There will be lots of watchful eyes when the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants close out opening Sunday in the NFL for the prime-time battle.
The contest, however, promises to have a wide range of emotions before the game, beginning with the national anthem.
Queen Latifah Sings Week 1 SNF National Anthem
This was amazing. pic.twitter.com/7WUW3HbAli
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 11, 2023
Grammy winner and Academy Award nominee Queen Latifah will be singing the national anthem, per Art Stapleton of USA Today.
Her rendition will come with an emotional tone inside MetLife Stadium, as the nation now nears 22 years since the tragedy that was the Sept. 11 attacks.
For the anthem, Latifah will be accompanied by choir members representing the New York Fire Department and the New York Police Department.
There will also be an honor guard representing the NYPD, FDNY, and Port Authority, who will present the colors.
Lastly, FDNY and NYPD Members who were involved or affected by the Sept. 11 attacks will accompany the Giants as they run out of the tunnel for player introductions.
Queen Latifah will sing the national anthem Sunday night before Giants-Cowboys at MetLife, and she will be accompanied by NYPD and FDNY choir members.
A joint Honor Guard with NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority will present the colors. Members of each department who were involved or…
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) September 10, 2023
Latifah To Perform in Front of Home Region
The multi-talented Latifah will also perform in front of the state where she spent her early years.
Latifah, whose real name is Dana Elaine Owens, is a native of Newark, New Jersey. She lived primarily in East Orange. She first attended Essex Catholic Girls High in Irvington before attending Irvington High, where she graduated. She’s also a former basketball player, having played forward.
Her Hip-Hop career began by beatboxing for her group “Flavor Unit.” Latifah began to emerge as a household name in the industry by performing songs that detailed the struggles of domestic violence, harassment, and relationship issues. Arguably, her first breakout mainstream hit was “U.N.I.T.Y,” which became a wake-up call to female treatment in rap music.
She then showed her versatility as a singer by incorporating soul and jazz into her music. She’s since established herself as a leading force in Hollywood with past film credits in “Chicago,” “Barbershop 2,” “Hairspray” and “22 Jump Street.”