It’s been some time since Eve, the first lady of Ruff Ryders, gave us 16 bars. Her career has shifted from an undisputed battle rapper to an actress, fashion icon, influencer and television personality. And she’s revealing all in her first memoir, Who’s That Girl.
Throughout the book, Eve details her rise from the mean streets of Philadephia to rap and Hollywood stardom that exposed her bouts of depression and self-sabotage to now having a peaceful life in London. While on her book tour, she stopped in her hometown for a conversation hosted by fellow Philly native and journalist Marc Lamont Hill. Without giving too much of the book away, the conversation centered around her innate hustle and ability to listen to her inner voice. Here are five takeaways from the discussion.
She’s not impressed with the hypersexuality of today’s women in hip-hop.
There’s a reason she called herself “the illest vicious pit bull in a skirt.” While Eve always had a pretty face beat to the gawds, her style was tomboy chic. In the early days of her career, she donned denim skirts, a crop top with her paw prints on display and Timberland boots. Unlike her rap peers, such as Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown, Eve didn’t rely on being nearly nude to be seen, something evident in her lyrics. Eve told stories and didn’t lead with how she was the best in the bedroom. She also came up when female MCs had versatility, with Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, and the old-school ladies of rap from the ’80s, including MC Lyte and Queen Latifah. But her style and lyricism still set her apart.
“I am a fan of many of the girls in the industry, and I am glad that there’s a bunch of them to represent. But I do think it’s oversexualized,” she told Hill. “That’s not to judge. But there’s no individuality.”
She also noted that the reason for the sexualized images and lyrics may not even be up to the artists; it’s simply what sells and what the labels may push.
She avoided many #MeToo moments.
Being part of the Ruff Ryders crew had its advantages; the main one was it offered her protection. In a crew filled with men, one would think she’d be hit on and pushed to showcase a particular type of femininity through her image and lyrics. But Eve says it was the opposite, writing that she had to fight to dress a little less at times due to the founders’ religion, Islam, and their practices.
In the book, she details incidents where the Ruff Ryders crew went to war for her against sexism and misogyny, literally and figuratively. She told Hill that she was protected at the maximum level and was able to avoid much of the sexual harassment and misconduct thanks to her brothers in her crew.
“No matter where I went, I always had someone ready to handle things,” she told Hill. “I am so thankful for that.”
Does she feel underrated?
While Eve is beloved, she is often left out of conversations about being a pioneer, at least commercially. Her fans make it known that she paved the way. The audience unanimously agreed when Hill asked if she felt underrated, but Eve said she felt differently.
“My work speaks for itself,” she said, which caused an eruption of applause from the audience.
At this point, she has nothing to prove.
From Philly to across the pond
It’s no secret that Eve avoided the plague of Stevie J and found true love in her now-husband, Maximilian Cooper. The girl from West Philly’s projects has lived happily in London with her husband and family for the past decade. Many question how their love story unfolded, considering it’s interracial and intercultural.
Hill asked flat out, “Why him?”
Eve said she was ready for something different.
“I was sick of dating, especially in LA. I was running into the same type of guys, and I told my friend one day, ‘I’m done. I’m taking a break.’”
Eve said she always found herself in a cycle of relationships with men who didn’t want anything serious until she met Cooper.
“He didn’t play any games. It was not something I was used to,” Eve expressed after reflecting on a story of him practically asking her to go steady after only hanging out a few times. He even flew across the pond to spend time with her for their first official date, feeding into the current TikTok trend that Cooper was “mindful” and “demure.” While impressive, it scared her, and she found herself playing the games she once tried to escape. But Cooper didn’t budge and gave her an ultimatum.
“I was ready for the pivot. I didn’t care if he were a purple Martian,” Eve joked to the audience.
What brings her happiness?
These days, Eve isn’t concerned with overworking herself; she’s content in her wife and mommy life and desires to spend as much time as possible with her 2-year-old son and four stepchildren. She only takes on passion projects nowadays.
When Hill asked what brings her happiness, she said one word: peace.
“I didn’t have it for so long,” Eve admitted. “And I worked hard for it. And I deserve it.”
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