Ranking the Best Queen Latifah Albums

We’re right in the middle of Women’s History Month, so it only feels right to celebrate the one true queen of rap.

No, not her. And definitely not her.

We’re talking about THE queen. Latifah.

Queen Latifah may be best known these days as an actress, award show hosts and Cover Girl lady, but to me, she’ll always be the first woman rapper who truly blew me away. No offense to the greats like Yo-Yo, MC Lyte and Roxanne that I also enjoyed in that era, but Latifah had such a regal presence – and brazen aggression – that made her stand out from her peers, male and female. And over the years, her ability to shift her sound and adapt to the times made me respect her even more.

I’d really, really, REALLY love a Latifah comeback right about now. Somebody get Hit-Boy on the phone; if he could do it for Nas, he can do it for the queen.

Today, let’s look back at all of Latifah’s solo projects, ranking them from bottom to top.

It won’t take long to see why she wears the crown.

7. Persona (2009)

Soul in Stereo rating: 2 stars out of 5

Edd said: *Heavy sigh.* Y’all know that I’ve talked ad nauseam about the year 2009, in my opinion, the most transformative year in modern music history. The drastic change it brought to the industry was widespread – opening the door for a new generation of artists, while leaving established legends scrambling to find their footing. Persona, the Queen’s final album to date, is a sad depiction of those struggles. I’m not mad at Latifah’s attempts to diversify her sound but nearly everything she tried – from the heavy handed club songs to the screeching autotune – were WAY out of her comfort zone. This one didn’t work at all.

Forgotten favorites: “Take Me Away (With You),” “Over the Mountain”

6. The Dana Owens Album (2004)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Now here’s a career evolution that did work! Longtime Latifah fans know that she’s just as potent with her vocals as she is with her bars, but it was still a surprise to see her transition into a full R&B album. The Dana Owens Album is a collection of R&B and soul covers, and most songs are done justice here. I applaud La for venturing outside of the usual cover-ready songs and selecting a few more untapped cuts. However, the project does suffer a bit from the Cover Album Curse – no matter how powerful the performance, most songs just can’t match the level of their predecessors. Still, this was a great career pivot that provided a whole new lane for Latifah.

Forgotten favorites: “California Dreamin,” “Simply Beautiful,” “Lush Life”

5. Order in the Court (1998)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: This album rarely gets mentioned today, and that’s shame because it’s quite the underrated piece of business. Order in the Court is Latifah’s official return to hip-hop after the end of her successful run on Living Single. By 1998 the rap game had completely changed during her half-decade hiatus, but her bars remained as fiery as ever. It’s full of great concepts, from Black love to sex in the 90s, and I loved that she tried her hand at an uptempo R&B cut, “It’s Alright.” It’s still a fave to this day. The project lacks the hits and legacy of the albums that came before it but it was a strong return to form.

Forgotten favorites: “Life,” “Court is In Session,” “What Ya Gonna Do”

4. Trav’lin’ Light (2007)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: Yeah, I’m also surprised this ranked so high. But trust, it deserves. Like The Dana Owens Album, this album is 100% singing, this time focusing on jazz standards. It’s actually a much better fit for Latifah’s tone. The smokier the song, the better the performance. She knocks several of these cuts out of the park, resulting in her best vocal performances to date. The Dana Owens Album got the headlines, but this project is the real culmination of her vocal talent.

Forgotten favorites: “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars,” “I’m Not In Love,” “Trav’lin’ Light”

3. Nature of a Sista (1991)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: I wouldn’t call this a sophomore slump, but Nature of a Sista did have a mixed reception in 1991. It’s a daring departure from her debut, moving away from strictly hip-hop to explore a more R&B and house based style. For those of you who were embryos in the early 90s, one of the biggest sins in hip-hop was to switch up your style and, gasp, “go pop.” Those criticism were unfounded though – not only was Latifah more than adept at wrecking a microphone (“Latifah’s Had It Up To Here” is still adamantium hard) but I’d argue that the diversity she showed was way ahead of the curve. Everybody and their momma is singing (very poorly) on their rap records today; Latifah dropped in those harmonies with grace. 1991 didn’t give this project the love it deserved but I dug it then, and I dig it now.

Forgotten favorites: “One Mo’ Time,” “Give Me Your Love,” “That’s the Way We Flow”

2. All Hail the Queen (1989)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: When Latifah said, “MC stands for the microphone commando” you BELIEVED her. Her debut album was the wake-up call hip-hop needed. Women rappers were still kinda rare in 1989 and she led the charge as rap’s one true queen. “Ladies First’ was a HIT with the girlies in my middle school but the way she ripped those house and hip-hop cuts kept even the most critical chauvinists quiet. It’s still one of the best albums from a female rapper to date and a landmark release for female representation in hip-hop.

Forgotten favorites: “Latifah’s Law,” “The Pros,” “The Evil that Men Do”

1. Black Reign (1993)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: I think La heard the doubters after her sophomore effort caused a few grumbles from the cheap seats. So for album No. 3, she returned with her most balanced, most defining, and straight-up best work of her career. Latifah went back to her roots to prove that she’s still a monster in the booth (there’s isn’t a rapper today who can keep up with the fury of “Rough,” regardless of gender) but she also balanced that out with radio friendly cuts that embraced femininity and spoke on the state of womanhood in the 90s. That culminates with “UNITY,” probably the greatest rap song ever recorded by a woman. Black Reign proves you can’t keep a queen down. It’s the brightest jewel in her crown.

Forgotten favorites: “Rough,””I Can’t Understand,” “Mood Is Right”

What’s your favorite Latifah album? Let us know below.