in hip-hop, television and film.

More about Queen Latifah
One of the first female hip-hop artists to rise to international fame, Queen Latifah was born Dana Owens in Newark, New Jersey, in 1970. She got her start in the music industry as a rapper/human beat box with the all-female ensemble Ladies Fresh. At age 18, she went solo and released the single "Wrath of My Madness," followed the next year by the album All Hail the Queen.