Interview with Eve

E = Eve
S = James G. Spady

S: Everybody is discovering Eve: on the internet, on the streets of the world.  They are talking about how you are flexing so many styles on that album: battle, straight-up emceeing, thug, neighborhood girl, dancehall, etc.  What enabled you to command such a range of styles?

E: My experience in life and the way that I love music.  I love music as a whole, not just Hip Hop.  I love Reggae, R&B… I listen to Alternative music, you know what I'm sayin.  So, I guess it's just my music make-up.

S: What kind of music did you hear in your household growing up?

E: I heard a lot of R&B, more than Rap.  I listened to Rap, too, because I had a young aunt. She played a lot of Rap music.

S: What was she playing?

E: Everything.  It ranged: MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Salt 'n Peppa, stuff like that.

S: How do you feel you have been portrayed by the media, both electric – TV, film, video, internet and radio – and print – newspapers, magazines, etc.?

E: Very positive.  It's been positive actually, even when I kinda let out a lot of my story…

S: In the Blaze piece…

E: In the Blaze piece.  Yet, nobody looked at it negatively.  Yo, I got a lot of praise.  They was like, 'Yo, you kept it real.  I really respect that you let it out.'  'Cause I'm a real person, and as a female, I went through it.  I'm not hiding anything.  A lot of people… I guess they can respect that.  If I hadn't brought it out, somebody would have,  I might as well do it, it's my story.

S: I'm sort of curious as to whether you didn't choose that forum to bring out your past.  Did you?

E: Yeah.  We kinda was just talking.  He was there for days.  It was like a big piece.  He came to Philly with me.  He traveled with me.  We talked on the phone.  So, we kinda got like a little bond.  Yeah, but the only thing I didn't agree with about that were the headlines, as far as how big they made, 'She went from this to that.'  That's the only thing I didn't agree with.  But, overall, the story was good.

S: What did your mother say when she read the story?  I take it that she hadn't heard some of this at all.

E: She was just like, 'I'm glad you didn't get caught up, but I had a feeling something was going on in your life.  You weren't talking to me.'  It's all good now!  I'm making her proud right now.

S: Eve, you are making everybody proud now.  Speaking of making us proud, how does it feel to make Philly proud?  Philly has been extremely responsive to you.  What does it mean to you to represent Philly the way you do?

E: It's beautiful.  It's so beautiful that Philly is even embracing me like that.  Usually Philly… You know how Philly crowds are.  They don't want to clap their hands or nod their heads to nobody.  But, it's a beautiful feeling that my city has shown love.  That makes me more proud, to be like, 'Yo, I'm from Philly.  What's up.'  Philly holding me down.  Yo, so it's a beautiful feeling, 'cause I love where I'm from.  Philly made Eve, so, you know?

S: In your liner notes, you open with "All Praise Is Due Allah" at the very beginning.  To what extent has Islam affected you?

E: It's not strong like it should be.  I'm striving.  When I get to the point where I'm stable, I definitely want to cover and go to the Masjid.  But, now it's hard.  It is really hard.  But, it definitely has a grip on me.  I pray to Allah every night, every morning, all during the day, know what I'm sayin?  If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be blessed.

S: So, you see your gift and the response to it as a blessing?

E: Yeah.

S: In terms of rhyme ciphas, are there any Islamic rhyme ciphas that you are aware of?

E: No, not that I know of.

S: Do you see that as being a possibility?

E: Probably.  There are a lot of Muslims that I know who are rhyming.

S: How about Africa and Europe – are you receiving e-mail from over there?

E: Yes, I receive them from Europe.  I don't know about e-mail from Africa.  I've met some people from Senegal who say they love my stuff, but I don't know how long they have been over here.

S: We heard the story about how you auditioned to become a Ruff Ryder, but let's hear it from you in your own words.  Rhyming with Drag-On or whatever.  How did you enter the Ruff Ryder cipha?

E: After everything went bad with Aftermath, my management sent me to the Yonkers studio.  I met Drag-On and I heard his rhymes first.  I said, 'Dag, he's nice.'  They were like, 'Yo, put a beat on.  Let her stand up and rhyme.'  I'm like, 'What?'  I had to rhyme against Drag-On and this other guy named Infra-Red.  And they signed me like that.

S: Do you know what you were rhyming that day?

E: I don't remember.  It was various rhymes.

S: What was their response?  They signed you that day, but did anybody say anything?

E: They were shocked because they didn't expect me to hold up with two guys.  I was by myself and I was rhyming against two guys, so they didn't even expect that.

S: But, you were used to battling guys.

E: Yeah.  But, they didn't know.  Most people think of a girl artist like this.  Most girls don't rhyme in ciphas.  Most girls are real timid about rhyming in front of people and stuff like that.

S: Why is that?

E: I don't know.

S: But you never walked with that fear, huh?

E: Nope.

S: What is the importance of ciphas to Hip Hop culture?

E: I believe that is something that has to be done, you know what I'm sayin.  It keeps the energy.  It keeps you writing.  It lets you know what competition is out there.  You get to hear people spit.  It lets you know what you have to go back to the drawing board and write about.  It has to be done.  For an MC not to get into a cipha, I don't know.  I think every MC wants to get into a cipha, has to get in a cipha, just to experience it.  You know what I mean?

S: Do you know when you first broke into a cipha and when?

E: Probably in high school – at Martin Luther King High School – in the lunchroom.  That was my first time.

S: What was it like the first time?

E: I couldn't wait.  I was happy they was doing a cipha so I could show my skills.

S: Are ciphas something that an artist would continue to do throughout their career or just at the beginning stages?

E: I believe an artist should get in a cipha throughout their career.  I don't mind doing it.

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