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When New Jersey's Dana Owens adopted the stage moniker of Queen Latifah when she launched her rap career in 1989, she also assumed the regal bearing and flowing clothes of African royalty. Her raps not only demanded respect but also radiated an unassailable air of authority. Since then Latifah has branched out as an actress (starring in the TV sitcom Living Single), businesswoman (she co-owns Flavor Unit Management, which handles rappers like Naughty by Nature), and singer (she sings with a live jazz band on the concluding cut of a later album), but that imposing dignity remains her trump card on Black Reign, her first album for Motown after an unfriendly split with Tommy Boy. Her refusal to be pigeonholed or limited in any way is part and parcel of her demand for respect and makes her one of the most rapidly evolving artists in hip-hop. --Geoffrey Himes