Usher and Queen Latifah.Photo: Getty (2)
Usheris giving the legendaryQueen Latifahher flowers — literally.
Over the weekend, the 44-year-old Grammy-winning R&B star shared avideo to his Instagram storyof himself walking to Queen Latifah’s seat, giving her a hug and handing her a large bouquet of red flowers along with a gift box.
The crowd cheered for Latifah and wished her a happy birthday as her empowering 1993 single “U.N.I.T.Y.,” which won a Grammy for best rap solo performance, played over the venue’s speakers in the clip.
“Giving the queen her flowers,” wrote Usher — who donned a black tank top and baggy pants — alongside the video with Latifah, who wore a black hoodie and gold chain paired with sunglasses. After he handed her the flowers and gift, she pointed to him as a gesture of thanks.
Last year, Latifah won a television icon award at the inaugural theGrio awards and opened up about how her sense of identity has evolved over the years in her acceptance speech.
“It all starts with the family for me,” she told the audience at the ceremony celebrating icons, leaders and legends who have impacted Black community and culture. “My parents raised me with the idea that Black is beautiful. Black is beautiful, Black is beautiful. Black is OK.”
She continued, “You start saying it enough and you start believing me. And so I didn’t realize at the time that what they were preparing me for was a whole world.”
Queen Latifah.Emma McIntyre/Getty
“I didn’t know I was a girl, initially, I had to be told that,” Latifah said. “That had to be explained to me…. ‘Cause I was running around with my T-shirt off like the boys … I wanted to play the sports and all these things had to be explained to me because I was free.”
She emphasized, “And so my whole life would feel like I’ve been trying to maintain my freedom to be me.”
Today, she said, “I wear these beautiful gowns and dresses because I want to, because that’s part of me. I play in the dirt, I play basketball with the boys — ‘cause that’s me.I love who I lovebecause that’s me. I know me. I know what I’ve done and what I haven’t done.”
“I realize that life is fleeting,” Latifah continued, “and you just gotta do the best you can. Be as honest and genuine as you can. Don’t go for what people are trying to tell you about yourself. It’s not true. I said, don’t go for what people are trying to tell you about yourself.”
source: people.com
