*Artist: Eve
Birth Name: Eve Jihan Jeffers
Genre: Rap
Period: `90s, 2000s
Biography:
Eve was one of a new breed of tough, talented, commercially viable female MCs to hit the rap scene during the late `90s. Though she could be sexy when she chose, she wasn`t as over the top as Lil` Kim or Foxy Brown, and as part of the Ruff Ryders posse, her production was harder than Da Brat`s 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 rap duo called EDGP (pronounced "Egypt"), adopting the name Gangsta. EDGP performed at local talent shows and club gigs, often to the detriment of Eve`s 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 mother`s remarriage, and worked for a time as a table dancer at a strip club. Unhappy with this direction, she decided to give rap 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, she`d met DMX when the rising new star was in Los Angeles promoting his smash debut, It`s Dark and Hell Is Hot. Eve passed a battle-rap audition to join DMX`s Ruff Ryders posse, and in 1999 she contributed to their label`s Ryde or Die, Vol. 1 compilation. Thanks to DMX`s star power, it entered the charts at number one, and Eve`s 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."
Eve`s 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 rap, 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" Elliott`s 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 "Who`s That Girl?" had some chart success, but it was the follow-up, a duet with No Doubt`s 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, and she continued acting in movies, with roles in Barbershop 2, The Cookout, and The Woodsman. A full return to music was made in 2007, when she released Here I Am, an album featuring productions from Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and Pharrell.
Discography: Eve Discography
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