Since the Native Tongues promoted a more inclusive, less macho brand of hip-hop it’s only right that two empowered females figured prominently in the collective’s massive impact in the early 90s. Queen Latifah (Dana Elaine Owens) and Monie Love (Simone Antionette Johnson), who both scored early hits, parlayed their success in the rap game into two very different careers—Latifah as an award-winning actress and Love as a popular radio personality.
Hailing from Newark, New Jersey, Latifah originally made her mark as a member of The Flavor Unit, a crew anchored by producer DJ Mark The 45 King (of “800 Number” fame) and featuring fellow Jersey MCs Chill Rob G, Latee, Lakim Shabazz and Apache. Her first single “Wrath of My Madness,” produced by 45 King, caught the attention of Tommy Boy A&R Dante Ross, who signed her up for her debut, All Hail the Queen (1989), when she was only 19 years old. Latifah proceeded to break new ground, offering a women’s perspective on such topics as domestic violence, harassment on the streets, and relationships while still maintaining a hard edge. Reaching number six on Billboard’s Top Hip-Hop/R&B albums, the album spun off such singles as “Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children” (a collab with De La Soul) and “Ladies First” (with Monie Love).
Though following that record up fairly quickly with Nature of a Sista (Tommy Boy, 1991), Latifah was already diving headfirst into an acting career with small parts in House Party 2, Juice, and Jungle Fever before scoring a steady role as Khadijah on the Fox sitcom Living Single in 1993. Even so, her third album Black Reign (Motown, 1993) peaked at number 23 on Billboard’s Hot 100, eventually selling gold and earning a Grammy.
Not long afterwards, Latifah starred in the lead role in the action/heist film Set It Off (1996), launching her into a career in Hollywood. She also managed to take a turn as a daytime talk show host with The Queen Latifah Show from 1999-2001. Her steady work in music, TV, and film have earned her a slew of awards including a Grammy, an Emmy, a Golden Globe, three SAG awards, and two NAACP image awards. Currently, you can see her in a reboot of the CBS detective series The Equalizer, where she plays Robyn McCall, a divorced mom and former CIA operative. The Queen has definitely come a long way.
Born in London, England, Monie Love also travelled far from her origins when she moved to New York from the other side of the pond in 1988. She landed smack dab in the middle of a really cool scene hanging out with Jungle Brothers, De La, and ATCQ, and appearing on De La’s “Buddy” and the JB’s “Doin’ Our Own Dang.” A standout with her English accent and charismatic performances, it didn’t take long for her to get her own deal with Warner Brothers, who released her debut, Down to Earth (1990). Though Afrika Baby Bam of the JBs was holding down most of the production, the Fine Young Cannibals were responsible for one of the album’s hits, “Monie in the Middle.” Another single, “It’s a Shame (My Sister)” became a Top 40 smash. For her second album, In a Word or 2 (Warner, 1993) Love collaborated with producer Marley Marl though none other than Prince co-produced her number one dance hit, “Born 2 B.R.E.E.D.” In exchange for his services, Love wrote several songs for Prince’s side project, the eponymous album by Carmen Elektra.
In the early aughts, Love transitioned from artist to radio jock, hosting the morning drive time on Philly’s 100.3 WPHI-FM from 2004-2006. Since then, she has worked in Houston and Indianapolis as well as hosting her own show, “Ladies First with Monie Love,” for XM Satellite Radio. Currently, the mother of four holds down an afternoon slot on KISS 104.1 WALR in Atlanta. Both her and Latifah provide shining examples of strong women who were able to make an impact in a male-dominated scene while successfully navigating the music industry, and, ultimately, doing’ their own thang.
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