Eve

Why she matters

Eve Jeffers was born in Philadelphia in 1978, lived in West Philadelphia until she was 13, then moved with her family to Germantown and graduated from Martin Luther King High School. She started as a singer, in church choirs and then a girl group whose manager pushed them toward rapping. She stuck with it and began performing as Eve of Destruction.

By 1998 she was on the Bulworth soundtrack while signed to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath, then on DMX’s “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” remix and the Roots’ “You Got Me.” Ruff Ryders and Interscope released Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady in September 1999. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making her the third female rapper to top that chart, and it went double platinum. Every song on it was written by Eve. Later that year she was on the “Hot Boyz” remix with Missy Elliott, Nas, Lil’ Mo and Q-Tip.

Scorpion in 2001 brought “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” with Gwen Stefani, which won the first Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Eve-Olution in 2002 brought “Gangsta Lovin’” with Alicia Keys. Then came acting, the Barbershop films and her own sitcom, and in 2013 an independent album, Lip Lock. On a label built around DMX’s bark, she was the sharpest writer in the building.

What a working rapper can take from it

Write your own book. Being the woman on a crew’s roster has historically meant somebody else writing your verses. Eve wrote all of hers, including “Love Is Blind,” which she wrote at 16 about a friend’s relationship. That song works because it reads like an eyewitness account, not a lecture. The verse-writing guide covers how to get that close to a subject.

Pick hook partners on purpose. Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys took her to pop radio, but Eve still carried the verses on both records. A feature should widen your audience without diluting what made you worth hearing. Missy Elliott ran a similar playbook; see her profile.

Singing training is a rap asset. Choir years show up in Eve’s breath control and in how easily she sits next to a sung hook. If you came up singing, don’t hide it. Practice tracking rap and melody in the same session; the vocal recording guide covers keeping levels and tone consistent when you switch.