Queen Latifah’s ‘Black Reign’ Gets Vinyl Reissue
The hip-hop legend’s 1993 album features the Grammy-winning ‘U.N.I.T.Y.’
With Black Reign, Queen Latifah ascended to new heights of stardom and prestige. Now the hip-hop legend’s 1993 album, which features the Grammy-winning “U.N.I.T.Y.,” is set for a 2LP black vinyl reissue.
Black Reign arrived in 1993, as Latifah’s star was on the rise. She had already begun her acclaimed acting career with roles in films like House Party 2 and Juice and had just begun her run as lead character Khadijah James on the beloved Fox sitcom Living Single. On the music side, she was attracting commercial success and critical acclaim as a member of the Native Tongues movement alongside peers like De La Soul and Monie Love, both of whom appeared on her 1989 debut All Hail The Queen. As president of the thriving Flavor Unit collective as well, she was carrying strong momentum from her 1991 sophomore album Nature of a Sista.
The Black Reign era led to several important milestones for Latifah and for rap music at large. It became the first album by a solo female rapper to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, lead single “U.N.I.T.Y.,” her first song to land on the Billboard Hot 100, went on to win the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. Interpolating Desmond Dekker’s “Unity,” the track communicated a powerful message about respecting women within hip-hop culture and society at large, one that resonated throughout culture. “Just Another Day…” and “Weekend Love” followed “U.N.I.T.Y.” onto the pop chart.
AllMusic Guide has praised Black Reign as “a return to the tough-talking, lyrically frank, frequently controversial material that established her as arguably the finest female rapper.” Meanwhile, a retrospective review from BET situated the album as Latifah’s best work: “On songs like ‘Rough’ featuring KRS-One, Treach, and Heavy D or ‘Superstar,’ she proved that for all her musical talents, she remained a rapper first and had the skills that allowed her to keep up with anyone on a track with her.”
