Some may have gotten familiar with Eve as a co-host on CBS’ “The Talk,” but hip-hop fans and even casual music listeners probably think of her as the rapper from Ruff Ryders Entertainment.
The last album Eve released was 2013’s “Lip Lock,” and now she’s back with a new album, her fifth, which she talked about in a recent interview with the Guardian. Earlier this month, Eve dropped the first single “Reload,” featuring dancehall artist Konshens.
During the interview, Eve talked about her start in the rap game and how she entered it somewhat naive. The 40-year-old said at the time, she believed there would be a oneness between herself and other female rappers in the industry but that wasn’t the case.
“Before I’d met anybody, I always thought of it as this sisterhood,” she stated. “I thought we were all gonna be friends. It was not like that. I’d see [Lil’] Kim and say hi, and she’d be like: ‘Get the f–k away from me.’ Not verbally, you could just tell what she was thinking. But I was in a bubble and it never felt like a competition. I loved Missy [Elliott] and Kim but I never wanted to be them.”
But Eve said these days, she’s far less concerned with what people think of her and now just wants to make music that empowers women.
The Philly native does have some uneasiness regarding the new project, however, because rap and music in general has shifted dramatically since 2013.
Not to mention, Eve’s last album didn’t do well on the charts.
“Sometimes, I’m apprehensive because the industry has changed so much,” she explained. “What does that mean for an artist from the time I come from. Are people going to care?”
“[After ‘Lip Lock’] I kind of retreated,” added Eve. “I had to really pick myself back up. [But now] it’s the right time. I’m trying to give people a feeling. Because the music I listen to when I’m getting ready to go out, when I’m getting dressed or when I’m driving, it lifts my mood. I want people to feel good.”
