queen latifah - just another day...

'Black Reign' - Queen Latifah (album cover)

the album ‘black reign’, which ‘just another day...’ is a single from, is dedicated to latifah’s brother lancelot jr. he died in 1992 in an accident on his motorcycle, which latifah gifted him. she still wears the keys to it around her neck. 

one of my favorite songs ever,  the melody just of ‘just another day...’ combined with her soothing singing voice is so pacifying. when it's combined with the contrasting bars, describing sometimes violent scenarios, no song matches the vibes of this one.

the song describes latifah's return to her hometown of east orange, new jersey: on the east coast of the USA. 

despite hearing gunshots and knowing there's violence on those streets, she's 'here to stay': she has a clear tenderness and familiarity with the place, so to her, it's 'just another day, living in the hood. just another day around the way.' 

Queen Latifa, A.K.A Dana.

'latifah's on vacation i'm just plain old dana today'. latifah's birth name is Dana Elaine Owens: interestingly, she found her stage name in a book of arabic names as a child, latifah meaning 'delicate' or 'very kind'. when she's in her neighbourhood, she's well- known and respected as a person, not just as a celebrity, so they call her dana. she grew up there and undoubtedly has some close ties there, too.

she makes it clear that although she's reminiscing and is happy to be back, she doesn't want anyone to get the wrong impression. 'better yet, i'm a threat so you better walk. or get sketched out in chalk, cause i don't wanna talk!' getting sketched out in chalk is a clear metaphor for getting killed, as that's what the police do at the scene of a murder; sketch the body out on the ground in chalk. she's not paranoid though, she just doesn't wanna be taken for a fool.

East Orange, NJ

from this song, we get an impression of what it's like to live in latifah's hood, through her eyes. while she does acknowledge the danger that lingers around her on the streets, she doesn't let it distract from the sense of home that she feels all around her.

i luuurv this song because you don't need to pay close attention to appreciate its vibe, but if you listen to the lyrics, latifah’s got some things to say! the tune and the melody alone are more than enough to fall in love with though, trust me.