Eve
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
ap scene during the late 90s. Though she could be sexy when she chose, she wasnt as over the top as Lil Kim or Foxy Brown, and as part of the Ruff Ryders posse, her production was harder than Da Brats early work with Jermaine Dupri. In the end, Eve came off as her own person; a strong, no-nonsense street MC who could hold her own with most anyone on the mic; and was finding success on her own terms. She was born Eve Jihan Jeffers in Philadelphia on November 10, 1978, and started out as a singer in her early teens, performing with an all-female vocal quintet. She was also honing her skills as a rapper in impromptu battles with friends, and before she left high school, she formed a female
ap duo called EDGP (pronounced Egypt), adopting the name Gangsta. EDGP performed at local talent shows and club gigs, often to the detriment of Eves dedication to school. When the group broke up, she went solo and changed her name to Eve of Destruction; she also moved to the Bronx in the wake of her mothers remarriage, and worked for a time as a table dancer at a strip club. Unhappy with this direction, she decided to give
ap another shot after being encouraged by Mase.
Through some of her friends, Eve scored a meeting with Dr. Dre in Los Angeles, and surprised him by turning it into an audition. Dre liked what he heard and signed her to a one-year deal with his new label, Aftermath. Eve recorded a few tracks, including one, Eve of Destruction, that ended up on the Bulworth soundtrack in 1998. However, Aftermath was searching for a direction at the time, and Eve wound up lost in the shuffle. Her contract expired without an album even in the works, but fortunately, shed met DMX when the rising new star was in Los Angeles promoting his smash debut, Its Dark and Hell Is Hot. Eve passed a battle-
ap audition to join DMXs Ruff Ryders posse, and in 1999 she contributed to their labels Ryde or Die, Vol. 1 compilation. Thanks to DMXs star power, it entered the charts at number one, and Eves track, What Ya Want, was released as a single. It hit the R&B Top Ten, and Eve built more anticipation for her debut album with high-profile guest spots on the Roots You Got Me and the Blackstreet/Janet Jackson duet Girlfriend/Boyfriend.
Eves first full-length was titled Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders First Lady and released in September 1999. With Ruff Ryders the biggest name in
ap, the album was an instant smash; it entered the charts at number one -- the first time a female rapper had ever accomplished that feat -- and went on to sell over two million copies. Eve also scored hits with the R&B Top Ten Gotta Man and the antidomestic violence track Love Is Blind, and guested on Missy Misdemeanor Elliotts hit Hot Boyz. After touring in support of the record, Eve returned to the studio and delivered her follow-up, Scorpion, in early 2001. The album received strong reviews and topped the R&B charts, while debuting at number four on the pop side. Lead single Whos That Girl? had some chart success, but it was the follow-up, a duet with No Doubts Gwen Stefani called Let Me Blow Ya Mind, that really broke Eve on the pop charts. The song rocketed to number two and went on to win a Grammy in the newly created category of Best Rap/Sung Collaboration; it also helped Scorpion go platinum.
Eve next set about establishing a movie career; she made her box-office debut in the Vin Diesel action blockbuster XXX, which was released in the summer of 2002. Not long after, she was also seen in a prominent supporting role in the Ice Cube comedy Barbershop. Amid all this activity, Eve released her third album, Eve-Olution, in August 2002. It debuted in the Top Ten, and found Eve returning to the soul singing of her youth on a surprising number of tracks. The single Gangsta Lovin, which featured guest vocals from Alicia Keys, was a number two smash on both the pop and R&B charts, and the follow-up Satisfaction was nominated for a Grammy. In early 2003, Eve signed with the UPN network to produce and star in a multiracial sitcom about a fashion designer.
