Hip Hop Royalty - Queen Latifah and Common

Queen Latifah and Common are two artists whose fame and success has transcended their musical roots and garnered widespread fame. They have both won countless awards and are cultural icons both in the African American community and around the world. Common grew up in the Southside of Chicago and released his first rap album in 1992. His first couple albums were critically acclaimed but didn't sell too well and it wasn't till his 2000 release Like Water for Chocolate that he first tasted success. During this time, he was part of the music collective Soulquarians. While they weren't a group in the strict sense, they all collaborated on each other records and shared ideas and styles. The group stopped releasing records in 2003 but Common continued to increase his sales with his album Be. He then began a multiple album collaboration with Kanye West that yielded his biggest musical success. While traditionally seen as a hip-hop artist, he has introduced multiple styles into his music and his great songwriting has often bridged the gap between genres. In addition to his music career, he is a popular film star, with his biggest role being in the movie Selma. His involvement in that film also garnered him an Oscar and Golden Globe for best original song. Finally, he's an accomplished poet and was invited to the White House by Michelle Obama to share some of his work. Overall, he has received an Emmy, Grammy and Academy award for his work all the while being a strong advocate for racial equality and justice. Like Common, Queen Latifah has had a multifaceted career and has found success in nearly every venture she's done. Born in New Jersey, her early work took a feminist approach to hip-hop and deviated from the gangster rap of the era. Her first 4 albums were not huge sellers but she became a star in the hip-hop arena and scored a hit with her song "U.N.I.T.Y". Remarkably, she changed her style to jazz and pop-tunes in the mid 2000's and these albums found greater success than her 90's records. All the while, she became a household name due to her film and TV career. Her first major acting role was in the popular sitcom Living Single. She received widespread acclaim for her part in the 2002 film Chicago. Other big movies she has starred in include Hairspray, The Perfect Holiday and Life Support. She has received and Emmy, Grammy, SAG and Golden Globe award for her work and is one of the most recognizable women in the world.

With all their accolades and cultural forays, I wasn't sure what to expect from this concert. Prior to last night, I had only known Common from the Microsoft AI commercial on TV so safe to say I was pretty uneducated. He came on first and gave an overall good performance. He definitely has talent and his lyrics are superb but he did get a little preachy at times and I felt that he should've given more time to the music itself. The numbers often sounded like sketches and not fully hashed out tracks but his lyrics often tied it all together. Queen Latifah closed the show and her performance was elevated due to her multi-genre catalogue. Her hip-hop tunes were the most popular for the fans but her jazz tunes showed off her great voice and powerful stage presence. Her easy-going demeanor on stage was nice to see as it can be easy for stars of her calibre to appear detached and uninterested. This is all to say the music just isn't my forte and I only knew a single song the entire night. But regardless of the style, the starpower onstage was remarkable and both artists have a lot more to give than even the music they performed. Because, come on, there's only one Queen Latifah.

My favorite part of the show was when Queen Latifah performed "U.N.I.T.Y.". It's a perfect example of her uplifting feminist lyrics and her words of course resonate today just as they did 23 years ago!

Looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC

Queen Latifah 

Common