- published: 07 Oct 2009
- views: 5049615
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), professionally known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, model, television producer, record producer, comedienne, and talk show host. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989. In November 1989, she had released her debut album All Hail the Queen (1989), featuring the hit single "Ladies First" with Monie Love. Latifah released her second album Nature of a Sista (1991), which was her final album with Tommy Boy Records.
In 1993, Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the FOX sitcom Living Single, from 1993 to 1998. Her third album Black Reign (1993), which went gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked at number 60 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album also includes the hit single "U.N.I.T.Y." which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1994 and hit the Billboard Hot 100. Latifah starred in the lead role of Set It Off (1996) as Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims, alongside Jada Pinkett-Smith. Between 1996 and 2000, controversy between Latifah and Foxy Brown received widespread media attention. She released her fourth album in 1998 Order in the Court (1998) with Motown Records. Queen Latifah gained mainstream success after appearing in Chicago (2002) as Matron "Mama" Morton and she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, losing to Catherine Zeta-Jones.
HIDDEN ERROR: Usage of "wife" is not recognized
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American hip hop recording artist and actor from Queens, New York. He is known for such hip hop hits as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock The Bells" and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as romantic ballads such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover". LL Cool J is also known as one of the forefathers of pop rap. He has released 13 studio albums and two greatest hits compilations. His twelfth album Exit 13 (2008), was his last for his long-tenured deal with Def Jam Recordings. His latest album, Authentic, was released in April 2013.
LL Cool J has also appeared in numerous films, including In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, S.W.A.T., and Edison. He currently stars in an action role as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. LL Cool J is also the host of Lip Sync Battle on Spike. He is also well known as a serious bodybuilder.
Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), professionally known by her stage name Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer and songwriter. Born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in South Jamaica, Queens, New York, Minaj earned public attention after releasing three mixtapes between 2007–09. She signed a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009.
Minaj's debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010), peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and spawned the top-five single "Super Bass". During that time, Minaj became the first female solo artist to have seven singles simultaneously charting on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012), also topped the chart and its lead single, the pop crossover "Starships", peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. Minaj's third studio album, The Pinkprint (2014), was preceded by its second single, "Anaconda", which peaked at number two on the Hot 100 and is her highest-charting single in the United States to date. Minaj made her film debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift, and also had a supporting role in the 2014 film The Other Woman. In 2013, she was a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol.
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, musician, and voice actor. He is best known for hosting several late-night talk shows; since 2010 he has hosted Conan on the cable channel TBS. O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and was raised in an Irish Catholic family. He served as president of The Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University, and was a writer for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News.
After writing for several comedy shows in Los Angeles, he joined the writing staff of Saturday Night Live. O'Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons for two seasons until he was commissioned by NBC to take over David Letterman's position as host of Late Night in 1993. A virtual unknown to the public, O'Brien's initial time on Late Night tenure received unfavorable reviews and remained on a multiweek renewal cycle during its early years. The show generally improved over time and was highly regarded by the time of his departure in 2009. Afterwards, O'Brien relocated from New York to Los Angeles to host his own incarnation of The Tonight Show for seven months until network politics prompted a host change in 2010.
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known under her stage name Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott or simply Missy Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Elliott embarked on her music career with all-female R&B group Sista in the early 1990s and later became part of the Swing Mob collective along with childhood friend and producer Timbaland with whom she worked on projects for Aaliyah, 702, Total, and SWV. Following several guest appearances, in 1997, she launched her solo career with the release of her debut album Supa Dupa Fly, which spawned the hit single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" and "Sock It 2 Me". The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting debut for a female rapper at the time. Her following album Da Real World (1999), produced the singles "She's a Bitch", "All n My Grill", and the top five hit "Hot Boyz".
With the release of Miss E... So Addictive (2001), Under Construction (2002), and This Is Not a Test! (2003) Elliott established an international career and followed with the hits "Get Ur Freak On", "One Minute Man", "4 My People", "Gossip Folks", and "Work It", the latter of which won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance, eventually winning five Grammy Awards and selling over 30 million records in the United States. Elliott is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double platinum for her 2002 album Under Construction. Elliott is also known for a series of hits and diverse music videos, including "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)", "Hot Boyz", "Get Ur Freak On", "Work It", and the Grammy award-winning video for "Lose Control."
Chorus x2:
Who you gonna call when it's time to brawl
standin' 'round waitin' for my queendom to fall
Well I think not, styles are pipin' hot
Blazin', amazin', I give it all I got
I'm tellin' you straight up, all sleepin' beauties better wake up
I'll tear your state up, so set the date up
And I'm a rip it, what if it what was it
Who did it, who does it
From private to public
Anywhere I'm in there and been there
So recognize this, who the nicest
Sit down and settle for your constellation prizes
Whatever you want I got
Whether you ready or not
It's about to get hot when I drop
So notes, pause another spot
To do you, don't get me in a corner make me do you
Don't try to be me, do you
Be coo' to you and do you
I'm on a higher level with different class, another plane
I am the Queen, that's my name, time to explain
that I spit game with dames
Leave 'em all with shit stains
Split frames, hopin' you hopin' that I'm jokin'
Don't know but still blink off like fo'-fo's
but so-so, slow mo's comin' in like the po-po's
Don't want rocks comin' at me the wrong way
Packin' much rocks, it's gonna be a long day
And for real, spittin' on imbessiles and spinnin' wheels
on my 600 you want it, you must be blunted
I'll take it to your stomach, run it, give me all
mic for mic, steppin' to me you gonna fall, we brawl
Throwin' a two-piece so loose leafs
It's the Q-U-double-E-N
You know how I'm MCin'
Chorus x2
See physically you not ready
Lyrically you not ready
Mentally maybe
Who talks tough, time to get the baby
No threats or small bets on my bond we can get it on
From dusk 'til dawn from night 'til mourn
Some bubble hard squads are gone, no gimmicks, no tricks
'til one of us admits it's a battle a whisk
So look I'm off the hook, while you off the rocker
Thinkin' I'm shook, get the phone book, call the doctor
Are you out of your mind, doubtin' mines, out of line
Talkin' out your behind, shoutin' rhymes out of time
It's all over, what's up, yeah, what, what now, you tough now
Now you hush, hush now, ain't sayin' too much now
Thought so, haunt yo' sleepin' ass, creepin' fast
like you was doin' somethin', now I gotta ruin somethin'
You image, your career, lookie here you whole life is hangin' in the air
like a chandilier, poppin' off like a can of beer, understand is it clear
If not let me put it in your ear that I'm royalty
Even though I'm low-key, you know me
You be singin' over my tracks like it's kareoke
If you don't know the half you gon' feel the wrath
Represent the rugged path, the Flavor Unit staff
Droppin' math'matics, layin' you out like craftmatic
I'll let you have it, so you don't want the static
Chorus x2