Queen Latifah is one of the most celebrated female rappers of all time. The Grammy and Oscar award-winning hip-hop artist first burst onto the scene in the ’80s and hasn’t stopped dominating the industry ever since. In 2019 she celebrated her 38th birthday and revealed that she had lost a lot of weight. The songstress decided to celebrate her recent achievements by releasing a book titled How to Bake a Cake: An Artistry in Brioche. It’s the sequel to her 2016 bestseller, Joy of Cooking: The Artistry of Julia Child. In the book, Latifah shares her favorite recipes from Child’s seminal work and gives tips on how to make the cakes and pastries taste just like the ones she had while growing up in Queens.
As it turns out, this wasn’t the first time that Queen Latifah had lost a lot of weight. Back in 2013, the artist decided to undergo a major lifestyle change and shed all the pounds. She started by cutting down on her food intake and exercising regularly. Before long her hips had started to shrink and she had lost a huge amount of weight. The star revealed that she had gone from a size 18 to a size 6. It was a brave move and one that had paid great dividends. She looked and felt fantastic. Naturally, this caused a bit of a shift in her music career. From being the fat chick rapper, she became the skinny chick rapper. And it seems that she hasn’t looked back since.
The Key To Her Success
It’s well-known that Queen Latifah is one of the most famous and successful black women in America. She has managed to carve out a niche for herself in an industry dominated by white men. And it’s not difficult to see why. Not only does she have an amazing voice, but she also comes from a lineage of musical greats. Her father is jazz great Hugh Masekela, and her mother was a jazz singer, Shirley Bassey. It’s clear that music runs in the star’s family, as she had famously stated: “I was born with a mic in my hand.”
It’s also clear that she has used her time in the spotlight to promote conscious living and body positivity. In 2016 she launched her own non-profit organization, the Queen Latifah Foundation, which works to “educate, empower and inspire people of all walks of life to live a healthier lifestyle.” The organization funds obesity-related research as well as supports educational programs that promote a sustainable and compassionate approach to food choices. In an interview with Vogue, the artiste said that she had experienced a lot of body-shaming as a kid, which had made her value her own happiness and health more. She had also learned to be more realistic about her body. “I thought that if I was happy and comfortable in my own skin, it would be the end of the world,” she said. “Now I know that being yourself is the most amazing thing you can do.”
How Has Her Lifestyle Changed?
It’s been over a decade since Queen Latifah shed the pounds and changed her lifestyle. In an interview with Vogue, she revealed that she had cut all processed foods out of her diet and now mostly relies on veggies, fruit, and nuts to fuel her body. She also started taking daily walks and doing yoga. She has remained committed to these healthy choices and rarely, if ever, turns down an opportunity to promote a vegan lifestyle. In an interview with E! News, she acknowledged that going vegan wasn’t easy, especially when you’re a celebrity chef and you earn most of your money selling meat products. But she knew that she was taking the right step for her mental, physical, and environmental health.
Since 2014 she has also been involved in an eco-friendly, plant-based skincare routine. She relies on high-quality natural and organic products and avoids cheap fillers and toxins. She uses natural exfoliants to slough off dead skin cells and prevent future damage. In addition to being a vegan chef, yoga instructor, and eco-friendly skincare addict, Queen Latifah is a board member of the American Vegan Association and a strong advocate for animal rights. In 2019 she lent her support to the “Movement for Black Lives” by boycotting Georgia, one of the most prevalent and profitable states for animal-testing laboratories.
The Book’s Blurb:
The description of How to Bake a Cake: An Artistry in Brioche on Amazon reads: “In this culinary classic, Queen Latifah shows us how to bring the flavors of her Caribbean roots back home with recipes that will make even the most experienced chefs jealous.” In the book the singer-songwriter and actress/rapper shares her favorite recipes from Joy of Cooking and gives tips on how to make them taste just like her childhood dishes. There are 18 brand-new recipes in How to Bake a Cake and they are all vegan. If you’re looking for an engaging and enlightening read, you can’t go wrong with this book. If you’re a fan of Queen Latifah, you’ll be able to find her culinary classics anywhere. This is an essential book for fans of the jazz and blues singer. It will also serve as a useful guide for those who are just becoming familiar with her work.
What Does This Mean For Fashion?
We couldn’t talk about Queen Latifah’s weight loss journey without touching on her fashion choices. It seems that her love for all things green is not limited to food. The singer and actor/rapper is known for her signature style, which blends the masculine with the feminine. She often wears men’s hats, ties, and even sometimes dresses in full-on male clothing. It wasn’t always this way though. Back in 2010 she shared a self-portrait on her blog, where she’s pictured wearing a bright orange dress with white polka dots and a black felt hat. This was in celebration of her then-new vegan diet. At the time the hat was a feminine piece, but after cutting out the animals she feels more drawn to wearing man-made fibers. Does this mean that fashion now embraces cruelty-free choices? Perhaps. It will be interesting to see what future trends the singer chooses to promote.
The Key Takeaway:
One of the most fascinating elements of Queen Latifah’s story is the dramatic change that she went through. It wasn’t just her diet that shifted. She lost a lot of weight and her outlook on life transformed. As she gained more confidence in her skin, she developed an appreciation for her curves, knowing that they made her look and feel great. Her journey to self-acceptance was an important one, and it seems that she hasn’t looked back since. She still looks amazing, even though she’s aged somewhat. It’s clear that her health and happiness are still very much a part of her life and that wherever she goes, people flock to her for advice.