Queen Latifah brought down the house at Essence’s yearly tribute to the power and beauty of Black Women. Celebrating the 20 year anniversary of her Hip-Hop classic Ladies First featuring Monie Love, a star-studded lineup joined the veteran on stage. Her surreal guest list composed of Missy Elliot, Salt-N-Pepa, Remy Ma, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Monie Love, and R&B songstress Brandy.
Performing hits like “UNITY” Queen Latifah ruled over the crowd in a way that only true royalty could. Bringing out her peers who owned 90’s era Hip-Hop, fans were on the edge of her seat on who she would bring out next. Dripping in regal finesse, The Queen laid down the law in her deep red and golden sequin robe. Brandy sang her classic hit, “I Wanna Be Down” and was invited to catch a vibe to show off her vocal prowess. Missy Elliot performed her Timbaland fueled classic “She’s A B***h” with the fresh tenacity of when she originally dropped the song in 1999.
Remy Ma showed off her post-wedding glow while effortlessly sharing the mic with Queen Latifah. Rocking the stage with female lyrical heavyweights like MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, and Missy — Remy seemed at home. Seeing the “Conceited” rapper shine brightly in her room with her peers is like a glimpse of her greatness to come.
Queen Latifah also reminded us of her versatility that allowed her to be a force in the theatrical release of Chicago. Delighting attendees to some of her Jazz music, proving her vocal chops an equal match for her wordplay. The Queen has shown amazing growth over the course of her 30-year career and shows no signs of stopping. She showed her peers nothing but love while proving the power of when legendary Black women link up.
