Song · Queen Latifah
“U.N.I.T.Y.” by Queen Latifah
From the album Black Reign (1993)
“U.N.I.T.Y.” by Queen Latifah appears on 4 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 2021 and 2025. It was first released in 1993 on the album Black Reign. Its best result is #21 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #5,379 indie & aaa song of all time and #204 of the '90s.
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Queen Latifah put "U.N.I.T.Y." on Black Reign, her third album, and Motown sent it out as a single on November 9, 1993, with a UK release following in January 1994. It's a straight-talking confrontation with the way women get treated, taking on street harassment, domestic violence and the slurs hip-hop tossed around, and the message carried enough weight that plenty of radio and TV outlets aired its rough language uncut. Kay Gee and Mufi produced it over a sample of "Message from the Inner City" by the Houston jazz outfit the Crusaders, while the chorus borrows from Desmond Dekker's "Unity"; Latifah shares the writing credit with Joe Sample.
It won the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1995 and remains her biggest American hit, the only one of her songs to break into the Top 30 of the Hot 100.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s | 908 |
| 2023 | 622 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s | 893 |
| 2023 | 496 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time | 909 |
| 2025 | 118 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s | 500 |
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