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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.
Eve Discography
Album
2002 Scorpion [UK Bonus Tracks]
2002 Eve-Olution [Clean]
2002 Eve-Olution
2001 Scorpion
2001 Scorpion [Clean]
1999 Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryder's First Lady
1999 Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryder's First Lady [Clean]
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