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She Did That! Queen Latifah

For over 30 years, this Grammy winning rapper turned actress has dominated the music charts, blockbuster films, and popular TV series.

Multi-talented Queen Latifah, who dropped her debut rap album All Hail the Queen in 1989, is a Grammy Award winner as well as an acclaimed TV, and film actress. In 2006, she became the first rapper to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, earning it for her TV and film work.

The Newark, N.J. native, born Dana Elaine Owens, received the nickname Latifah as a child and decided to use it as her stage name. Success came quickly, with her first album selling more than 1 million copies. Her acting debut came in Jungle Fever, Spike Lee’s 1991 film, and we will never forget her performance as Cleo in Set It Off.

As a successful entrepreneur and CoverGirl cosmetics spokeswoman for years, Queen Latifah has numerous business ventures including her production company Flavor Unit Entertainment which signed a film distribution deal with Netflix. She will star and co-executive produce the streaming services’ upcoming movie, End of the Road.

"I think that was great because I was opening the door of what a CoverGirl could — and should — look like," Queen Latifah shared during her interview.

However, her most recent acting endeavor is starring in the new CBS drama, The Equalizer, which made its debut following this year’s Super Bowl championship game. The hour-long series has already been renewed for a second season.

As BET continues to celebrate Women's History Month, we hail all the queens "who did that" and have discovered new and exciting ways to reinvent their talent.

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