Eve Says Jay-Z Warned Her Not To Get Her Hopes Up Following The Release Of Her Debut Album

Eve, Jay-Z

Eve Says Jay-Z Warned Her Not To Get Her Hopes Up Following The Release Of Her Debut Album

Grammy-winning rapper Eve is opening up about the experiences she faced at the start of her career.

While there were very few female rappers making a name for themselves in the late 90s compared to now, Eve was one artist to break down barriers and bring something new to the rap industry. Despite making history by signing as the only woman on the Ruff Ryders hip-hop record label, Eve, 45, said she didn’t always receive support, particularly from men in the industry.

Eve

During a recent interview, she said,

“I always got a lot of pushback.”

The lyricist mentioned a time she received a phone call from rap veteran Jay-Z following the release of her debut studio album. Allegedly, the 54-year-old called Eve to congratulate her, however, he also warned her not to get her hopes up because female rappers “don’t really do that well.”

Jay-Z

The multiplatinum-selling musician also shared that an executive told her she should give up and get pregnant, while others were openly rude in meetings.

Eve furthered,

“The audacity that these men had. Now I have age and experience on my side, nobody’s coming at me like that.”

Eve

Her debut album Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady (1999) reportedly sold over two million copies and was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Eve became the third female hip-hop artist to have her album peak at number one on the Billboard 200.

She later released her second studio album, Scorpion, in 2001. The second single, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” featuring Gwen Stefani peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart. It won a Grammy Award in 2002 for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, which was a brand new category at the time.

In addition, Eve has a memoir set to drop on September 17, 2024. Her memoir is titled after her 2001 breakout hit “Who’s That Girl?”

Speaking on her book, she said,

“I’ve written a f***ing book. It’s crazy. I was nervous initially about putting all this stuff out there, but I wanted to be open and vulnerable.”

Eve

Thoughts on Eve’s remarks? Comment below and let us know.

[VIA]