Biography
Eve, is an American recording artist and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 5 million albums sold worldwide. In 2003, she became the star of her own TV show, Eve, which lasted for 3 seasons. The rapper/singer/actress has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled « Fetish. » She ranked number 48 on VH1’s « 50 Greatest Women Of The Video Era » show list.
Eve first appeared on DJ Clue’s The Professional, along with other Ruff Ryders’ compilations. Her next single, « What Ya Want », featuring Nokio of Dru Hill, didn’t do so well on the charts, so she collaborated with The Roots, Blackstreet and Janet Jackson, which further expanded her fan base. Her 1999 debut, Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, was an unprecedented success, becoming the second hip-hop album by a woman to enter the Billboard 200 at number one (the first was by Brooklyn rapper, Foxy Brown).
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The follow-up to Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, Scorpion, was released in 2001. Its first single, « Who’s That Girl » guaranteed the rapper first international success. The second single, « Let Me Blow Ya Mind » (with Gwen Stefani of No Doubt) and produced by Dr. Dre co-written by Stevie J.), became a pop success, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and Eve eventually went platinum.
One of the record’s strengths, cited in several reviews, was Eve’s exploration of her singing voice in addition to her rapping skills. « I was a singer before I started rapping, » Eve said in a Ruff Ryders press release, « so on this album I wanted my audience to hear more of my vocal skills ».
Eve’s third album, Eve-Olution, was released in summer 2002 (see 2002 in music) and peaked at number six on the Billboard 200. In the meantime, the album’s first single, « Gangsta Lovin’ », with Alicia Keys, became another number two hit. The second and final single, « Satisfaction », only saw moderate success again. Eve-Olution went gold and became Eve’s lowest selling album to date. One high point for her during that year, was her recording the song entitled « All Grown Up » for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) personality Stephanie McMahon. Nonetheless, by the end of 2003, Eve was starring on her own hit sitcom, UPN’s Eve, which she starred as a budding fashion designer. The series lasted three seasons. Eve starred in Barbershop 2 with Ice Cube and was also featured on Mary J. Blige’s hit song « Not Today » from the Barbershop 2 soundtrack.
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In 2005, the rapper appeared on Gwen Stefani’s cover version of Louchie Lou & Michie One song « Rich Girl », which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in March. The same year, she appeared on the remix of Amerie’s number one U.S. R&B hit, « 1 Thing » the Hitch soundtrack. Eve also was featured in Keyshia Cole’s song Never as on the Barbershop 2: Back in Business soundtrack and The Way It Is along with the official remix for Teairra Mari’s second single No Daddy.
In 2007, she appeared on Kelly Rowland’s single « Like This ». The Punk Cabaret band One On None covered Eve’s 1999 song « Love Is Blind ». In July 2007, Eve made a guest appearance on Maroon 5’s second single Wake Up Call on Live @ 45th at Night, it is unknown if this will be an official remix or if it will even be recorded. In late 2008, she sung the song « Set It On Fire », which was featured on the credits for the movie Transporter 3 and is available on the Transporter 3 soundtrack.
In 2007, Eve began work on a new album title Here I Am. In May 2007, XXL magazine profiled six recorded tracks from Here I Am. Five of them were produced by Swizz Beatz, including singles « Tambourine » and « Give It To You » (featuring Sean Paul). Pharrell Williams produced « All Night Long ». In contrast to most of the tracks, Eve sings rather than raps on « All Night Long ». XXL published a review of the original Here I Am in July, rating it an L in its « shoe size » rating system ranging from S to XXL. However the album ran into a series of delays due to corporate change at the record label and discontent with the lackluster success of the first and second singles, « Tambourine, » released in April 2007, and « Give It to You » (featuring Sean Paul), released later on.
The project was delayed to September 11, 2007 and then October 16 but was never released, according to Eve in an interview with the New York Post in February 2009 the problems at Geffen Records were responsible for the pushbacks. Since then the project has been retitled Flirt but remains unreleased/unfinished. It is believed that Eve is still working on the delayed project. In the meantime she is featured on the debut single from the Paradiso Girls titled « Patron Tequila ». The song was released in April 2009.
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Eve appeared in xXx with Vin Diesel, both Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business with Ice Cube, The Cookout with Queen Latifah and Meagan Good, and The Woodsman with Kevin Bacon in mid 2004. She voiced Major Jones in the video game XIII, as well as one of the villains of the short-lived Spider-Man animated series on MTV. She also featured in the 2008 movie Flashbacks of a Fool alongside Daniel Craig.
In 2003, Eve starred in the UPN television sitcom, Eve, as a fashion designer named Shelly. The show lasted three seasons until it was cancelled May 2006. She was a guest star on an episode of Numb3rs in 2009.
In 2009, she had a role in the movie Whip It! as Rosa Sparks, opposite Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore, who is also the director of the film.
It has been announced that Eve has signed on for a guest-starring gig on Glee. The rapper will play the coach of a competing glee club for one episode. She joins previously announced guest stars Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber and Josh Groban.