subject: The Plus-Sized Life of Queen Latifah [print this page] Queen Latifah, the singer and actress, has been a positive role model for plus-size, curvacious women throughout her career. Queen Latifah began her music career in 1988 in a rap group and was soon signed to a record deal of her own when she was only 19 years old. She released her first solo album in 1989 and garnered some attention in a genre that was mostly dominated by men.
Queen Latifah's large presence as a normal-sized woman rapper who was in control of her life and not just an accessory to a male rapper's video made her stand out from other popular musicians of that period.
She was able to use that early success to gain attention for her acting talent as well and starred in the Fox sitcom, Living Single, from 1993 to 1998. During this time she continued to release rap albums too. It was the television show that made her a household name though and she broke into the mainstream consciousness.
She also had roles in several successful movies in the late 1990's, including The Bone Collector, which also starred Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. However, her biggest movie role to date was in the movie Chicago, for which she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
It was around this time that she began endorsing a line of clothing for plus-sized women, called Curvation. Queen Latifah was able to use her iconic figure to encourage other plus-size women that they could look beautiful too. She often showed up on red carpets looking as beautiful and confident as any of Hollywood's starlets.
Lately Queen Latifah has produced movies in addition to starring in them. She also continues to make mainstream music albums and appear on television from time-to-time.
Even though her large size continues to be an exception rather than the norm in Hollywood, she has lost none of her influence and inspiration over the years. Queen Latifah is a strong woman who is an inspiration to all the other plus-sized women who won't let other's perception of their size inhibit what they can accomplish.
