Queen Latifah

As the sun was setting in the '80s, it was about to rise on a cultural awakening. Lyte was an undisputed master, but there was a teenager from Newark, New Jersey, who had a different idea about female identity in the Hip Hop Nation. With her head wrapped and her mind elevated, Queen Latifah approached the mic with something new: On All Hail, The Queen, tough and pretty met divinely regal. Born Dana Owens, she had recently adopted the Muslim name, Latifah. She was an MC who seemed to be rooted in a new Black consciousness, a first for a female MC. Although she appeared on the heels of MC Lyte, she could, in no way be compared to her predecessors. By every standard, she was different not just Lyte, but from everyone. Mark The 45 King, already a well-known Hip Hop producer, gave Latifah's debut a unique cross-cultural, cross-genre sound. Her first official single, "Wrath Of My Madness," was a reggae-tinged gem that broke new ground. She had no formula: she wasn't hard; she wasn't soft. She was unapologetically creative. Her connection with the experimental De La Soul (and by way of them, the new Afrocentric vibe that was sweeping through certain corners of Hip Hop) was pivotal for female MCs and for Hip Hop as a whole. One thing was certain: the '90s were coming, and Hip Hop had a promising future. If the last female MC to make an impact on the '80s was going to have anything to do with it, ladies would, indeed, be first.