Queen Latifah recently graced the cover of Parade Magazine and after reading the interview, I’m more convinced now than ever that she is ‘royalty’. In the interview she uses her life experiences to teach the readers a few things.
On Family Hustle & Success
“My grandfather owned a hardware store in Newark,” she says. “Just seeing him become successful and how it became a family business was always interesting to me. And if my brother and I wanted money in our pockets, we had to get jobs–my first was at 15, at Burger King. We had to come up with ways to create an income.” She avoided the routes that some neighborhood kids took. “Unfortunately, some of the brightest minds use that hustler spirit and apply it to becoming drug dealers. I didn’t want to be that person. It wasn’t a positive way to make money, and we all knew that it led to death or jail.”
Making Good Decisions
“When it came time to be a professional rapper, I wouldn’t sign anything without reading it. There was no way I was going to have people make decisions for me or wake up one day and find that I was broke because I never bothered to read a contract. I wasn’t a lawyer, but I had a pretty good idea of what words meant, and things I didn’t understand I would ask about. Shakim [Compere, Latifah's longtime business partner in Flavor Unit Entertainment] and I were like sponges. We listened and we observed people who were more successful than us.”
Turning A Bad Situation Into Something Positive
“I’ve watched a lot of people in this business kind of freak out looking at the economy. I guess if you’re used to having all the money in the world, you don’t see how to make things work in bad times. But if you built things from the ground up, you’re used to creating with less. We saw it coming and looked at it as a time to be creative. We’ve gotten so much accomplished behind the scenes in the last year–in film, music, television, Web content, food and beverage, and clothing–that I can’t wait to see things come to fruition. The good thing about doing what I do is that if it’s not already there, hopefully I can create it. Maybe I’ll even make [my own drink]–Queen La-tea-fah!”
Helping Others With Your Own Story
“I think people can feel when you’re saying something from the heart, something truthful,” she says. “I don’t know how to do it any differently. Sometimes it’s just knowing what someone else has been through that strikes a chord, that helps other people get through their lives in a more full way.”
Watch Queen Latifah host the 37th People’s Choice Awards. This year’s award show honors the best in popular culture for 2010. It will be held on January 5, 2011 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and will be broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET.
Daily Venus Diva -- Daily Venus Diva.
I really enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing. She is one of the few ‘real’ people left in Hollywood. She has
never let her bling, success or ego get the best of her. The Queen has remained humble in all her glory and we love her.
As a plus size entertainer myself I look up to her and always listen when she speaks.
Sounds like she is going to have a super 2011!!
Curvy hugs,
Olga
Queen Latifah is definitely one of the most down to earth celebrities out there in HollyWood. I met her once in NY last year and she was gracious and friendly while she took a picture with me. I told her I met her father as well who was a beauty judge panel at one of the Miss Black USA Beauty Pageant two years or so..I told her she looks just like her daddy! She said you know my pops? I told her yes and he was just as nice as well taking pictures, introducing himself to the audience. She said, yes I sure do look like my pops! Very Nice, Pretty, Tall compared to my height! lol. It’s alway nice to see them acheive their dreams,yet remain warm,humble and she’s a great supporter of social causes and especially for Haiti where I see she joined in with the other celebs for great causes and she sponsors and helps one of my favorite charities that does excellent work in Haiti during the earthquake in January 2010. Wonderful and Talented Lady. Wish her well for 2011.