rap musician
Personal Information
Born Eve Jihan Jeffers c. 1979 in Philadelphia, PA; daughter of Julie Wilcher.
Career
Hip-hop artist. Aftermath Records, c. 1997; Ruff Ryders record label, c. 1998-; released Let There Be Eve: Ruff Ryders' First Lady, 1999; appeared on Ruff Ryders/Cash Money tour, 2000; released Scorpion, 2001.
Life's Work
In the male-dominated world of rap and hip-hop, female hip-hop artists who could compete in terms of record sales and street-credibility are rare. There are a few women of increasing power, though, including Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot, Da Brat, and Eve. A self-proclaimed "pit bull in a skirt," Eve got her start as the only woman on the hip-hop label Ruff Ryders and quickly rose to fame. Her first release, 1999's Let There Be Eve: Ruff Ryders' First Lady, debuted at Number One on Billboard magazine's Top 200 and sold close to 2 million copies. Careful not to be considered a one-hit wonder, Eve released her second record, Scorpion, to favorable reviews in 2001. Newsweek called her "hip-hop's most respected female presence."
Born Eve Jihan Jeffers in Philadelphia in 1979, Eve was raised by her mother, Julie Wilcher, whom she called in a Ruff Ryders press release her "biggest inspiration in life." They lived in the Mill Creek housing project until Eve was 14, then moved to a better neighborhood. Eve saw her father often when she was small, but the two drifted apart. As a girl, Eve performed in Philadelphia talent shows with her all-girl singing group, Dope Girl Posse. She switched to rapping at age 13 because she got more attention as a female rapper than she did as a female singer. During high school, she rapped under the moniker Eve of Destruction, though she later decided on the simpler state name, Eve.
Eve got her first big break before she was 18. Some friends had arranged an impromptu audition for Eve with high-profile hip-hop producer Dr. Dre. Her friends never told Dre she was coming, and Dre was taken aback when suddenly a tape was played and a woman came out of nowhere and started rapping for him. Dre apparently liked the surprise, because he immediately signed Eve to his fledgling Aftermath record label. The label moved Eve to Los Angeles a week later, where she began working with Dre. A year later, Eve had completed a three-song demo tape, but Dre, his hands full with the burdens of a new label, had not been able to work with Eve on an album. Her contract expired, was not renewed, and Eve returned to Philadelphia.
Joined Ruff Ryders Label
On a recommendation from Dre's parent label, Interscope, New York's Ruff Ryders record label signed Eve. The Ruff Ryders camp subjected Eve to writing and reciting drills to polish her raw talent. Though she told Newsweek that it felt like she was in "boot camp," and that she felt she had to prove herself to them, she admitted, "that's what made me a better MC."
Eve released her first solo album, Let There Be Eve: Ruff Ryders' First Lady in 1999. Although Entertainment Weekly critic David Browne admitted that Eve, "Unlike most of her peers, ...radiated power," he found that Let There Be Eve... "wasn't the knockout it was supposed to be." The record-buying public, however, did not agree--the release debuted at Number One on Billboard's Top 200 and sold close to 2 million copies. Hip-hop fans, both white and black, adored Eve's throaty voice, tough persona, and strong lyrics.
Suddenly a platinum-selling recording artist, Eve's life changed virtually overnight. She underestimated the drain touring, publicity, and her other professional responsibilities would have on her, and on her personal relationships. On the Ruff Ryder/Cash Money three-month, 30-city tour in 2000, Eve brought a few girlfriends who, each night when Eve stepped offstage, exhausted, were ready to party. The friendships began to suffer. Though she made a strong showing, and audiences loved her, the offstage pressures proved too much for her, and she left the tour early. Eve admitted the period after the release of Let There Be Eve... took its toll on her, and the trials during the two years between albums even resulted in a mild depression. "Anybody who tells you that they haven't been depressed their first time out is lying," she told Billboard.
In preparation for her second release, Eve underwent a subtle makeover. Irritated by criticism of her weight, she trimmed off about ten pounds. Stylist Kithe Brewster became her constant companion, overseeing the artist's fashion choices. Leading designers like Chanel and Gucci welcomed Eve to choose freely from their lines of high-priced, high-fashion clothing, relishing the media coverage they would receive when the star wore their fashions to high-profile events.
Successful Second Album
Many artists do not live up to the hype of their first release, and Eve clearly felt the pressure was on for her critical follow-up release. "It was harder," Eve admitted in Vibe, "But I try not to think about the pressure." The young artist's personal changes affected the process as well. "It's all about growing up." Ruff Ryders' co-CEO Chivon Dean pointed out in Vibe. "Eve's a young woman, and young women go through changes. She was only 20 when she came to us. There's more maturity now."
Critics agreed that Scorpion, which showcased a broad range of musical styles, was a strong second release. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne cited the record's roots in "hard-core stomp, rhymes, boasts, and slams." But Scorpion also incorporated Latin horns; reggae on a cover of "No, No, No," coproduced with legendary reggae artist Bob Marley's son Stephen; and gospel, heard on the duet with eighties R&B diva Teena Marie, "Life is So Hard." In addition to cameos by Da Brat and fellow Ruff Ryder DMX, rock band No Doubt's Gwen Stefani made an appearance on "Let Me Blow Ya Mind." Former mentor Dr. Dre reappeared as producer on two of the record's tracks.
When Scorpion was released, Entertainment Weekly's Browne called it "More than just a dramatic improvement over its predecessor. ...Scorpion pumps up the volume, the rhythms, everything." One of the record's strengths, cited in several reviews, was Eve's exploration of her singing voice in addition to her rapping skills. "I was a singer before I started rapping," Eve said in a Ruff Ryders press release, "so on this album I wanted my audience to hear more of my vocal skills."
Sought More Creative Control
Eve's second release reflected more of her own vision. Songs like "Love is Blind" and "Heaven Only Knows" on Let There Be Eve... had led Entertainment Weekly writer Barry Walters to criticize Eve as an artist "struggling to shake a gang mentality." It was clearly an opinion Eve shared, because on Scorpion, she argued for, and won, more creative control. "Before, the lyrics were mine, but the vision was pretty much theirs [the Ruff Ryders camp's]," she told Newsweek. "After that, I promised myself I would never make a song about shooting, robbing, anything like that, 'cause it's not me."
Scorpion was proof, wrote USA Today critic Steve Jones, that Eve was "strong as ever" and "no passing fad." Eve told Interview, "In ten years, hopefully I'll be sitting behind a desk making power decisions, and having power business meetings. That's basically my goal, to be a woman of power."
Works
Selected discography
- Let There Be Eve: Ruff Ryders' First Lady, Ruff Ryders/Interscope, 1999.
- Scorpion, Ruff Ryders/Interscope, 2001.
Further Reading
Periodicals
- Billboard, February 10, 2001.
- Entertainment Weekly, October 8, 1999, p. 72; March 9, 2001, p. 78.
- Interview, November 2000, p. 155.
- Newsweek, March 12, 2001, p. 70.
- USA Today, March 6, 2001.
- Vibe, February 2001.
- Additional material was obtained online at the Ruff Ryders website, http://www.ruffryders2000.com and from a Ruff Ryders press release provided by Interscope Records.
— Brenna Sanchez
