Reviews (page 4 of 7)
No
I'm appreciative of a strong female voice in hip-hop but a lot of these songs just sound like average hip-hop songs of the time. Unfortunately a lot of the rapping wasn't that impressive. A lot of songs sound the same and formulaic, and if you like that sound then that's good, but to me it just makes it kind of boring. The standout track is "Ladies First" which has that classic sax hook over the break beat. The voice modulation in "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" is one of the most annoying things I've heard in a song, and ruins an otherwise solid track featuring De La Soul. There is also some reggae mixed in, e.g. "The Pros" or "Princess of the Possee", which gives a break to the similar jazz-over-breakbeat songs, but they didn't quite do it for me, and it goes on too long. Overall, I think this probably hit differently in 1989 but it didn't quite hold up.
le bout avec les kids était étrange
Piola. Super 80ero eso sí, tiene bases ricas (Queen of Royal Badness) y fue entretenido de escuchar. Bailé e hice unas galletas de avena que quedaron bien buenas.
Insomnia - Repetitivo. El rap inglés no me gusta demasiado
conventional
Dated in some spots but ahead of its time in other. The Pros is a particularly forward feeling track.
3.5 really fun and good but I doubt I’ll ever revisit it
Rating: 0.1 Nah.
Solid late 80’s rap. Queen Latifah has always just kind of been there for me, I’d never listened to her music though.
"Easy" hiphop album where I could understand all the lyrics in one listen. That's quite a feat. First song I felt was like a introduction song where she sings about her name being Queen Latifa and that she is good at rapping. Second song was also about that. Fair enough. Third song I figured that might be all she is going to sing about. Fourth song same thing again. I was kinda into it though. It made for an easy listen, and started getting funny around the fourth song. Felt kind of like a spoof on hiphop albums. Not sure that was intended. Worked for me though!
Oikealla tavalla menevää. Mursi ennakko-oletukseni vaikka en edes tiedä, mitä ne olivat. Välillä, esimerkiksi Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children -biisissä, hyvin ärsyttäviä kohtia. Loppujen lopuksi aika yksitoikkoinen, mutta aivan hyvä.
The struggle is real...to star in films and television.
i will be honest, if i can dance to an album it's gonna be a high 4 to 5. i heard so many sounds on this album that i already love from the late 80s / 90s (they got house on here?!?! yippee!!), and queen latifahs evident skill as a rapper was the icing on top. was not expecting to dig this as much as i did, but it had all the makings of a great album for this user. highlights - dance for me, wrath of my madness, evil that men do, and the REMIXES OH MY GOD!!! great stuff!!!
All Hail the Queen, indeed. The beats and the lyrics slam HARD. The sampling does feel slightly dated, but even so, it works. "Come Into My House"... the sampling got a little tiresome. But otherwise, I really dug the rest of the album. Top tracks: "Ladies First," "Princess of the Possee," "Evil That Men Do," "Queen of Royal Badness"
Preserved in the Library of Congress but I don't get it. Queen Latifah is a solid rapper and this is a landmark for female rap artists - I acknowledge that. But it's a bit boring or eye-rolling in sound, churning out the standard 80's rap/hip-hop stereotypes. Synth and dub and dance all over the place - producers with their sticky fingers in too many places - that makes it sound spastic and cheesy. And the same vocal rhythm on almost every song. Go listen to Marky Mark and you're going to hear the same sounds and rhythm. She's better than that but this is still average sounding at best.
Cool grooves, great flow. I feel like I should give an extra star just for the fact that she was pioneering. On the flip side, I want to take back a star for Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children. What the heck was that?? Some repetitiveness across the tracks, but it's definitely an excellent rap album. I also like the positivity in the lyrics and she's one of the best female rappers of all time, so I'll go with the 4. Favorite tracks: Dance for Me, Come Into My House, Latifah's Law, Ladies First, Evil That Men Do.
Hot golden-era raps with an all-star cast of producers and rappers surrounding Mark the 45 King. Incredibly mature for a 19 year old. Dance For Me has that great unswerving rapping reminiscent of Kool Keith. Come Into My House feels a bit weak for a hip house track but it does go BEEEOOOW a lot which is important. The Pros has a great almost industrial dub riddim. The 45 King shows a surprising talent in his duet on A King and a Queen. Rest of the album is tight. Peak '89.
Damn, i really thought id like this but i really dont
There's a lot of hip hop that got left off this list to make room for this. Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children is my least favorite De La Soul song ever. The baby talk is one of the worst parts of any of the albums I've heard so far. Nina Sky loves Come into My House. There's a little bit of an overstuffed sound that was popular from some early hip hop. It's like DJs thought if they crammed enough sound into a song it would have something for everyone. Latifah's Law is like that and still my favorite song so far. I believe that Queen Latifah is the greatest female battle rapper in history. 80s/90s rappers loved moving into sitcom roles. Queen Latifah, LL Cool J and, king of cheesy rap, the Fresh Prince. Monie Love really puts Queen Latifah's skill in perspective because she sucks. There are so many more deserving hip hop albums.
2,5
Truly resplendent. The pinnacle of old school (80s) hip hop.
as letras são bem boas, mas as beats realmente são meio datadas né.... vou de 3 estrelas (e tbm de anacronismo)
super interessante e ela manda mto nas letra né bacana, mas me pegou num dia mei ruim (ressacado)
I like that half the reviews for this are shocked that music from 1989 sounds like music from 1989. Like yo, of course. Listening to 80s hip hop is like listening to rock from the 50s, they were figuring things out. Black Reign is a clear improvement in both flow and production, but this album, by a 19 year old woman MC is still important. For what I would think are obvious reasons. Is it something I'm going to put on regularly? Probably not! But I'm not regularly listening to Little Richard these days either. That doesn't undermine the achievement. She's the Queen, and it's a shame she doesn't rap much any more.
Great stuff. Loved the horns, the wordplay, and the feminism. Listened twice.
Har samma känsla i kroppen som public enemy och delvis ice-t. Det är skönt rytm och flow. Inte så "avancerat" men det är ändå trevligt att lyssna på. Fastnar dock inte riktigt för nån låt direkt. Det är lite samma, enformigt.
Se föregående recensioner av Ice T och Public Enemy. Inte hört denna förut och den var ändå bättre än jag trodde, om än rätt endimensionell.
Good but not for me. One extra star for the positive messages.
NIIIIIVICEEEEEEEEE
Eind jaren '80 en zoals het hoort wordt er op dit plaatje flink op los gesampled en geëxperimenteerd met state of the art drumcomputers. Her en der een Roland TR 808 Cowbell 1 geluidseffectje wat meteen de exacte leeftijd van zo'n plaat verraadt. Net als de screechy saxofoon die bij elke track aanwezig moet zijn. Ik vind het ook wel geinig hoor en Koningin heeft een aardige flow in huis, maar dit soort albums luister ik uiteindelijk altijd maar één keer. Het zal de vaste lezers niet verbazen dat ik dit weer net wat te oud vind. Veel brag en boast teksten, maar spitsvondige punchlines waren er in die tijd nog lang niet altijd te vinden. Uiteraard valt het woord 'sucka'. Niet dat ik echt op de tekst let natuurlijk, maar dat soort dingen vallen me dan toch een beetje op. Ik moet wel zeggen dat dit een stuk minder irritant is dan die Public Enemy albums bijvoorbeeld. Het is geinig dat er wat verschillende stijlen aan bod komen, van soort van house tot reggae-achtige shit. Ik vind het een aardige poging, zeker gezien het jaar van uitgave, maar toch als ik naar m'n eigen genot kijk (als witte man kan ik uiteraard niet anders) moet ik het op een mager 3tje houden.
= the Beatles
Not a rap fan
Didn't really get familiar with hiphop back in this time, but kind of enjoyed it for its playful and laid back attitude. I am surprised how well this has aged: I still really like listening to this album, have played it a few times now and not yet bored. Love the horns, the samples and the additional voices. Most lyrics don't go very deep, more like battle tracks. Some social commentary. Really decent recording quality, considering the age and underground nature of hiphop back then. Will keep this around, probably buy a CD.
Fav: Ladies First Least Fav: Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children It’s alright ig. Very standard hip hop album but not a bad one
A good album
Listen I’m not going to pretend I knew what was going on in 89 but it sounds like it was a lot of fun. Absolutely obsessed with your stage name being queen, naming your album all hail the queen, and then using queen again in two song titles and princess in one more. Anyway great album
Neblogas, geri rimai.
Didn't do much for me. De la soul should have more tracks lol
Not for me
I appreciate that she seems so concerned over how many opportunities I have to dance. I can't think of another person who was putting in effort there. You might say, what about the Beastie Boys? Ah, my sharp minded reader, but they were there to fight for the right to party, which can include dancing, but she was brave enough to narrow it down to a real niche. Lots of fun experimentation, lots of harmonies that I really didn't think worked. Lots of commands to get moving used as lyrics. I feel like her flow would be a common complaint with this album, as she often uses the flow that everyone else used at that time period, paired with the same beat, at the same tempo. I'm giving grace because I'm starting to see that this genre has a lot of this. Instead I'm looking at what else was added, and just saying thanks that she still had enough creative juices after this album to make her cinematic masterpiece that is 2004 Taxi with Jimmy Fallon
Queen Latifah? The actress from the 2004 major motion picture Taxi?
The queen sounds very much of her generation here, for better (the wild genre-bending sampling across the production) and worse (sorry but I laughed out loud at the line asking why we give quarters to video games but not to homeless people). Let's split the difference: a great document of where rap was in 1989 and where some smart people wanted to take it further.
lots of diverse samples and styles here. some reggae, afro beat, and old soul samples throughout. still has some of that 80's rap sound.
I don’t hate it Good 90s production with a Sly Stone sample in the first song But I lowkey don’t like any of the verses
aggghhh i did not like that. i feel bad it’s just the raps aren’t good and the beats aren’t good and it’s too long. every song she’s just talking about how she’s queen latifah, a black female emcee who’s produced by king ramsey. 1/5
Meh. Fine for its time period, but feels boring now
Queen Latifah best musical moment is in taxi driver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbeuacV1GKw Impressive that Queen Latifah was 19 for this project, but with age it has gotten worse than what would've been back in the day
Star of Country Bears, Queen Latifah?? Will we get a Christopher Walken feature and get a full reunion? Didn’t she also host some reality show? Listen, all I know is, a single from an “Ice Age” sequel is in the suggested column, so we’re no doubt in for an artistic journey to the very soul of our highness. Dance For Me - Uhhh no. You can’t make me. We’re off to a rocky start with your demands. Alright song, excellent delivery. Hopefully it continues in this vein and doesn’t wear out its welcome over the next *checks notes* HOUR? Ugh. Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children - I couldn’t write a funnier title if I tried. Will this be ham fisted spirituality? Not really. It’s just another fun song. WITH DE LA SOUL? YES. Man, New York rap destroys all other regions. Like it’s not even close. This beat goes everywhere and stays super interesting throughout. I mean the child sample is dumb, but hey I’m having fun. Come Into My House - Pushy broad ain’t she? Calling women “broads” will never not be entertaining to me. This sounds like a RuPaul song. That is every bit the compliment I meant it as. Give me body? I mean come on. This should be playing at a ball. Hey I’ve seen the documentary. Latifah’s Law - The beats continue to be super fun and the flow matches that energy. She kind of sounds like friendly Ice Cube. Regular temperature cube. This fuckin’ rips. Wrath of my Madness - Got the HP Lovecraft feature on the song title here. Where did that come from? Everything is about being fun and having an attitude, but then we step into cosmic horror. Will this be about her loosening grip on sanity as she sinks deeper into the abyssal dark of the gaping maw beneath the stairs of her Massachusetts manor? False alarm. It’s just about rhyming. The Pros - Possibly about professionals, or maybe we can expect a track about the cons? OR, this is a song about the seminal television triumph known as Pros vs Joes. No. It’s a reggae influenced song about unity. NEVER MIND WHAT IS THIS BEAT? We could use less “Daddy O” but the beat is disgusting. In the best way. Daddy O stinks. Ladies First - Feminist rap. This song has always ruled and the one Queen Latifah song I knew before this. Great feature, fun lyrical content besides Queen Latifah insisting her rap partner should “get dumb.” I suppose she does spell Lady “LADIE.” Spelling is tough. Trust me on that. A King and Queen Creation - DJ MARK IN THE FUCKING HOUSE. This might be the best sample going. The samples are so layered and fun on this whole album, but this track really shines for production. Queen of Royal Badness - Man of this album was bad, I could certainly have a field day with this title. I could say uhh hmm YEAH SHE SURE IS. Fuck that would’ve been sweet. Like a poster dunk. This song is kind of the queen of royal midness. Evil That Men Do - Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone makes his presence known. This is some good preaching. Fuck America is a shithole. Maybe one day things will get better, Queen. Princess of the Possee - More questionable spelling but no question that this rules. She runs the world. Take that Beyoncé ya loser. Inside Out - Pretty hard to wipe the smile off my face for this one. It’s a good day and this just made it better. I’m not hanging on her every word or anything, but this was just delightful. There are enough meaningful moments to say that this has a lot of substance along with the infectious joy I’ve already praised. I cannot say enough about the beats on this record. How a person can hear jazz records and then loop it into a hip hop recording without any modern tools, is akin to asking me how a nuclear reactor works. These people are geniuses. Now this album is not scratching every musical itch I have but I’ll be damned if this isn’t a damn fine release and better than 90% of male rap released around this time. All hail the queen. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children, Latifah’s Law, Ladies First, Princess of the Possee
Rap isn't really my thing. 2,5/5
It started pretty fun and energetic, with less repetitive beats than usual, but fell off in the second half. I was enjoying it a lot in the beginning, but then it just turned into the same slow, monotonous stuff with very repetitive beats that is characteristic of hip hop from roughly that time frame, so I lost interest. The first half is pretty good, but everything after Ladies First is just meh, in my opinion.
It was fine. Not a lot blew me away but not a lot I hated either. Been a lot of meh for me on this list this last week or so. 5/10
Repetitive and did not not enjoy
3.5
A Queen Latifah album is like a good bottle of wine – you have to slowly sip a glass or two and learn to appreciate it. If you try to binge-drink the whole bottle, you’ll end up with a hangover and miss the point entirely. Sure, this album sounds VERY old-school – the production is so minimalistic that it’s basically just a background beat, and it can be repetitive at times. The beat is old school even for 1989, it could almost be an album from the mid-80s. But this is largely compensated by the natural, charismatic flow of Queen Latifah, whose obvious enthusiasm and presence make for a very solid offering - in addition to finally giving a voice to women in the world of hip hop. All in all a great album. It think it aged surprisingly well – even now that we have a plethora of good female MCs, the Queen is still one of the best.
Wow this is great. I really like this era of hip hop, especially the faster ones. I think she’s an amazing lyricist and great flows, especially over different kinds of beats like the more dance one with the 4 on the floor kick, which is not usually done. The features are mostly good, de la soul and monie love are definitely the best ones. The only bad things I guess are that I don’t really like the slower ones as much, and some of the beats are sometimes jarringly repetitive, but I guess you can’t really fault as this kind of sampling as still quite primitive in the late 80s. Favourite songs: all but the pros. Overall around 8/10
2/5
Enjoyable, obviously highly influential. High 2s.
eh it's not bad just not my style
I didn't like this at first, justifying my decision to put off listening for ages. Very 90s. Even though it came out in 89. But when it got to the Pros and Ladies First it really picked up. I literally laughed (in a good way) at some of the wordplay. And the second half held up. I would probably listen again. High 3.
This is the sort of rapping I tend to enjoy, no gangster rubbish. The backing tracks are good and there are some nice themes in there, but she seems to spend most of her time rapping about her rapping and since I'm listening to her rapping I don't need her to describe her rapping. If she had rapped about a wider range of stuff I might have been able to get into this, but on this one it was like, when are you going to tell me how great your rhymes are... Oh, literally the second line in every song. But if a shame.
2,1/5
it's not bad but it sounds just like every late 80-s early-90s rap. It's honestly kind of crazy how old hip hop has aged; Like, it's not bad at all, it's just all sounds exactly the same regardless of who the artist is. Kind of crazy TBH. It is cool seeing a female artist breakout in the genre so early, though. The song featuring De La Soul was fun.
Female MC holding her own in the early days of rap. Enjoyed some old school beats and cool samples. Yea, it feels dated, even a little soft or juvenile at times. But overall a fun blast from the past to remind me about the early days of hip hop.
Got tired of it realy quick Idk what she's trying to tell me
It’s the flip side of a sample album like Paul’s Boutique. It exists, many people like it, it doesn’t really do anything for me (and it probably wasn’t intended to)
Ladies First was actually Len Houmous’ approach to all of his group encounters in the late 70s. 3.4 7/15 Ladies First
Fun blast from the past but outside of De La and ATCQ, Native Tongues posse didn't age all that well. Makes me want a Kid n Play hairdo and don a gigantic clay medallion.
What a blast from the past! I'm not sure I've ever heard most of the songs on this album before (or all that much from Queen Latifah in general), so it's nice to reacquaint with her fairly distinctive style. The videos for "Dance for me" and "Come into my house" were fun to watch, largely because it reminded me of a fashion era that hopefully will never get repeated, but also because those are two of her more accessible and energetic songs. I also liked it that De la Soul collaborated on the album, although "Mama gave birth to the soul children" is definitely *not* a great track on the album, sadly. Overall, the album starts off really strong and distinctive, but fairly quickly decays into that monochromatic rap/hip-hop sound of looping beats and generic rhyming rhythms, from about "Latifah's law" onwards (sorry, "Wrath of my madness"), although some of the subsequent tracks with featured artists inject a little more variety (mainly "The pros" but also "Ladies first" and "A king and queen creation" and "Evil that men do" somewhat). It *does* end on a strong track, "Inside out", and kudos to the queen for both writing and producing the album.
great first album and hard to believe she was 19 at the time. I love the variety of sounds and samples and wish the rapping was the same level as all the other music.
I like Rap and I know historically this is considered as having a pioneering position in hip hop history but it misses its mark for me. Maybe it just doesn't age well it feels dated and soft-edged. If Stock Aitken Waterman wrote Rap this is what it would sound like. Its style is safety first, tonally very clean has high production gloss. There's even token attempt to put a political spine in some of the tracks (" Ladies First"). But to me it feels like early crossover rap made palatable so it will sell to the widest audience possible.
Well, this was a lot of fun - I really enjoyed the variety of music here with Queen Latifah’s assured rapping on top. The guest artists are a treat too, with De La Soul being a highlight. The only downsides were a couple of tracks featuring men, and some of the 80’s house beats sounded a bit weedy in comparison with the more substantial soul and funk tracks.
Nice flow, nice backing music, full of 5 stars samples, with a huge variety of sounds. It aged pretty well for an album released more than 35 years ago. Hail to the Queen!
Queen Latifah's All Hail the Queen is a snapshot of Hip-hop right before the 90's. Female empowerment anthems, great rhymes reminiscent of Eric B. & Rakim, and a couple different styles Latifah switches between. Enjoyable rap album with great features.
It was okay, not a huge boom bap fan
Pop dance area of popular hip hop at the time. Uninteresting.
I didn't know she was a singer, I swear. I knew her from the movies. Very well done, like practically everything she does. 4 stars.
Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: 🌍👩🪖 Production: 🙄🤔🤷 Music: 🤣🙅♂️👑 Rating: 🔙(🔙)/5
2.5 stars Respect to Queen Latifah for carving space for female MCs in a male-dominated arena. The album is dated, and I probably wouldn’t put this on myself, but I also wouldn’t be mad if someone else did. Rounding up for historical significance. The songs are pretty repetitive, and even though I didn’t have time for a deep dive, the lyrics seemed pretty similar from song to song. I was super thrown off when it got to “Ladies First” - the version I know has a catchy “ooh, ladies first, ladies first” refrain. I guess that was the radio-friendly version. Notable: when I was trying to read the lyrics of the final track Inside Out, a Spotify glitch served me the lyrics of a VERY different song with the same title. I googled it and it’s a Korn song… I would really like some brain bleach now.
It's... fine? I understand that this is an important album. If i'm not mistake, Queen Latifah is one of the earliest popular female rappers. So this record is inherently significant. It's just not for me. The instrumentals are fun, but the rapping doesn't grab me. I'm not normally into "i'm the greatest" kinda rap and there's a lot of that on here. Hell that's kinda why i don't like the newest Kendrick Lamar record. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with Queen Latifah taking this angle. There are so many rap albums like this throughout the history of the genre. It's still a big thing today. And it rarely clicks with me. If anything, she's more justified than most rappers doing this because she's a woman in rap in 1989. The genre itself is trying to establish it's importance in the world at that time and as one of the earliest women in the genre, i'm sure she had to fight 10 times harder than the men to be taken seriously. So i totally get why her lyrical focus is often "i'm fucking great at this and you should respect me." On top of that, there's always been a joke/idea that there can only be one successful female rapper at a time. That trope/situation is only just changing in the last 5 years, but historically it pits women in rap against each other to be that person. I assume it was no different at the time. So she's trying to convince male rappers to take her seriously and be the best woman in rap. I imagine it was a huge struggle/pain in the ass. So ya, that's my hypothesis for the subject matter. I respect it (even understand it), i just didn't enjoy it. When she talked about other topics, i was more interested, like on Evil That Men Do. But those moments were few and far between. For the most part the songs and the bragging blurred together. One of the only ones that stood out was The Pros, but it stood out in a bad way. I really hated that song and it felt like it went on forever. Another one that stood out was Come into My House, but for a good reason. That chorus is catchy. Anyways, ya, this album was fine. A solid 2. I think I prefer Queen Latifah as an actor. I'll always remember her from that one episode of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Will learns a lesson about being shallow, very after school special. Classic.
Some cool tracks but some got repetitive or boring
I tend to think of Queen Latifah as an actor first and foremost, and I usually forget that she’s also a rapper. Gun to my head, I don’t think I could name a single song that she sings. Even though I’m not familiar with her music career, I’m excited to listen to this album, because I imagine it’s incredibly influential on hip-hop, especially for female artists. For what it’s worth, I love this album cover. That’s a powerful pose from Queen Latifah, and it’s in stark contrast to the comedic film roles that I think of when I hear her name. I’m curious to see how she’s going to lean into that image on this album! I wasn’t blown away by All Hail the Queen, but it was fun album to listen to, and I imagine that from a historical context, this album had to have been a massive game-changer for female musicians, especially those in hip-hop. I really enjoyed Queen Latifah’s rapping. She has a great voice, and she sounds so incredibly young here. Her flow is crisp, her voice has power behind it, and I love that she leans into not swearing on this album, instead focusing her attention on messages of power for black women. The beats and samples were really good, and yes, they do sound dated, but it feels like opening a time capsule that transports the listener back to 1989. There were quite a few songs that stood out to me: -“Dance for Me” had an excellent groove that sucked me into this album right away. The samples were great, and Queen Latifah’s rapping was great too. -Whoever decided to include De La Soul on this song deserves a raise. They sounded great with Queen Latifah. I wasn’t a huge fan of the little kid voices, but this song was still really good. The vibraslap was awesome too. -I loved the house music beats used on “Come into My House.” This album had a lot of good grooves on it, but this song was one of the most fun grooves on the whole album. -“Ladies First” was outstanding. I loved the duet aspect with Monie Love, and the beats and production were fantastic. The message of the lyrics was outstanding too. -Queen Latifah tried to warn us about men, and yet here we are: with a pants-shitting conman back in the White House, and young white dudes on youtube debates bragging about being fascists, and then creating successful Go Fund Me’s when they get fired. Time is indeed a flat circle. “Evil that Men Do” had my favorite songwriting on the album, and it’s infuriating that this song is still so relevant over 35 years later. While those songs were great, the rest of the album was a bit ho-hum in my opinion. The beats and rapping were solid, but only a handful of songs really stood out to me. Still, the album as a whole works well, and from a standpoint of cultural significance, this album absolutely deserves a place on this list.
i liked the reggae influence and the feminism
very very good
so glad I listened! Queen Latifah!!!
Ток не чёрная музыка
Slay, Queen!
This is so not my thing that no matter how wide I try to open my mind, I just can't appreciate it properly.
i'm only familiar with queen latifah's acting career, so i appreciated the opportunity to listen to some of her music. i liked Ladies First and the general vibe well enough, but it didn't blow my mind.
Decent rap album, though it felt pretty repetitive after a while. A lot of the tracks have similar beats and production, so they all kind of run together. Still, this is a landmark album for a number of reasons, and I think deserves inclusion on this list. I also find it funny that all the commenters saying "she just brags about how good she is at rapping all the time, 2/5" don't seem to mind when the men recording most of the 90s rap and hip-hop albums on this list do it... HOW INTERESTING, i'm sure that's just a coincidence. favorites: dance for me, mama gave birth to the soul children, wrath of my madness, ladies first
I liked this album. Queen Latifah has some nice flow to her rapping and the beats were good. My main issue with some of the songs were the weird intros and outros, which kinda ruined some of the songs. But overall it was enjoyable. 3.5/5 Favorite song: Queen of Royal Badness Worst song: Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children
A pivotal album in hip-hop. De la Soul introduced me to Queen Latifah and obviously they feature on this album. The production is similar in style and i love but Latifah’s flow is still the standout here. Ladies first is just a classic and always good to hear some Monie Love.
Having just suffered the indignity of listening to the Beastie Boys for this project, the only thing I can say is that it this album wasn’t as bad as that.
I was a bit too young (and firmly not into hiphop) to have listened to this the first time round, so I don't remember having ever heard any of this before. Plus nothing from this album made the UK charts, so my main source of music as a pre-teen (Top Of The Pops) would have been no help. This is a really weird mix, as parts of it sound pretty fresh - you could imagine releasing them today and it not sounding out of place - but parts of this sound so aggressively late 80s, it's really jarring. Also, it appears Will Smith based his entire rap style on The 45 King ("A King and Queen Creation"). I enjoyed it, but less than I was expecting. 3/5
3/5
Interesting
Groovy as all hell, superb flow and character - fun samples! Another time capsule. Favourite tracks: Come Into My House, The Pros, Ladies First
and the queen stays queen
This isn’t really bad, but it’s not very interesting and wanting for catchiness. Old school hip-hop has had more misses than hits sadly.
The reviews complaining about Queen Latifah referring to herself and her greatness are a bit of shame. That style of rapping comes from hiphop's origins and the mic battles that developed the idea of MCs. It's like complaining that old blues and rock and roll records use the same 12 bar chord progression too much. Maybe I'm showing my age by how much I like the production but again why dismiss old hip-hop/electronic music? Sixties rock and pop doesn't get the same treatment.
Back in '89, Queen Latifah came through the door not just kicking it down but waving a flag of female empowerment over a scene still very much a boys’ club. On All Hail the Queen, her regal presence is undeniable — she’s got confidence, charisma, and a clear mission. While her flow is solid (if sometimes a bit rudimentary), it’s her voice — firm, assertive, full of purpose — that carries most of the weight. The production, courtesy of the Native Tongues collective, leans heavily into the era’s sonic staples: horn stabs, thick boom-bap drums, and those zany sound effects that feel more like radio show bumpers than timeless hooks. That said, there are moments that still spark: “Latifah’s Law” flips a horn loop that later found fame on “Rump Shaker,” and “Wrath of My Madness” channels the energy of “The Bridge Is Over” with a bounce all her own. The standout “Ladies First,” featuring Monie Love, feels like a mission statement for hip-hop feminism — playful, defiant, and dripping with Salt-N-Pepa flavor. While some of the beats haven’t aged gracefully, Queen Latifah’s arrival still demands respect.
It bored me, it sounds dated, I didn't even finish it
Nice old school vibe
Very pleasantly surprised. 1989! I reckon she was a pionneer in female rap and I recognize her flow's style in later British rap artists.
When I first listen to the album, it changes me and reminds me a bit of what I listened to 20 years ago... Pretty soon, I get bored, always the same rhythm and tempo. In short, this album is a sort of endless loop...
The first female rapper to get massive exposure (with support of huge names like KRS One ou De La Soul). It’s still got that very 80s vibe, but personally, I think it still works really well, those warm jazzy or reggae samples are super smooth and she’s able to mix very well with various styles. The dancey mixes, with tracks like Come Into My House, sound way better than Soul II Soul, in my opinion. A major album, totally feminist, and a real milestone. Wrath of My Madness inspired every female rapper who came after. Big up even though that’s not a favorite of mine.
[2.5/5] Final impressions: Everything here is alright. Some minor stand-outs to me. Nothing especially bad, just not my typical genre. Less repetitive than either of the previous albums, but still somewhat repetitive. Listened to on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/6Agl4DVuihiDPuxuN1L8Jv]. Dance for Me - Solid beat, but nothing else stood out to me. Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children - What an opening. This one's great. Though the kid sounds are driving me insane in a bad way. Come into My House - Similar to the first track, nice beat but nothing else of note. Latifah's Law - Favorite track so far. Wrath of My Madness - A good combo between variety and catchy beat. I like this one. *The Pros - Best track yet. Similar to the last track in terms of variety, but I like the sound of this one more. Ladies First - It's fine. Not as strong as the previous few tracks, but stronger than the album openers. A King and Queen Creation - Nothing of note. Queen of Royal Badness - Starting to really lose the variety it gained. It's fine. Evil that Men Do - Not bad. Has a lyrical message that holds up relatively well. Princess of the Possee - I like the vocals on this one. Inside Out - Not great as a finale track in my opinion. Otherwise fine. Overall notes: Not my usual genre, but I liked some of the tracks here. At least it wasn't a collection of the same exact track like the last two albums have been.
I’m impressed with the talent Queen Latifah clearly possesses, though I’m no fan of rap even when she’s singing it
Why is this album so long? It has aged into being rather corny. Cool at the time, I'm sure, but I only like "The Pros".
This is #day325 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… some classic late '80s beats with dashes of reggae, house, and jazz here. Fun as an occasional listen or as part of, say, female hip-hop essentials. "Evil That Men Do" is among the record's highlights. On the flip side, the number of times she's saying her name is Latifa and she's the queen is a bit too much. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day326.
Incredible production and Queen Latifah killed it with her bars.
Favourite: Ladies First
It's ok. It is not getting a second listen.
Too many songs with Queen talking about herself in the third person.
2.4 1x catch up... decent for some classic hip hop
pretty trash i don’t like women rapping.
It’s a product of its era, which is fine. My issue is that it’s very boring and repetitive.
classic. not for me
More rap albums need saxophones
An interesting artifact that serves as a reminder that there were not a lot of female rappers in the early life of the genre. Queen Latifah's success paved the way for women to participate in the Rap/Hip-Hop juggernaut that was soon to dominate the industry. She was also at the forefront of the Afrocentric aesthetic that became popular in the early 90's. Maps of Africa, dashikis, and red, green, and black stripes became fashionable for young African-Americans and allowed them to display pride in their heritage while continuing to challenge outdated conventions. As with many Rap albums at the time, the production is dated. That doesn't matter much. as this album did so much to move the music forward.
Happy that I listened to this, and she's great at her craft, but this is indicative of a time of rap that isn't my favorite. Good for what it is, but a little too old for me.
I went into this one excited, Queen Latifah is such an icon and rightly deserves the title Queen. But I was honestly a little underwhelmed. Start off, she rocks the feminist vibes and supports her cultural vibes. She also doesn't focus on bad language or lyrical shock value to get her points across. Which I love. But....there were songs she barely sang on and others where she she seemed like an add on. The songs were good but others have done it a lot better. Her raps where clever, but others are more clever. She was fast, but not that fast. The beats were catchy but others are more catchy. She laid groundwork for women in rap and hip hop and that cannot be denied.
I think 80's rap might be my favorite decade for rap. I'm old. I know. One of the things I especially liked about these songs is her use of horn samples. Also some great beats with a dash of reggae for flavor. Favorites: Latifah's Law (especially like the conga drums & horn samples), Wrath of My Madness, Ladies First, King & Queen Creation, Evil that Men Do. I'm about a 3.5 with this musically but I'll jump it up to a 4 cuz props to a strong black woman who was a pioneer in her field.
Hip-hop, like many music genres, is very male-dominated, so it was refreshing to get a female hip-hop artist for once. And I’m all about women power and fucking the patriarchy, which she clearly is too. The issue I had with this is that 90% of the time it just feels like she’s singing about how awesome she is, and also how awesome whoever this guy Mark is. She got a little deeper in songs like Evil That Men Do and Ladies First, but it primarily feels a bit narcissistic in nature. I do appreciate her rhymes and her vocals. She can lay down some great raps. And she obviously had a point to prove to the industry, which is what it feels this was largely about. I’m sure it was a huge struggle to get to where she was as a woman in hip-hop in the 80s. But I just couldn’t connect to a lot of it because it ultimately felt like a brag fest, and aside from a few of the more reggae sounds, it felt like a lot of the same thing.
Not awful. No mfer or n.
first listen tough
i've heard of QL but this is my first listen to her music. its decent bars and flow, but it just has a really dated feel. it sounds really good like NWA but it doesnt seem to have any political edge or message/meaning.
Popping beats that blast Lightning fast delivery Over big house bass
Fun listen, I'm a sucker for late 80's golden age hip hop. Quite refreshing to have one of a few women from this era rapping here. I like the songs but nothing really sticks, it's a fun listen but kind of inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Probably doesn't help that I've had a lot of good albums before this one.
Dance for Me when you listen to this album. The Pros know this album is a good one.
Not for me
I want to like this but it’s about as mid as her acting. It’s passable but that’s about it.
Rap as a genre is maybe the hardest for me to hear with fresh ears. This feels like the pre-Renaissance wing of the museum, except maybe the Renaissance wasn't a 100% great idea in this timeline. All the pre-Chronic jazz-inflected rap feels like a vein that maybe wasn't completely mined before everyone moved on. "The Pros" goes for dub but just feels sluggish after the first five tracks, which is maybe a sign that the first five tracks bring a great energy. Energy changes in the back half but it all mostly works. I didn't expect to think the album was too short, but that's the sign of something good - "Inside Out" is a powerful closer. I guess what I'm saying is maybe don't skip straight to the Caravaggios.
damn for 1989 this sounds pretty good. Its not corny like a lot of rap from the 80's (mostly). Its pretty fun, and she's the Queen for a reason!
Would have given this a 3 if I only listened to it once… but I just kept coming back to it throughout the day and damned if I didn’t end up really enjoying it. All hail the Queen and GIVE ME BODY
Giving this three stars doesn’t mean this isn’t good - it just is a bit of a capsule of time. It’s a heck of a debut album and its impact was big but it doesn’t change the fact that the songs all sound similar and distinctly from their time period, in a limiting sort of way. There are probably more timeless collections of music from that period and better examples of hip hop/rap from that period. But if you’re digging deep this feels like a must-listen.
I listened to the original release, without the CD bonus tracks. This is a rap album which features other artists on some of the tracks. It differs from most rap albums (which focus on drugs, gangs, guns, and shootings). This is more of a PG-rated album. On the positive side of the ledger, the album has a lot of energy. On the negative side, every track mentions Latifah at least three times, which becomes annoying.
I don't think I've ever heard a Queen Latifah song before now (other than her movie ones). She's more of an actress to me! This album is from when she was 19, which is adorable. No slurs, so all hail the queen for that one. I find the whole "I'm the best at rhyming" plot to be so boring and played out, but considering this was the 80s, it probably wasn't actually that played out yet. I'll round up to a 3 because I like Queen Latifah and the occasional background sax/horns, but this isn't really something I'd ever listen to. Highlights: 'Come Into My House' (mentally dissertating about "What better off position can you be in?"), 'Ladies First' (likewise "I'm conversating with the folks who have no whatsoever clue")
There is absolutely nothing notable about this music.
I totally dig early Latifah
Yaas queenie
Nope
All Hail the Queen!!
Overall thoughts: groove is great but repetitive, lyrics are very repetitive Standout tracks: 5) “Wrath of My Madness”, “Ladies First” Tracks I dislike: 2) “Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children”
Sounds like something I would've listened to on my walkman on a Weetabix Top Trax cassette, which is a good thing. How did we go from Ladies First to rapping about bitches and hoes for the next decade?
I've accepted by this point that hip-hop isn't my thing. This is a fine album, I just personally didn't care for it much. Best track: "Ladies First"
Not really my kind of thing. Might be a good example of the genre, and I found it perfectly listenable, but I can’t rate it at more than average - 3 out of 5, maybe 6 out of 10.
Can we take a moment to appreciate that this came out in 1989? Queen Latifah kicked down the door with confidence, clarity, and a message. “Ladies First” is an instant classic—feminist, funky, and still empowering decades later. “Wrath of My Madness” is pure fire, showcasing her lyrical strength and swagger. The whole album blends hip-hop with jazz, reggae, and soul without ever losing its power. All hail, indeed.
Overall strong album. Although Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children's voice effect went on too long for me at the end of the song. Would happily work or workout to this.
I'm an 80s child who likes funk, saxophones, jazz, and spoken word, so this seemed very accessible. I'd happily have this on in the background. Occationally some of the lyricism/rhyme I think suffers from time passed on slower tracks, it's hard to unimagine the 35 years between then and now that telegraph what probably once sounded punchy. More uptempo tracks feel tighter/fresher. That said Princess of the Possee was great. Remixes didn't add anything imo.
Queen Latifah - All Hail the Queen Dance to Me is a banger of an opener. The roll call from De La Soul made me laugh (intentionally funny). Track 3 is early house, loads of fun and surprising. The DJ backing is great in general with great hooks and samples (eg Gil Scott on Evil that men Do) The rapping sounds more dated (exposed) on the slower tracks 6, 11 & 12. Love the saxophone on this album in general. The rapping is of its time, but style / flow matches contemporary’s (Big Daddy Kane, Eric B and Rakim, Salt N Pepa etc) 4/5
All hail the Queen - enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Not likely to go back to it.
Since getting into hip hop I’ve always been partial to hip house - it blew my mind to find out that this existed as far back as the 80s. Queen Latifah brings a good number of hits to this record, they make up about half of the tracklist and would be a fantastic soundtrack to a party. She’s got a variety of flows which match a strong mix of production and instrumentation - groovy basslines, saxaphones, surprising samples. She’s a good lyricist but I’m most impressed at her ability to land both serious points and humour, the result is fun but not insubstantial. The Pros made me really laugh - I love the idea of members of the public trying to match up to the Queen’s level of rap skill. The only awkward moment across the whole LP for me is the roll call of her children on Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children - I didn’t need that!
Low 3 for me, second half and track 2 dented the score considerably.
I can see how this could be inspiring to some, and worth including on the list, but sonically I don’t think it’s great. There’s better stuff from the era.
Meh hip hop
Some catchy songs, some annoying songs. barely 3 stars.
Loopit ja rummut naksuu old schoolisti ja tässä huokuu se alkuaikojen hiphop, mustat pantterit ja muu ajan kuva. Kyllähän tuota kuunteli mut biisit ei tunnu kuuntelemalla loppuvan.
Don't like rap. Only listened a little because it was Queen Latifah.
I will not include the CD bonus tracks for this review. Is it weird that I'm more familiar with Queen Latifah as an actor than as a rapper? In terms of my exposure to Laitfah growing up, the only work I would have recognized her for was providing the voice for the mammoth Ellie as a supporting role in the Ice Age animated film series. Then, in my recent adult years, I recognized her again for her lead role as Robyn McCall in CBS's revival of the action drama TV series The Equalizer, as well as occasional supporting roles, such as opposite Adam Sandler in the film Hustle. To me, it feels like once Queen Latifah broke into other avenues of the entertainment industry, her music career was largely placed on the back burner. I only became aware of her rapping chops this past year through her guest appearance on the Jungle Brothers' "Doin' Our Own Thang" and her track "U.N.I.T.Y." performed live with Megan Thee Stallion at Coachella this year. If she started in the rap game, then I can try to meet her halfway. With all that said, how does her debut, All Hail the Queen, hold up? I will say that this album is definitely within the ballpark of the Jungle Brothers' Done by the Forces of Nature and A Tribe Called Quest's debut, both of which I've already covered in the progressive rap narrative of the Native Tongues collective. Latifah maintains a good lyrical flow as she runs the gamut of Afrocentric embracement, female empowerment, and social justice. Particularly on tracks like "The Evil That Men Do" and "Latifah's Law", she articulated how she worked her way off the streets, despite the numerous disadvantages a black woman faced in society. In a word, this album feels like a celebration of how far she has come, and I respect that while putting the spotlight on other up-and-coming artists, especially alongside Monie Love on "Ladies First". That said, it does feel like the production is dated. Not a bad start for a debut album, but the beats behind Latifah could have used more impact. Also, there are a few missteps in the presentation that couldn't be ignored, such as on "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" with the grating baby voice modulations and instrumental motifs that evoke a bizarre nursery rhyme. Still, this is a reasonably solid debut from Queen Latifah, and it opened many doors for her and other female rappers to come.
7.5/10
Very fun and enjoyable. Kinda repetitive though.
Is this the greatest rap album of all time? Not particularly. Is it chock full of stone cold bangers with perfect 1989 production and drop-ins by the most badass New York rappers of the scene? You bet your ass. Queen Latifah rules, and even if some of this is corny as hell it’s also an absolute jam.
Its okay, I thought I would enjoy this more than I did. I think I'd prefer the songs mixed with other genres in a playlist than listening to the whole album again. Everything sounded the same after awhile.
Fine
Three stars because I admire Queen Latifah as a celebrity, but this is pretty weak.
Next, please. 1 star or F.
An early, cornerstone rap record that's actually fun to listen to. Engaging and concise. This sounds less dated than albums that came out shortly after. Queen Latifah is as compelling a performer and writer (if not moreso) as many of her contemporaries. As someone who grew up seeing her as largely an actress, it's cool to see that she's the real deal. Queen Latifah comeback album when.
2/5 don't come at me, but this isn't my jam
This record sounds very dated to me. De La Soul inject their own magic into the proceedings but it’s just not a genre I’ve ever managed to really connect with - I can hear the record’s influence though.
Off the cuff remark: If I knew much about this would it sound as dated as I think it does? Standout Track: "Evil That Men Do" something so much more, lyrically, than 'I'm better than you' which so many of the songs are...? Is that a riff stolen from "Revolution Will Not Be Televised" too? Revisit?: Evil That Men Do, for sure. The rest.... unlikely.
Respecte tous les codes du hip-hop de l’époque: hagiographie de la MC, collaborations, irrévérence, revendications. Sa personnalité rend le tout digne d’intérêt
Very late 80s
oh god i was going to listen to this thinking of oprah instead of queen latifah... once i realised who's who i could enjoy way more. great vibesss
Day494 - it’s really good old school rap. the ones with de la soul and monie love were my favorites
Loved all the barriers and ceilings she has and is breaking .
Damn, she’s good! 4
Incredibly disappointing. Paper-thin beats, basic lyrics which all just try to flex. Really expected more from Latifah. 1/5
I was an alt-rock girl when this came out, so it was no where near my radar. I've never really listened to Queen Latifah, and I missed out. This is fun! Sure, it's showing it's age but I won't hold that against it.
"All Hail the Queen" is the debut studio album by American rapper Queen Latifah. Hip hop is the genre. There are multiple guest appearances and there were five producers credited (DJ Mark the 45th King, Louis "Louie Louie" Vega, KRS-One, Daddy-O and Prince Paul.) on the album The album was well received critically and, in 2023, it was selected for the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its artistic significance and specifically for "showing that rap could cross genres including reggae, hip hop, house and jazz, while opening opportunities for other female rappers." Commercially, the album hit #124 on the US Billboard 200 and reached #6 on the R&B/Hip Hop Album Charts. The album opens with "Dance for Me." A quick, funky, hip hop beat. A vocal sample from Sly and the Family Stones' "Dance to the Music." Forceful rapping by Quern Latifah as she's ordering you to dance in a fun song. Dialogue stating "Take this mask off" from the movie "Disco Godfather" introduces "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children." A change of beat in this weird song. Funky. De la Soul makes a guest appearance. The last part are voices of girls through what sounds like a vocoder but I don't if that existed in 1989. So, maybe just on helium. A nice house-dance beat gets a-going in "Come into My House." Nice backing vocals to the melody of Anita Baker's "Ring My Bell." Queen Latifah stresses don't get her mad in "Wrath of My Madness." More funk. Pointed horn sampling from Grover Washington. Monie Love joins Queen Latifah in the feminist anthem "Ladies First." Both come in strong. Horns and a great jazz-hip hop fusion. This album is a lot of fun. Queen Latifah brings it in her rapping style and prowess. As with most of the hip hop albums that I like: selective use of guest appearances, timely sampling and no over production. Check, check and check. There's nice fusion of hop hop with jazz and house-dance music. She mentions the homeless and lack of education, but Queen Latifah doesn't go deep into any social issues and keeps it light. Overall, a definite recommendation.
I am biased because I just love her as a person, and I knew her for her newer singing for an Ice Age movie. It's kinda cool to hear this
Idk man, 90s rap just sounds so... underdeveloped and dated so much so that it sounds cheesy to me. That said, I liked Queen Latifah's sound, I'm not a fan of the vocal fry that women rappers of today seem to use a lot
Rating: 6/10 Very dated production and unremarkable lyrics but still fun to listen to. Her energy is great and the beats are still a lot of fun.
Not horrible, but not for me.
Fact is this is great. Never does this get boring, never does it only sit in rap or hip hop or even pseudo-pop, but it spins around all of them and none of them each and every song, sometimes within songs. And Queen Latifah, she has voice! I wish I could use her to be a voice for my activism right now, we need it! Highly recommend as a 1001 album and just to listen to just to listen! You will not get bored.
YES, all hail the Queen Latifah! This album is a breath of fresh air in 2025, so I can't imagine how empowering it was in 1989. I just love how Queen Latifah is unrepentant about being a Black woman, and in so many songs, too! I'm hard pressed to come up with another hip hop artist that was before her, because she is so blatant. She was and still is a huge inspiration for those who came after her. One of the samples I picked up was from "Come into My House" when it used "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward, and I think that was both cleverly done and a great way to pay homage to a Black woman artist who came before her. I noticed and was impressed that this is a mostly hip hop album that can get a little jazz-y and even has some inspiration from African music. One of my favorite things in music is when artists don't hold back and explore genres, and our Queen Latifah did just that. 3.5
I often cite Missy Elliot as a rapper who pushed women in rap into the mainstream; well, Queen Latifah walked in that space in the 80s so Missy Elliot could run in the 90s. Yes, this definitely sounds dated. But look, I couldn't help but jam to it. Latifah comes in with full force on this album and demands a seat at the table, talking about many social issues. And when all is said and done, she is actually quite skilled as a rapper. Queen Latifah really is THAT BITCH.
HipHop/Rap ist für mich keine Musik. Nie!
It's helpful that she frequently reminds listeners what her name is and how rap music works. Impossible to get confused! It's charmingly dated and quite repetitive.
The chipmunk talk on track two drags down an average album which has a few good tracks towards the end
I don't know... reminds me of Will Smith rap albums. Too positive or uplifting which just makes it feel bland.
This album starts out with more fire than I expected. Liked the beat on Latifah's Law (the horns on the end sound like an instrumental from a Jay-Z song). The Pros had an awesome reggae beat, but the rapping over it went to shit kind of quick. Disappointed with that one. Ladies First and A King/Queen Creation were the high point of the album. Although I found myself digging most of this album, I couldn't quite get to a 4. High 3.
I actually love seeing that house and rap have such a long common history as displayed on Come into My House. The Pros goes pretty hard with its reggae inspired instrumental and chorus. Mic passing on Ladies First is top notch -- among the best bar for bar tracks I've heard in a long time. Schoolhouse Rock reference on Inside Out was pretty corny ngl, but the song is otherwise pretty solid -- really enjoy the instrumental. Not that it counts, but the remix of Dance for Me at the end was quality -- far better than the original IMO. This was o.k. but never much more than that for me. She certainly could rock the mic, but I couldn't get into it for more than a track or two at a time. 3 for me
Not usually my jam, but I was bopping to the first few songs. It definitely started to drag a bit to the point where I was ready for it to be over just about halfway through. Low 3
Some corny late 80s beats throughout which I am never a fan of. But there were also some really cool sections and horns that saved this. She is also has a great voice for rap. Liked the songs with the features as well, the extra people were good additions.
This started off better than I expected, but honestly got sooooo boring listening throughout. Idk if it was repetitiveness or it just sounded dated. Did she just mention the I'm Just A Bill song from middle school in Inside Out?
Eh. Some of the backing tracks got me moving, but her rap style is pretty bland. 2.5 at best but I’ll be nice and round up.
Solid hip hop.
Da e greit nok
Качественная музыка, но не понрав
Dogshit.
In context, iconic. In 2025, sounds tired
Pretty average 80s hip hop album but I guess this one stands out because its got a female rapper. Respect to the queen. Favorite track: Latifah's Law 2.5/5
Like her as an actress. Not her music. Rap crap.
3.5 - I liked it, but just got a bit samey tbh
Nothing bad about this one, but it didn't do much to move me at all. Feels quite slow and formulaic after 35 years of subsequent hip hop history. 3/5
Never cared for her.
The vibes are immaculate. The sun is shining. The wind is in our hair as we drive across the peak district. This album is the perfect accompaniment: it couldn't have been timed better.
Too jumpy. I cannot.
She has bars, beats didnt age bad
..
Honestly, way better than I was expecting. I feel like this holds up better than Run DMC, Public Enemy, and NWA. Sure it runs on too long like everything else but the beats were better, NO SKITS!!!!!!!!!, no unnecessary whining hype men. I feel like this could actually have a better retrospective.
First off, I never knew Queen Latifah was a rapper. To me she will always be Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray. Iconic This however was not it. It started off quite good, but it got so repetitive. How many songs do you need where you tell us you're the q-u-e-e-n? Very dated songs that didnt age well. Also she completely threw me off when she pulled out the Jamaican accent and started rapping about rastas 2 ⭐️
Still not a huge fan of hip-hop but Latifah's got a good voice and fast delivery. It's also refreshing to have an album in the genre that's not misogynistic, drug-fueled, and using racial slurs every other word. Maybe that's the real reason she's the Queen?
A fun time but nothing mindblowing
This album just about scrapes into the two-star category for me. I find it repetitive and monotonous, with lyrics bordering on the annoying.
Nope.
In case you ever forgotten who wrote this pile of garbage, she'll tell you about a million times. I probably could have held on to the end of the album as it wasn't actively infuriating, but decided I wasn't make myself suffer any longer. 1.5 *, rounded down as I didn't make it through.
I liked this but not as much as I hoped. Many of the tracks were just straight beat and verse, which just weren't that fun to listen to. The tracks that got a little more inventive were more listenable. The sax on Latifah's Law was pretty good. I wasn't in a place for the lyrics to sink in, I suspect if I had been I would be a little more pro on this
I didn’t really have any expectations going into this one. Turns out I liked it more than I would have guessed. 80s/90s rap is so fun. This album in particular has a good variety between tracks and Queen Latifah is a better lyricist than I remembered.
Before: Wasn't excited about this one. Thought there would be one single (Ladies First) that was OK and the rest of the album was going to be filler. Didn't bother to read up on the album, just opened Spotify After: Really pleasantly surprised. The Prince Paul track (with De La Soul) was good, the 45 King beats were uniformly excellent and Queen Latifah was a much better lyricist than I'd given her credit for. Had to look at the production credits because of the more varied beats than I'd expected. Ladies First made me realize I need to check out some more Monie Love too.
Was not expecting the C+C Music Factory track "Come into my house", also not a great song. Overall not a great album but I respect Queen L as a whole but this one wasn’t great
yeah i couldn’t really get behind this one. i LOVED her voice and the instrumentals were pretty groovy, but this album was just overall not my style. 2/5.
Great!
Det är ju fan att man ska behöva bli förbannad på en fredag. En riktig skitskiva.
Some styles of music can seem timeless and sound fresh decades after release, but listening to late 80’s rap feels equivalent to playing Oregon Trail on an Apple II. This album makes me feel like a musical archeologist. This is what this style of music sounded like then, but not what it sounds like now, and the music itself is not good enough that how dated it sounds doesn’t matter. There is some rap from this time period that is still enjoyable despite it making me feel like I’m listening to Smithsonian recordings of Depression-era folk songs, but this isn’t it.
A genuine revelation. Excellent album. Bit of a de la soul vibe. Really enjoyed and will listen again.
Album 725 of 1001 Queen Latifah - All Hail the Queen (1989) Rating : 2 / 5 Not half bad. I don't know enough of the genre to compare to others but I enjoyed it. Good hip hop/rap without the boring attitude.
I have never listened to Queen Latifah before, and couldn't name any of her songs, but I always thought that she was somewhat of a big deal in the hip hop scene, but I guess not because this album only has 1K ratings on RYM and is ranked #487 for 1989 which isn't great. Also 7 of her top 10 songs according to Spotify are from film soundtracks, and if you go to the "Popular Releases" section her #1 most popular release is from Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs which is really funny, because I don't think anyone saw that movie. Ok that's enough talk about number, this album is good but not great. A lot of songs have really fun beats, but some have some truly awful parts like those chipmunk children voices, or that reggae song that goes on for too long. High 3.
This was enjoyable. Many of the reviewers said it sounded dated, but the meshing of hip hop and house music on some of the tracks here reminded me of Beyonce's Renaissance album so it's still clearly remained culturally relevant.
No standout songs but it’s cool as an album
This wasn't bad at all, pretty standard feeling 90s hip-hop from 1989. Just not really my jam.
I appreciate the effort but conversely this didn't do much for me.
Fun
I’m not entirely sure why this album made the list. Debut album and certainly a women first sentiment, but musically it’s kind of boring and doesn’t age well. I didn’t enjoy her voice while rapping much, found it quite annoying. Wreath of my madness is a wild song, probably the best on the album
A good listen but it didn't hold my attention enough to really pay attention to. Very of its style/era.
She can spell her name remarkably fast. I liked this, it's fun.
I was a 16 year old metalhead when this came out. So I was not jamming on this type of thing back in the day. Aside from the odd music video or two, she pretty much flew under my radar as a musical artist. While this is not my usual cup of tea, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. But it's definitely a relic of late 80s hip hop/house music where high top fades and Africa necklaces ruled the scene. Album 6/1001
I may give this a 3.5 based on the fact that it is an album that came out in '89 and doesn't sound as date as some other stuff in hip-hop at that time. Plus, being a female MC, especially at that time, was pioneering. However, I feel there are better hip-hop and stuff that is still more listenable today. Therefore, I can't personally bump it up to 4.
Funky, fun and still topical, delivered in an instantly recognisable style. Favourites were Come Into My House, Ladies First and Inside Out. I really disliked the baby voice on Mama Gave Birth unfortunately and wasn’t a big fan of The Pros either. But overall it’s cool and a great example of that hip hop era. (3.5 stars)
Apologies to the Queen, but like another album we listened to a few days ago, this just sounds outdated to me.
Love the pride she has in herself. It makes me feel good about myself.
Better than I expected, but not my thing.
I like the blend of genres, but the chosen samples are plain annoying at times, so I can't really get into it
Really groovy album I enjoyed it a lot. She is a real MC Queen that's for sure, I really got into "Ladies First" and "Queen of Royal Badness" which were reallyyyy awesome, she has such a great voice flow and a certain ego but that's funny.
cover is terrible lol Haven't heard of her before Hey pretty cool rap Flow is pretty repetitive but well executed
Good example of its genre but not my thing
Vocals on the hook in Come Into My House sound flat, as do a lot of the vocals on this album. Dance For Me was decent enough. But most of this was incredibly boring. That stupid helium voice on track 2 was enough for me to give this 1 star. Shit.
I returned my rental car and the guy started it up to check the gas and Queen Latifah was blaring through bluetooth. Really hard to explain that. I like her vibe but this didn’t do much for me.
Putting this album on the same list as all these legendary artists is like letting a make a wish kid shoot a free throw at halftime of an nba game
All hail the queen, indeed 😂 Im sure the innovative part of this album was amazing (rap over jazz/other genres, woman) at its time. In the present, I appreciated more of the clarity of each song. Whenever I wanted to, I could follow the lyrics and get into the song - old man alert. QL seems super fun and down to earth. I enjoyed the experience. 2.5 stars for my taste Favorite tunes: Ladies First, Evil That Men Do
I’m sure this album is somehow important in the bigger picture, but not really for me. Some fun sampling.
It's fine, but pretty unremarkable hip hop from this era. Not really my thing. I think she's turned into a pretty great actor these days though.
2.5
Ironically got this album on women’s day. Good album with a few bops in between
Very passable old-school hip hop.
Yeah no. Didn’t like listening to this at all.
This is just so lacking in edge - cosy hip-hop. Not my genre, and not interesting enough for me to like it.
Awful
I guess 80s rap just isn’t my thing
Extremely groovy. Great dance beats; a melodic style of rap vocal; perfect funk, jazz and occasionally reggae samples (? - I think they're samples). I can't think of a reason not to go 5 stars.
I can’t remember her name for the life of me. If only several songs repeated it… I’m not the greatest connoisseur of hip hop, but this felt particularly boring. The beats and her delivery are both so rudimentary that this ends up feeling like the listening equivalent of viewing a “paint by numbers” artwork.
Yaaaaas queen
Just classic!! Love the Queen!
I suppose that's why she's the queen
this was so much fun!
Shockingly good
a little weak compared to others in this era but enjoyable. low 3
Not too keen on this, very mid 80s but decent production.
QL is cool, but the arrangements here are goofy.
This was actually pretty good. I know she was friends with Tribe so it makes sense that her style and flow are somewhat similar. Not sure how many female hip hop artists were around at the time but she had to have been one of the best.
Some rap from the early days sounds hopelessly simplistic in both rhymes and beats. This groundbreaking album at the time (first major release by a female rapper) sadly falls in that camp. Despite some interesting Jamaican/rasta flourishes and singing that adds some dimensionality, ultimately the Queen’s simple delivery and DJ MC 45 (or something)’s lowkey beats just don’t hold my interest now.
Not too bad, but not really my thing either. At the very least, it presents a different prespective from almost every other rap album on this list, you know, by being a lady rapper and all. And I like Latifah, she seems like a cool person. Key tracks: Wrath of My Madness
Consistently high quality from track to track. Strong performances, fun backing vocals. Engaging storytelling moments with songs like 'The Pros'. The oldschool flows are matched beautifully with progressive beats that ring as a flagship of the era rather than a worn out trend. The lyrics are a great blend of braggadocios claims and some social commentary. Overall an enjoyable ride without any songs that demand to be skipped. Great production with a variety of samples and interesting layering. The album does not overstay its welcome and touches on all aspects of what make Queen Latifah lauded as an icon in hip hop and as one of the most iconic and influential female rappers.
... 1989...? Time gets away from you. Never heard this one all the way through. If Latifah had any amount of editorial control over her debut, do you think it's safe to say that she likes to dance? Yeah, it's rap. Yeah, it's definitely in the R&B stacks. But really, this is a dance album. It's good fun, and I have a quibble. Latifah is good on the mic, for sure, but some of the best verses aren't served by her, rather her guests. I had high hopes for Ladies First, but this anthem of empowerment is about a deep as a puddle, and other places the lyrical message is about a subtle as a brick. Am I expecting too much from Queen Latifah's debut? Probably.
Very 1989 hip hop but it's pretty solid given the time. Queen Latifah definitely brought it but I will say the album is too long for what it is; some fluff could've been cut. 7/10
Blind album and know the artist by name. I know this is her style from back in the day and while it was good at the time, looking back, I prefer other groups like De La Soul.
Banede vej for female MC som lauryn Hill senere. Ægte badass som blandede jazz, hiphop, funk og afrobeats til en god mixtur. Fine tekster og god lyd og sjovt at lytte til. 3,5 vil jeg sige, da det ikke rigtig er mig.
Queen Latifah is a much better rapper than actor, I will admit. But boy howdy I do not like her acting. The De La Soul feature was cool. Outside of that, this is almost an entirely forgettable album, and I'm once again scratching my head at the inclusion on this list.
Solid rhymes and familiar flows make this an easy, pleasant listen, but I won’t be bending the knee (or lending my ear again) anytime soon.
It was ok but rap isn't really my bag
Strong hip hop sounds very of its time. Good wholesome lyrics.
Dated and sadly not very interesting, quickly got very repetitive.
Very eighties American hip pop.
Is it dated? Is it repetitive? Did I head bop along to it? Yup to all the above. Will I listen again? Probably not.
gelato alla nocciola
I’d never heard this album and forgot what a force of nature she was!
Just love her. Mostly because of Last Holiday, but I’m really happy for her here, too.
The Equalizer should have come round and put me out of my misery.
I have a new respect for Queen Latifah after hearing this as she was pretty good for her time but I find the sound very dated.
Not for me but I didn’t hate it.
The mama gave birth song is really hard to listen to
This is the 38th album I’m rating. I don’t who she is or what this is. However, I’m expecting Hip Hop. Adding to my Playlist - Dance for Me, Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children, Come into my House, Latifah’s Law, Wrath of my Madness, The Pros, Ladies First, A King and Queen Creation, Queen of Royal Badness, Evil That Men Do, Princess of the Posse, and Inside Out. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. All in all I liked 12/12 of the songs. It was kinda boring but in a good way. Sounds like A Tribe Called Quest but worse.
Honestly, its got solid beats, solid flow, solid bars. And it sounds very much like hip hop in 1989 and feels like Fresh Prince with a tinge of Public Enemy.
It was good, but none of the songs really hooked me or were very memorable
This was a fun rap listen because just like the others 90's rap we've heard in this project, the lyrics were fun and playful but also making statements about the state of America and being black in the country. As an extra bonus, Latifah talks about what being a woman is like and raises others up with her lyrics. Very rah rah in a good way. Closer to 3.5 for me, but I also don't anticipate listening to this a ton.
Not my thing, at all.
Not really in the mood for old school hip hop so my review will be biased... I'm pretty impressed how good of a rapper she is, she's so famous now you don't really think of her as a good rapper. Yeah this is way too dated for me this morning, not gonna be able to get through this one. I get the gist, it's not bad, I'm just not looking for 80s hip hop right now.
This has the feel of a lot of those 80s hip hop albums that don't really hold up anymore and I only like for nostalgic reasons. And since I never really listened to this when it came out, there's no nostalgia for me. That said this is definitely a better example of that kind of album than most. I don't know if I'd listen again, but I'm glad I heard it once. 3.5 stars
Very much of its age