Next month, Queen Latifah will do something she hasn't done in over a decade: She'll release a hip-hop album. Though she's put out music since 1998's Order in the Court, she's stuck to ballads and jazz standards (coinciding with her reinvention in the film version of "Chicago" in 2002). In fact, considering that Order in the Court vanished from the marketplace without much fuss, there is an entirely generation of fans who know Latifah only as a jazz singer, actress and CoverGirl spokesperson.

But Queen Latifah is a vital character in hip-hop, asserting herself as a part of the first wave of game-changing female MCs. Along with MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa and Roxanne Shanté, Latifah wasn't just a gimmick — she was a real MC who rapped about female issues and who could also battle with the high-powered guys of the era. All Hail the Queen and Black Reign are both classics, but how will the new record — titled Persona — stack up? To figure it out, we look to people who have left hip-hop only to come back around again.
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To celebrate June as Black Music Month, iTunes and Apple will host performances by black artists at Apple Stores around the country. Wyclef Jean, Talib Kweli, David Banner, Michelle Williams, and a slew of others will be getting in on the action.

Now if only they would offer up a few of those mysterious new iPhones for free too, we'd be totally hooked.

A list of performances thus far -- with dates and venues tentative, and more artists to be added -- after the jump. Read more...