Thread by @michaelharriot

Someone asked me who was the most talented artist of my lifetime and I just threw out a random name. But the more I think about it, the more I'm willing to die on that hill.

A thread about the why Dana Owens, AKA Queen Latifah is the GOAT:

First of all, if you're making a list of the best hip-hop artists during their prime, Queen Latifah is NOT one of the greatest female rappers...

She's one of the best rappers PERIOD.

And instead of hogging the throne, she regularly collaborated with other women.

"All Hail the Queen" was essential the hip hop version of "Lemonade," but 25 years early. But the most amazing thing about Queen Latifah was her style.

Who was the first to pair Mother of the Church-quality church hats with kente cloth and bamboo earrings?

Queen Latifah was not only the first woman to address cat-calling and disrespecting women, but instead of complaining about it, she offered a tangible solution to harassment:

"Buss him dead in his eye...

Who you calling a b*tch?"

Also, don't forget that Queen Latifah was instrumental in putting together a tour that featured Digital Underground. She even brought a little-known rap group called The New Style with her and befriended a background dancer.

Latifah thought the group should change its name, tho

So they changed their name to Naughty By Nature and stayed friends with the backup dancer.

He became a decent rapper, too. Latifah even told him that his rap name, MC New York, was trash but his given name could set him apart, so he started using his real name:

Tupac Shakur

THEN, Latifah decided to start acting. She got the lead role in a television sitcom on Fox.

The year after it debuted, NBC president Warren Littlefield was asked if he could have any show on the air, and he said "Living Single."

So he got the SAME production company to recreate the show, but with an all-white cast. They even put it in the same time slot on NBC. When it was time to name the show, NBC just looked at a list of names they had already rejected for Living Single.

They called it "Friends."

It's also notable that Living Single's executive producer was Yvette Lee Bowser, one of the few black women show-runners decades before Shonda Rhimes and Lena Waithe.

Bowser also produced "A Different World" and thought one of Pac's old friends would be great onscreen with Queen

Queen Latifah had met the friend in before and had even acted AND rapped with the woman's new boyfriend, Will Smith.

Her name was Jada Pinkett

Latifah didn't know that Pac had tried to convince Jada to create an all-female rap group modeled after Latifah.

But 2 women leading an action movie? No one was gonna see that. So New Line Cinema gave them a budget of only $9 million dollars

"Set it Off" was the studio's highest-grossing film of the year.

SO Queen should have kept doing movies, right?

Nah, homey. Queen wanted it ALL.

She started her own talk show. It was the second-best talk show debut ever.

Oh, wait, I forgot something: In 1998, she was the first rapper to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show.

Now, she only sang, but I think it still counts.

Which brings us to her singing. She released an album with R&B and pop standards

It was a Billboard Top 20 hit.

Then she released a Jazz Album.

It went to number 1

Oh, yeah, in between albums, she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Chicago, making her the only female rapper nominated for an Oscar.

Then she executive produced and starred in "Bessie" — a movie about the life of Bessie Smith and fought for Mo'Nique to be in the cast.

She also wanted Michael K. Smith, from "The Wire" to be in the movie

She wanted black women in every job, from director to hairdresser

Dee Rees, the Director was nominated for an Emmy
Latifah was nominated for an Emmy
Michael Smith was nominated for an Emmy
Mo'Nique won an Emmy

The movie won the Emmy for Best Television Movie

It is still the most-watched HBO movie of all time.

She has:
15 Image Award nominations (2 Wins)
5 SAG Awards nominations (3 wins)
3 Emmy Award noms (1 win)
3 Golden Globe noms (1 win)
1 Oscar Nomination

She's had Billboard hits and has been nominated for Grammys in jazz, traditional pop, R&B, hip hop AND Gospel

She's had top 10 TV shows as a talk show host, comedic actress & a dramatic actress

She's had movie hits as a musician, comedic actress, dramatic actress & action star

She's literally been the best at everything in every genre of entertainment. I know what you're thinking:

" What about country-western, tho? I bet she ain't never sung no country song about Jesus with a white choir"

Bitch, didn't you hear me say EVERY?

*Please don't punch me in my eye.