Eve definitely has a seat at the table when it comes to female rappers who have broken glass ceilings. And as previously reported by Face2Face Africa, the Philadelphia native shot to stardom when the hip-hop industry was heavily male-dominated. Despite finding herself in that situation, the 45-year-old Grammy winner did not let that deter her from staking a claim in the rap industry.
In a recent interview with The Times to promote her Who’s That Girl? memoir, Eve touched on the hurdles she had to overcome during the early stages of her career and some conversations she had with fellow male rappers (including Jay-Z) regarding her worth as a female emcee.
The Gangsta Lovin’ rapper recalled that after the release of her 1999 debut album, Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, Jay-Z called her to commend her efforts. But the billionaire rapper and business mogul did not stop there as he warned her to keep her hopes in check because female rappers “don’t really do that well.”
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Eve’s debut album, however, turned out to be a huge success as it peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. She also wrote her name in the history books as she became the third female rapper to attain that feat.
Besides the Jay-Z conversation, the Tambourine rapper also touched on a conversation where a music executive told her to quit rapping and set her sights on getting pregnant.
She further stated that her label tried to talk her out of composing her Gwen Stefani-assisted hit song Let Me Blow Ya Mind. The song, which was released in 2001, similarly turned out to be a commercial success as it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also won her a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration the following year.
Eve also said the rudeness that music executives meted out to her was overt. “The audacity that these men had,” the 45-year-old said. “Now I have age and experience on my side, nobody’s coming at me like that,” she added.
Eve started rapping in her teens and even engaged in rap cypher battles with her male classmates in high school. That was the period she decided to become a musician. She ultimately got a shot at stardom after veteran rapper, producer, and music executive Dr. Dre signed her to his Aftermath label. But she was dropped after eight months.
She eventually got another shot – this time with the Ruff Ryders, the New York-based rap crew that had a roster of rappers including DMX and The Lox. But before she became a member of the group, she had to audition and battle all the male rappers in the room, PEOPLE reported.
Her lyrical prowess caught the label’s eye, and she was eventually signed – paving the way for the release of her 1999 debut album.
