Musician Queen Latifah recently became the first female rapper to have her music inducted into the National Recording Registry.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Library of Congress announced their list of the musicians that are set to be inducted in the National Recording Registry this year. Amongst artists like Madonna, Daddy Yankee, Mariah Carey and Koji Kondo, Queen Latifah’s debut album “All Hail the Queen” will be added to the collection.
Released in 1989 when the rapper was 19, the album featured hits such as the feminist anthem “Ladies First” and “Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children.” “All Hail the Queen” gained instant recognition for its mixture of rap with reggae, house and jazz influences. The new induction will make the musician the first female rapper to have their work recognized nationally as having a cultural or historical impact.
The album is one of only 25 recordings set to be inducted into the 2023 National Recording Registry. Although the Library recognizes over four million sound recordings, only a select few have made it into the National Recording Registry; with the new inductions, only 625 songs and albums have found a place in the registry.
“The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture,” said Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, 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.”
Throughout her career, Queen Latifah has been a trailblazer in her field. Along with fellow female rappers like MC Lyte and Salt-N-Pepa, the rapper and singer has been recognized as contributing to opening up doors for women in rap at a time when the genre was predominantly male.
Bringing together female emcees in “Ladies First,” the track, featuring Monie Love, was one of the first songs in music history where two female rappers collaborated with each other. Queen Latifah also broke barriers with songs such as “U.N.I.T.Y.” as she helped lead the female empowerment movement in rap. For her work introducing feminism into hip-hop, she won the 1992 Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
Along with her achievements in the music industry, Queen Latifah broke barriers in film and TV, becoming the first woman to cross over into tv and film from rap. For her work throughout music, film and business, she was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006, becoming the first hip-hop artist to earn the award.
