Queen Latifah is the first female rapper in history to have music added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
Yesterday (April 12), Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced their 2023 inductees’ recordings as “audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.” The “U.N.I.T.Y” rapper’s 1989 debut album, All Hail the Queen, joined the list According to a statement, the album, which was released when she was just 19 years old, showed rap could cross genres including reggae, hip hop, house and jazz — while also opening opportunities for other female rappers.
“The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The national library is proud to help ensure these recordings are preserved for generations to come, and we welcome the public’s input on what songs, speeches, podcasts or recorded sounds we should preserve next. We received more than 1,100 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry.”
Queen Latifah joins Madonna’s Like A Virgin, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas,” and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina,”, amongst 21 other recordings.