ALL HAIL THE QUEEN! YES – we love to see it! New Jersey rap legend Queen Latifah is making history as she becomes the first female rapper to have her music added to the highly-esteem U.S. Library of Congress! Also making history is Latin superstar and Reggaetonero Daddy Yankee, whose 2004 classic “Gasolina” becomes the first Reggaeton track to enter the collection.
🎉 SHOUT TO JAMAICA, PANAMÁ AND PUERTO RICO! 🎉
A third person is making history as well! Koji Kondo‘s ‘Super Mario Bros‘ theme song also made its way onto the list — becoming the first video game song to ever be inducted.
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U.S. Library Of Congress: Queen Latifah & Daddy Yankee Make History As First Female Rapper & First Reggaetonero To Have Their Music Added
Latifah, real name Dana Owens, is adding another notch under her belt of achievements and history-making moments as her debut album ‘All Hail the Queen‘ becomes the first piece of music added to the National Recording Registry, organized by the United Sates Library of Congress.
Latifah was 19-years-old when she dropped her debut album on November 7, 1989, through Tommy Boy Records. The 12-track project included the female empowerment anthem “Ladies First,” featuring British rapper Monie Love, and also included features from KRS-One, De La Soul, Daddy-O and DJ Mark The 45 King.
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As mentioned, also making history is Reggaetonero Daddy Yankee, who had his 2004 hit single “Gasolina,” inducted into the Library of Congress, making it the first Reggaeton track to be added.
Reggaeton — whose roots are found in Panamá, stemming from the 1980s when Jamaicans came to the country to work on the Panamá Canal — fuses together Reggae, Dancehall, Hip-Hop, Dembow, and Panamá’s Reggae en Español.
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Since its inception, only 625 selections have been added to the National Recording Registry — and 34 years after its release, Latifah’s ‘All Hail The Queen‘ has become a part of the 2023 Class of inductees.
In addition to Latifah’s album, the other 24 picks include recordings by: Madonna (“Like A Virgin”); Mariah Carey (“All I Want For Christmas Is You);” Irene Cara (“Flashdance…What A Feeling”); John Lennon (“Imagine”); Led Zeppelin (“Stairway to Heaven”); the Eurythmics (“Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”); plus more.
Speaking on the the inductees and the 2023 Class, states Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden states, “The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture.”
Hayden adds, “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.”
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