AceShowbiz - Queen Latifah is stunned to have been the first female rapper to ever be inducted into the National Recording Registry. The 53-year-old star - whose real name is Dana Elaine Owens - dropped her debut album "All Hail the Queen" in 1989 and, in April 2023, it was announced that it would be joining the organisation that recognises records that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States."

She, however, admitted that she hasn't really had the chance to think about the achievement just yet. "It's crazy. I don't know if I've had a chance to wrap my mind around a lot of things lately," she told Entertainment Tonight. My mind has been in so many places, but when the plaque came to my house, I looked at it and was like, 'Wow...this is history. This is literally history.' "

"But I'm surprised that I'm the first woman to be honest with you," the 53-year-old entertainer added after sharing her gratitude for those who have been with her throughout her journey. "Hip-hop is just too big, and so many came before me. So thank you to them for inspiring me, to put me in a position to do this."

Along with the "Hairspray" star's record, Madonna's classic pop track "Like a Virgin" and Mariah Carey's festive hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You" are also being added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry along with Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" and the theme from video game Super Mario Bros.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said, "The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation's diverse culture. 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."