Words and by DeWayne Rogers
Images by Hiltron Bailey for Steed Media Service
The applause was indisputable. Immediately following an advance screening for the film Mad Money, which stars Queen Latifah, Diane Keaton, and Katie Holmes, the attentive audience echoed a raucous cheer to display their fierce approval of the movie.
But the thunderous ovation merely marked the beginning of a very telling series of events, which began with several comments that could be overheard as the moviegoers exited the theater.
“Queen Latifah is still doing her thing,” a mid-30’s African American woman shared with an acquaintance.
“I’ve loved her since Chicago,” a middle-aged white woman uttered.
Those precious sound bytes were a minor inkling of what was in store, as the lovefest for Queen Latifah continued well into the parking lot, where families and couples piled into their cars and disappeared off into the night. This type of kinetic and magnetic appeal can’t be taught, bought, or borrowed — so you can’t blame Hollywood for wanting to bottle it up and sell it to the masses. After all, it’s so hard to find true movie stars these days and Dana Owens from Jersey, a.k.a. Queen Latifah, sure seems to be part of a dying breed. Movie executives know it, casual moviegoers know it … and they all love and appreciate her for it.
So when the white-hot star sat down for an exclusive interview with rolling out, our mission was to delve deeper into the heart and mind of a woman who the entire world now apparently considers royalty. All Hail the Queen!
click here to view Mad Money movie trailer
QUESTION: From Mad Money to Perfect Holiday, you’ve been keeping yourself quite busy lately. I think what impresses me most is your keen business sense, as well as your ability to call your own shots in Hollywood. What made you want to try your hand at running the show?
ANSWER: It was the same way for me in the music industry. I didn’t want to be just a rapper. We opened up a management company, and managed some of the top hip-hop and R&B acts throughout the 90’s. I was never one to let someone control my destiny, and tell me what I was or was not going to do. I could never see that happening. I wasn’t made for a 9 to 5 or a corporate situation, because I was just too free minded, free flowing, and free spirited for that. And I felt like I was intelligent enough to come up with a lot of ideas, and execute them with the right team. Shakim, (Latifah’s long-time business partner) and I have been doing this for a long time, so it only made sense that when we went into film, and attained a certain amount of success that we use it as a springboard to become producers of our own material. That’s what happens when you become successful as an actor. A lot of opportunities are presented to you that you wouldn’t have necessarily [had] before, unless you’re coming with your own money.
Q: Do you ever stop to think about this tremendous legacy that you are leaving behind?
A: I honestly don’t stop to think about it. I know that some people do, but I’m sort of in the midst of doing the work, so I feel like I don’t have time to stop and think about it. The only time that I may realize how much I’ve accomplished is when someone introduces me, and they start going through all of the things that I’ve done. I’m almost exhausted just listening to it, because then I realize how much has happened throughout the years.
Q: So has your self-perception changed over the last 10 years?
A: Things have definitely changed over the past 10 years, because my status as an entertainer has skyrocketed with the success of Chicago, and Bringing Down the House. When you start making back to back $100 million dollar movies, and start receiving Oscar nominations and Golden Globe nominations, then people do put you in a different category — especially with me coming from hip-hop, since that is the root of it all for me. There’s only, like, me and Will Smith, Ice Cube, and L.L.Cool J; there’s not a whole lot of us that came from hip-hop that are really doing it like this.
Q: You have evolved so much as a person right before our very eyes. Do you think this growth has caused your musical taste to expand as well? Did this push you to begin to record jazz albums?
A: If anything, my love for jazz came from my love for hip-hop. I remember Q-Tip would come over to Mark’s Basement, trying to learn how to make beats, and he would sample a lot of jazz records, whether it was Ron Carter or Grover Washington, Jr. My father played a lot of jazz too when I was younger, but listening to Q-Tip and others create these beats, made me really get into it more. So, it all came full circle for me. I started singing before I was rapping, and I always put singing in my records. For as long as I can remember, I always liked different forms of music so I would do a a reggae influenced record like “U.N.I.T.Y,” use salsa on “Latifah’s Law,” or make it jazzy like “How Do I Love Thee,” — or even house influenced records like “Come Into My House.” It just took a while for the public at large to get used to hearing me sing.
Q: From the music to the movies, to being an executive, there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Do you have some form of daily affirmation that keeps you going and motivated?
A: I really like the scripture Philippians 4:6. It says, ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’ That scripture is basically saying don’t worry because God’s got you, and has everything under control. I also have a tattoo on my back that says ‘Accomplish Everything Without Fear.’ It’s been there for years, and it’s in another language, but it describes who I want to be. I like to come from a place of love, and not a place of fear. I like to walk into things and go for it. Once I give my mind to something, then I usually just jump in and give it 100 per cent. I also think it’s important to take a moment before you even get into your day to just clear your head. Sit for a couple of minutes, breath, meditate, or whatever you want to call it. There’s something about just having a moment to yourself, where you don’t talk to anyone, you don’t jump on the phone, or turn on the TV. Those few moments of silence to breath before you jump into this hectic world that we live in is important. I call it a moment of clarity. That’s what I work toward trying to have every day, even though it’s not always easy.
Q: Does the work ever grow old for you?
A: When I go to work, I’m going to do something that I really love. Because if I’m not, then what is it all worth in the end. There’s not enough money in the world to go through the types of things that I feel like I go through, or that most people go through that are in my position in this business. So you really have to be doing something that you love and not wasting your time. I’ve never been a person that’s been all about the money. I make decisions based on the things that I love and that I care about, and the money just comes along with it. But if I’m doing something that I don’t like, then it feels horrible and it doesn’t usually succeed. So I always have to check in with myself to make sure that I am doing things for the right reasons.
