The Queen is back.
Over 30 years after Queen Latifah made her hosting debut alongside Tom Jones and Lorrie Morgan at the American Music Awards back in 1995, the hip-hop icon finally has her shot at running it back again in Las Vegas, and she’s going it alone this time, shepherding a show slated to include the likes of Sombr, Billy Idol and Katseye.
After spending her entire adult life in the spotlight, Queen Latifah has amassed a remarkable list of firsts: the first female rapper nominated for an acting Academy Award for her role as Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago, also the first female rapper to receive a Kennedy Center Honors and the first hip-hop artist to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This fall she’ll add another milestone when she’s inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence awardee, and she’ll be joining The Voice as a coach.
This week, though, her focus is on the AMAs and on how she plans to bring her trademark warmth, wit and charisma to the ceremony.
Below, The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Latifah about her memories of that first AMAs hosting gig in the ‘90s, what she’s looking forward to at the show next week, and her reaction to her Rock Hall induction.
