Parade magazine does an interesting interview with Dana Owens a.k.a Queen Latifah for their January 2 issue.  Check out some excerpts below:

On New Jersey: “There’s something about growing up in New Jersey that prepares you for whatever you might encounter around the world. We’re not afraid to go places. I met Mike ‘The Situation’ [from Jersey Shore] because we were both on Jay Leno. He lives maybe 15 minutes from me. He was like, ‘If you ever get a flat tire, call me and I’ll hook you up.’ I love Jersey.”

On Admitting When Your In Over Your Head: “Our record label didn’t fly. I think we were loyal to a fault–we signed all these really talented artists who hadn’t made records yet, we were paying salaries for people working in our office, we were paying all the bills. We sank millions into our company, and we shouldn’t have done that.” Complicating matters, she was personally hit with a huge, unexpected bill from the I.R.S. “We had to say, ‘Enough is enough. This isn’t working right now.’”

On Having A Family In The Future: Latifah, who splits her time between New Jersey, Miami, and Los Angeles, says that in 10 years, she hopes to be “on cruise control, with a couple of kids under my belt.” Is she making a move in that direction? “It’s in the Lord’s hands.” Meanwhile, her overarching goal right now “is just to enjoy life more. I work a lot. I want to make sure I’m living life to the fullest and checking in with me.” Here, she shares her insights about some of the lessons life has already taught her.

Tagged as: Actress, Cover, January 2, Magazine, Parade, Queen Latifah, Singer