BET announced Monday (June 14) that rapper and actress Queen Latifah will receive the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2021 BET Awards on June 27.
51-year-old Queen Latifah, born Dana Owens, is hardly the age when you would expect someone to start receiving lifetime achievement awards. In Yet, that’s just what’s about to happen to this cultural icon and versatile performer.
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In 2006, Latifah was the first hip-hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was one of the first major performers to have a presence on both the big and small screen, with slots on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Juice, Living Single, Set It Off, The Queen Latifah Show, Beauty Shop and more.
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Some of her more recent work includes the 2017 comedy film Girls Trip. Owens also stars in and executive produces a CBS series reboot of The Equalizer.
Latifah is also an extremely accomplished musician. A few of her albums include: All Hail the Queen, Nature of a Sista and Black Reign. Her song “U.N.I.T.Y” remains a fan favorite and won the 1995 Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. In 1997, she became the first rapper to appear in a Super Bowl halftime show.
Latifah will be the third-youngest solo artist to receive this honor and the first hip-hop artist to receive the award. The youngest was Whitney Houston, who was just 37 when she was honored at the first BET Awards in 2001. Second-youngest was Mary J. Blige, who was 48 when she received the honor two years ago.
In 2010, Queen Latifah hosted the BET awards and she is back this time as the Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. This year’s BET Awards will honor Black women with the theme “Year of the Black Woman,” hosted by Taraji P. Henson.
