Queen Latifah Is First Female Rapper Chosen For National Recording Registry
Written by djfrosty on April 14, 2023
Source: Lionel Hahn / Getty
The Grammy-nominated album, All Hail the Queen, by Queen Latifah has been selected for preservation at the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.
The National Recording Registry aims to preserve music that “reflects our nation’s diverse culture.” Select recordings are added to the vast collection as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.
This week, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden named 25 recordings as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.
“The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture,” Hayden said in a statement. “The national library is proud to help ensure these recordings are preserved for generations to come, and we welcome the public’s input on what songs, speeches, podcasts or recorded sounds we should preserve next. We received more than 1,100 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry.”
In addition to the Queen’s debut album, this year’s list features selections by other powerful women as well. Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” and Mariah Carey’s seminal “All I Want for Christmas,” is also on the list. The Academy Award-winning song, “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” by the late Irene Cara was also selected in the 2023 class.
Queen Latifah was only 19 when she released her debut album, All Hail the Queen. The album was released on Tommy Boy Records and featured the hit singles, “Ladies First,” and “Come Into My House.” The album has been heralded for its woman-centric flow and positivity. In the statement, the Library of Congress noted that the album was celebrated for its ability to “cross genres including reggae, hip-hop, house and jazz — while also opening opportunities for other female rappers.” The album reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Recently, Latifah took to the stage at the Daisy Experience to honor the life and legacy of Dave Jolicoeur aka Trugoy The Dove of De La Soul.
Even more recently, the Queen was presented with a bouquet of roses at Usher’s Las Vegas residency show. Per the Huffington Post, the “Confessions” singer wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story, “Giving the queen her flowers.”