NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Iconic females in the music industry shined at the Essence Festival, where Queen Latifah used her debut performance to celebrate “Ladies First” and her 30 years in the trenches. Latifah was one of the headliners on the festival’s main stage Saturday and was joined — to the delight of the crowd — by hip-hop legends MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Salt-N-Pepa, Missy Elliott and Monie Love as well as rapper Remy Ma and R&B singer Brandy. She also entertained the audience with her vocal skills, showcasing her love of jazz with a rendition of Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man,” which she dedicated to her mother, who died this year of a heart condition.