Taraji Penda Henson (born 1971 in Washington, DC) is an American actress and singer. Henson has appeared in such films as Baby Boy (2001), Hustle & Flow (2005), and Four Brothers (2005), and was a cast member on Lifetime Television’s The Division. Henson, who worked as a cruise ship entertainer and at the Pentagon before becoming an actress, holds a degree in theater arts from Howard University. Henson’s first and middle names are of Swahili origin, meaning “love” and “hope”, respectively. She is a descendant of Matthew Henson, co-discoverer of the North Pole.
Henson made her singing debut in Hustle & Flow ; she provided the vocals for the Three 6 Mafia track “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp”. The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006, giving Three 6 the distinction of becoming the first Black hip-hop act to win in the category. Henson performed the song at the Oscars on March 5, 2006 with the group.
