Latifah revealed the sad news Wednesday, saying ... "It is with a heavy heart that I share the news my mother, Rita Owens passed away today ... She had struggled with a heart condition for many years and her battle is now over."

The rapper and actress told People in 2015 she would stay at her mom's home in New Jersey to help take care of her when she wasn't working in California.

Owens had reportedly been taking meds and was aided by a defibrillator implanted in her chest to avert a heart attack. She also had to maintain a very healthy diet to live with the condition.