American rapper, Dana Elaine better known as Queen Latifah has become the first-ever female Hip Hop artist to join the National Recording Registry with the induction of her debut album, All Hail the Queen. On Wednesday, the Library of Congress announced that Queen Latifah had been inducted. Other inductees on this year’s list include Mariah Carey’s holiday standard “All I Want for Christmas is You,” Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” and Daddy Yankee’s 2004 smash “Gasolina.’ The registry was first created in 2000. Most of the inductees have been older jazz and rock songs. However, there have been a few hip-hip entries in the past. Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint and Dr. Dre’s The Chronic are two notable standouts.
The Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is a database that preserves culturally significant recordings. It is charged with ensuring the recordings are preserved and available for future generations.
The “All Hail the Queen’ which she released when she was just 19 years old was among 25 others to be preserved in the registry.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said the album contains “audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance.”
The 53-year-old rapper, who is an all-around entertainer won the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance for her girl-power anthem "U.N.I.T.Y." in 1995. She also starred in several films, including 1996's Set It Off and 2017's Girls Trip. Currently, Latifah stars and executive produces CBS' hit series, The Equalizer.
