Queen Latifah Awarded at the 37th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Quotes
"Fuck you, nigger [sounds of fist fighting]. . . . Apache, get him; hit him. . . . a fight, a fight, a nigga and a white, if the nigger don't win then we all jump in. . . . because always my murder is smoking all America's white boys. . . . here comes Five-O [the police]. . . . trying to creep, because I put pale face to sleep. . . . out of nowhere, my troops stormed in, yah; I say, yoh, time to roll and show no fear, because we're bad, and oh yeah, wear your riot gear. . . . I got them hoping and praying for a great white hope, but all they come up with is great white dopes; clumsy honkies. . . . you're shit, whitey. . . . let's play a game; it's called, pin the tail on the honkey. . . . kick his ass; kick his ass; yoh, Apache, you really fucked that white kid up. . . . sometimes I feel like that about white folks";
"A Fight"; Apache, Apache Ain't Shit, 1993, Tommy Boy Music, Time Warner.

"Kill the white people; we gonna make them hurt; kill the white people; but buy my record first; ha, ha, ha";
"Kill d'White People," Apache, Apache Ain't Shit, 1993, Tommy Boy Music, Time Warner.

Article
      Queen Latifah was awarded in March 1995 as "Best Rap Solo Performance" for her song "U.N.I.T.Y." Throughout her career in entertainment, Queen Latifah has rapped black identity lyrics, has praised black artists who churn out violent racism, and has produced violently racist lyrics.

      On her 1989 solo album she referred to herself as "Queen Latifah," "Latifah," the "queen," a "black queen," "your Highness," and "mama Zulu." On the track, "Come into My House," she uses Nation of Islam terminology when she refers to herself as "the Asiatic black woman [who is] hardcore beat drumming." (Blacks referring to themselves as Asiatics goes back as far as 1913 at least, and that was when Noble Drew Ali forbade the followers of his black Muslim sect from referring to themselves as "Negroes," "Black People," or "Colored Folk.") She boasts about her backup musical crew, The Flavor Unit. Female "gangsta" rappers typically use violent imagery sparser and less gruesomely than do their male counterparts. However, the female artists do rap alongside male rappers oftentimes, contributing songs to albums that premier male "gangsta" rappers, or joining in with the males on tracks. On her 1989 album, she directs violent imagery at competing rappers, especially at those rappers who she believes have stolen her rhymes. She says that rappers are not good unless they "get a grip on the African way." She calls Africa "the other land" and "the motherland," saying that she must speak out about it. She and another female rapper, Monie Love, say that women are great, that they are "the ones [who] give birth to the new generation of prophets." Rappers typically make claims about their musical prowess, and Queen Latifah follows the basic formula when she boasts that she delivers the cleverest rhymes in the smoothest fashion. She says that her music is powerful, that she is "black and won't lack," and that she will "teach the youth [and] feed the needy." On a track called "Evil that Men Do," Queen Latifah passes out messages that she claims are "so dangerous" that she should be put in jail, and she says that she is sending out the messages to blacks who she refers to as "my sisters and brothers." The messages are as follows: black women live on welfare because the government does not come up with a decent housing program; "a sucker" is the kind of person who tells blacks that they are treated equally; "Johannesburg cries for freedom" but the US President does not respond; "someone is living the good life tax free because some poor girl can't find a way to be crack free"; it's a shame that people spend quarters on video games but do not give quarters to homeless persons; and listeners must stay aware of issues in order to bring about peace and to thwart "the evil that men do." Queen Latifah does not express any worry about crimes by blacks against non-blacks, but she is concerned that "black-on-black crime only shackles and binds." She says "she rhymes American [and] she raps Jamaican." She praises the Jungle Brothers, Afrika Bambaataa, and KRS-One. ("Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children.") On the CD pamphlets, some rap groups and rappers praised, of whom some spread virulent racism, are Public Enemy, Kool Moe Dee, Ice-T, Dr Dre, A Tribe Called Quest, and LL Cool J. Also thanked are Nation of Islam, Yo! MTV Raps, Black Entertainment Television, CBS Records, and Sony Corporation.

      On her 1991 solo album, she spells her name out as rappers inevitably do. Also, she calls herself mama Zulu and the "feminine teacher" who informs about black culture. Also on the second track, she is described as a "black woman" who wants "equality," and there are descriptions of a black "nation" that should have "one destiny." On the third track, she announces that it is not enough for hateful black rappers "to blame it on the whitey" in their rap hits that use violent imagery, but that it is also necessary for blacks to buy property and to buy goods from blacks in order for black businesses to start. In the song, Queen Latifah deepens her affiliation with violently racist rap music by saying the following: she has been looking for a reason to make blacks upset; she takes Glock-like knowledge from Africa and "bust them at America"; and her raps conform with Public Enemy's because they are "bold, buckwild, safari-style." The track was produced by Naughty by Nature. ("One Mo Time.") Two tracks are about love between men and women, and the second one includes sexual imagery. ("Give Me Your Love" and "How Do I Love You.") One song is about her desire for a monogamous relationship, and she says that the right man must respect her. ("Fly Girl.") Some guys sleep around more than women do. ("That's the Way We Flow.") When she seeks out a man for a relationship, she will not require that he has a lot of money. ("Nature of a Sista.") Black identity phrases occur in other songs. She talks of "Afrocentricity" and "Jamaica." ("Sexy Fancy.") She says that she is affecting minds with an "African point of view," and that she sees "the discrimination of the ones they call black." ("If You Don't Know.") Blacks with different skin tones must get along, and she will teach blacks how to love again. ("Love Again.") On most tracks she boasts that she is a great rapper, and on one track she complains about other rappers stealing her rhymes. ("Bad as a Mutha.")

      Queen Latifah rapped on the opening track of another album which came out 1991. Called Civilization vs. Technology, the album features many rappers and reggae artists, and they declared themselves part of an organization called H.E.A.L., which stood for Human Education Against Lies. There is violent racism on the album. Queen Latifah appears in major motion pictures, on television, on talk shows, and she has produced violently racist rap music.

      Prior to her GRAMMY Award in 1993, a rapper named Apache released an album for which she was an executive producer. Apache had been and continued to be a member of The Flavor Unit, her musical backup crew. She boasts about The Flavor Unit on her albums. Apache uses his own name frequently on his 1993 album, Apache Ain't Shit, and he yells out its main theme constantly which is his claims that he has a large penis and has rough sexual intercourse with many women. However, two tracks are about killing whites. The track, "A Fight," is about "smoking all America's white boys," says Apache. The track begins with a white yelling, "fuck you, nigger," and then voices holler out, "get him, Apache," and "hit him," and "fuck his ass up." Apache gives the following advice to listeners: "in a fight with a white, if I don't win, the whole crew jumps in." The chorus chants: "a fight, a fight, a nigger and a white, if the nigger don't win then we all jump in." Apache refers to whites as white kids, honkies, pale face, great white hope, great white dopes, whitey, and white folks. He "says, yoh, time to roll and show no fear 'cause we're bad; and, oh yeah, wear your riot gear." The next track, called "Kill d'White People," is only 17 seconds long, but it manages to get Apache's message across: "Kill the white people; we gonna make them hurt; kill the white people; but buy my record first; ha, ha, ha."

      Some of the black identity expressions and messages occurring on her 1993 solo album, called Black Reign, are as follows: she says "give me five on the black hand side"; her mother taught her that black is beautiful; and black women are not all whores. She is called "lover of the people," and she says that hip hop is expressed worldwide and that there are "aggravated youth" throughout the world. She speaks proudly of Apache and their Gangsta Bitch album. ("Listen to Me.") She threatens any rapper who would say bad things about her. Racial strife is questioned in a one-sided way: "why do white fight black?" ("I Can't Understand.") She introduces guest rappers KRS-One and Heavy D. "The war ain't won," we are told. She quotes Ice-T who she says said "it right" when he said the following, according to her: "you diss' me on the record [then] you see me in a fight." ("Rough.") She informs listeners of the following about herself: she is black; she can out-rap female rappers; she is "not the type of girl to be running to the cops"; and she keeps handguns at her bedside. ("No Work.") The right man for her, she says, does not need to be rich, famous, or superhuman. He should be intelligent, and he should treat her like a "queen." She promotes condoms on two tracks, "Coochie Bang" and "Just Another Day." The later track is about some of the experiences that "Latifah" has in the ghetto. She says that she carries a handgun on her in public and that one time she brandished her gun when she came to the rescue of a youth being robbed. She calls her descriptions of ghetto experiences as "doing the knowledge." She talks supportively about "getting a Final Call from the brother in the bow tie." The rap for which she was given the GRAMMY is on the 1993 album. In "U.N.I.T.Y.," she talks of black identity and black unity. She says that men should not disrespect women, and she threatens to have her man arrested if he hits her again. She chides any young woman who wants to act like a "gangsta bitch," and she suspects that such young women were copying the image shown in "Apache's video" for the "Gangsta Bitch" album. It is commonplace for "gangsta" rappers to give mixed messages. There are two songs about love and sex. ("Weekend Love" and "Mood Is Right.") Queen Latifah wants to be known as a "preacher" and a "teacher" who was not arrogant. She says that God watches over her and that the Lord brightens up her world and lights up her life. ("Winki's Theme.")

      She produced lyrics for Naughty by Nature, a band that won a GRAMMY Award for its 1995 propaganda. She put out more black identity messages on her 1998 solo album. She calls herself "the black queen" and "170 pounds of brown." On the track "Black on Black Love," Queen Latifah has a dream about blacks getting along. In her dream, the ideal neighborhood would see far fewer liquor stores, no crime and no prison time, black men would live longer as a result, and men would not beat women but would respect them. The "whole village chipped in and raised that one child," and she says the following: "we supported our local black owned stores [and] we were down for the cause." Sounds of sirens wake her from her dream, and she pledges that "it's our duty to" make things better. "We got some that fight for our rights to be equal," she says. There are songs about sex, and there are many lewd phrases. On one song she says that women know that when they are nice to guys, guys think they can get sex. She calls herself "judge, jury, and prosecution," and says that through hip hop, black culture is spreading around the world. She will separate out bad rappers "like segregation." ("Court in Session.") She says that she represents the "felines," that she is not too feminine, and that she carries around a handgun on her. A guest rapper claims that they have a mind to conquer nations. The track glorifies the criminal life of "ghetto scramblers with broken grammars [who] cock the hammers" when they get the "Benjamins, Grants, and Jacksons." Afterall "money is the passion." ("Parlay.") She complains that a magazine gave her a bad review and that some people try to destroy her fame and take her "paper [money]." ("Paper.") On the opening track, which features Apache, she says that she will rap on a "higher level" and that listeners will need her when "it's time to roll." The closing track praises well-known rappers who were shot to death in separate incidents, and she says that it should be left up "to Lord to even up the score."

References
All Hail the Queen, Queen Latifah, 1989, Tommy Boy Music, Time Warner.
Nature of a Sista, Queen Latifah, 1991, Tommy Boy Music, Time Warner.
Black Reign, Queen Latifah, 1993, Motown Record Company, PolyGram, Philips' Electronics. In 1998, PolyGram merged with Universal Music Group under The Seagram Company.
Apache Ain't Shit, Apache, 1993, Tommy Boy Music, Time Warner.
Order in the Court, Queen Latifah, 1998, Motown Recording Company, PolyGram, Philips' Electronics.

Posted at http://home.att.net/~phosphor on June 30, 1999.

Last editing was posted October 1, 1999.

The above article is not a complete summary of Queen Latifah's connections to violently racist music, and interesed readers may want to research and expose more of it.

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