Podcast Summary: ReLiving Single

Episode: "All Hail the Queen!"

Guests: Queen Latifah (Dana Owens), Chip Hurd
Hosts: Erika Alexander, Kim Coles
Date: November 12, 2025

Overview

This special episode of ReLiving Single pays tribute to the cultural legacy and behind-the-scenes magic of the sitcom Living Single, featuring a vibrant and heartfelt conversation with Queen Latifah (Dana Owens) and the iconic Chip Hurd. The hosts, Erika Alexander and Kim Coles, guide an episode rich with reflections on pioneering Black sitcom history, the show's origins and impact, the intertwining of personal and professional lives, and the profound nuances of mother-daughter relationships — all through the lens of the classic “She’s Not Heavy, She’s My Mother” episode. The tone is nostalgic, insightful, and brimming with playful chemistry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Living Single

• Queen Latifah’s Journey to TV:
  • Started her career as a rapper, touring with artists like Will Smith, Public Enemy, Heavy D.
  • The possibility of a TV show emerged after seeing Will Smith's transition to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
    • “If Will can do it, we can do it.” (Queen Latifah, 04:13)
  • Partnership with Sha-Kim Compere (her manager and high school friend) secured a deal with Warner Bros.
  • Collaboration with writer Yvette Lee Bowser was foundational.
• Casting Evolution:
  • Kim Coles was in a holding deal, and the team “locked in those four girls” before adding the male cast members (05:40).
  • The show was originally titled My Girls; Queen Latifah wrote a different theme song for it.
  • A meeting with Les Moonves solidified the name change to Living Single (07:49).

2. Adjusting to Sitcom Life & Ensemble Chemistry

• Queen Latifah’s Learning Curve:
  • Credits Ellen Gittelson (director) and Kim Fields for teaching her about camera marks and comedic timing.
  • “I learned how to hit the mark... She taught me everything.” (Queen Latifah, 12:23)
• Unique On-Set Dynamics:
  • Erika Alexander crafted a safe, cozy quick-change room as a home away from home, helping cast bonding (16:18–17:43).
  • Queen Latifah confides about initial homesickness, flying to New Jersey every hiatus until she became "bi-coastal" (17:55).
• Music and Comedy:
  • Erika highlights how the show’s rhythm stemmed from the cast members' musical and comedic backgrounds, especially Queen Latifah’s "musicality" on the sitcom script (13:33).

3. A Mother’s Love On- and Off-Screen

• Recap & Memories of “She’s Not Heavy, She’s My Mother”:
  • Both Queen Latifah’s real mother, Rita Owens, and Kim Fields’ real mother, Chip Hurd, guest-starred as their on-screen moms.
    • “A lot of the episodes... this is very meta. Your mothers, real mothers, are these characters.” (Kim Coles, 21:12)
• Personal Connection:
  • Queen Latifah discusses losing her brother just before the show began and grieving during the first season, with her mother’s appearance an emotional milestone (21:41).
  • Chip Hurd (as Laverne Hunter) was also an acting coach on set, supporting Queen Latifah’s mom and many others.
    • “Chip was everyone’s coach. She coached me. She coached my mother.” (Queen Latifah, 22:58)
• The Impact of Family:
  • Queen Latifah credits her mother for connecting her with the DJ who became her first producer, shaping her music career (23:43).
  • Reflections on trust, boundaries, and the “cone of trust” established by both mothers, with touching stories showing generational wisdom (43:06–44:57).

4. Mother-Daughter Dynamics: Candid Reflections

• TV vs. Real Life:
  • The cast discusses the realism of the episode’s mother-daughter conflicts and the boundaries rarely crossed in Black households.
    • “You can’t talk back to your mother like that... you just gotta kinda take the L and tell your friends later.” (Queen Latifah, 38:36)
  • Kim Coles shares her own revelations about intergenerational patterns—realizing in adulthood the depth of her relationship with her own mother (40:02).
• Parenting Lessons:
  • Queen Latifah: “You are loved, you’re beautiful, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.” Her mother’s mantra: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (64:41)
  • The discussion moves to how to strike the right balance of closeness and boundaries as both daughters and mothers (46:41–46:54).

5. Behind the Scenes – Music, Memory & Comedy

• Theme Song Creation:
  • Queen Latifah shares the creative process behind the iconic theme song—mixing hip hop and jazz, and including a pivotal, last-minute “button” that “made it perfect” (81:21–84:20).
    • “It was a mixture of this hip hop beat with these beautiful notes... that was perfect.” (Queen Latifah, 83:49)
• Favorite Episodes & Memories:
  • Top episodes mentioned: “Flow and the Flavorettes,” “Kick Assket” (with guest Jennifer Lewis).
  • The cast frequently broke character and sang together as a group, building camaraderie and lasting bonds (61:54–64:06).
    • “We threw things at each other and knew we could catch them.” (Erika Alexander, 64:08)

6. Chip Hurd Joins: Acting and Motherhood

• On Being a Mother and Actor:
  • Chip Hurd reflects on mentoring Rita Owens on set, feeling nervous, and balancing personal vulnerability with performance (66:58–68:35).
  • Shares bittersweet memories of not wanting to always “play the clown” and striving for dignity as an experienced actress and new wife (70:07).
• Resilience and Reinvention:
  • Hurd notes the cast’s ability to “reinvent themselves” and persevere through industry and personal challenges (72:09–72:27).

7. Loss, Advocacy, and Moving Forward

• Honoring Rita Owens:
  • The latter part of the episode is dedicated to Rita Owens’ legacy and her battle with interstitial lung disease and scleroderma.
    • Queen Latifah details the symptoms, diagnosis challenges, and her mother’s advocacy for awareness (73:15–76:44).
  • The importance of medical vigilance and early treatment is highlighted.
• Grief and Solidarity:
  • Both Queen Latifah and Kim Coles reflect on entering the show while grieving the loss of siblings and parents, and how sometimes cast members were “ships passing in the night” with unseen struggles (79:30–80:03).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Show’s Creation:

  • “Nobody really — me, I wasn’t really thinking about a TV show until Will got one.” (Queen Latifah, 03:39)
  • “I’d only do it if I knew it was gonna be a hit.” (Queen Latifah, 10:11)

• On Mentoring and Learning:

  • “Ellen Gittelson... she taught me everything. Frankly, I didn’t know anything about TV.” (Queen Latifah, 12:23)

• On Mother-Daughter Love:

  • “My remembering of these shows that my mother was on was a little nerve-wracking because I was nervous for her. It’s like watching your child play a sport.” (Queen Latifah, 21:41)
  • “She believed that you could accomplish anything you put your mind to... Dream and do.” (Queen Latifah, 31:38)
  • “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Queen Latifah quoting her mother, 64:41)

• Comic Gold:

  • “You know what, Regina? I bet they’ll be a little nicer to me at Macy’s.” (Amber Watson, as Regine, 36:10)
  • “Just say you’re sorry before she even opens her mouth. She has no way of making you feel worse. It’s the perfect sucker punch.” (Kim Coles, 51:48)

• On The Name ‘Flavor’:

  • “Was flavor because of Flavor Unit?” – “Of course.” (Erika Alexander, Queen Latifah, 54:14)

• Theme Song Magic:

  • “I did a whole theme song for the original name... then they changed the show. Gotta get, take it back to the lab.” (Queen Latifah, 82:04)
  • “That part, which was a clutch part... it was the button on the end of the song that made it perfect.” (Queen Latifah, 83:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Living Single’s Origins and Casting – 03:39–07:49
• Show Title & Theme Song Discussions – 07:35–07:49, 81:21–84:20
• Mother-Daughter Episode Summary & Meta Connections – 19:22–21:12
• Rita Owens and Behind-the-Scenes Reflections – 21:34–25:02
• Lessons & Boundaries from Parents – 43:06–47:00
• Chip Hurd’s Reflections on Acting & Motherhood – 65:28–72:27
• Tribute & Advocacy for Rita Owens’ Illness – 72:34–77:39
• Theme Song Creation – 81:21–84:20

Tone & Language

The episode remains deeply personal, playful, loving, and occasionally irreverent—true to the friendship and quick wit of the Living Single alumni. The language is casual, sometimes richly metaphorical, and peppered with humor and heart.

Conclusion

With abundant laughter, candid vulnerability, and celebration, this episode honors Living Single's historical significance and enduring influence—both as groundbreaking Black television and as a crucible for deep personal connection and healing. Queen Latifah’s dual role as innovator and nurturer is foregrounded, while the appearance of Chip Hurd adds generational texture to the legacy of Black women in entertainment. The segment closes with a touching reminder that the love, wisdom, and boundaries of mothers (real and on-screen) echo across time—“The joy of the Lord is your strength”—and that the best sitcoms, like families, thrive on trust, perseverance, and a commitment to keeping it real.