Eve made her mark in the rap scene in the late ’90s as the first lady of Ruff Ryders. And over the past decades, she’s had platinum albums, hit singles, and a Grammy Award. She was also one of the first female rappers to have a sitcom, launch a clothing line and co-host the daytime talk show, “The Talk.” Eve joins the Bright Side to share how she’s navigating life in London with a blended family and she’s spilling all the details in her new memoir, “Who’s That Girl?”
Hey, besties, Hello Sunshine. Today on the bright Side, let us blow your mind because we're joined by the Grammy Award winning rapper Eve. Her new memoir Who's That Girl is out today. She's spilling all the details on raising her kids in London, as a Philly girl, navigating life with a blended family, and the surprising call she got from Jay Z when her first album dropped. It's Tuesday, September seventeenth. I'm Danielle Robe and.
I'm Simone Voice, and this is the bright Side from Hello Sunshine, a daily show where we come together to share women's stories, laugh, learn and brighten your day.
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You know, we have Eve here today, who's a Grammy Award winning artist. This is like our Grammys, and if you know Eve at all, you know she's gonna get real and even maybe use some colorful language. So if you're listening around kids, you might want to put some headphones on for this one. So some moan, we got to get into it.
We have the Eve, the Eve, the let Me blow your mind, the tambourine Eve. I mean, her music is like a sonic passport or a timestamp. For me, it takes me right back to being in middle school and just like dancing with my.
Friends acting a fool.
Ough.
She just has the best vibes. So I love that you said the word vibes because that's what I feel. I've always loved her vibes. I don't know if it's her strength that inspires me, but like she makes me want to growl, Like she just has this oh about her that I want to embody and I always did and I didn't see a lot of women like her when I was growing up, and so I just I love that we're getting to talk to her today.
Maybe it's the iconic pawprint tattoos that make you want to growl.
Maybe that was the point, the subliminal messaging that could be it, or like the rough rider's tie. I don't know.
Yeah, I'm really excited to get to know Eve a little better. I mean, so much has changed, right, She's now a mom to a toddler, a step mom to four kids, and over the past ten years she's spent more time in the UK than she has in America. And she says she's a different person and from that young girl that we all know and came up with, who was hustling like her life depended on it twenty five years ago. And something I've always wondered about is the origins of her name Eve, because it's not just your average name, like Eve is a very meaningful name. I mean, it's biblical, it's biblical, it's historical. And this theme of her name really emerges as one of the more prominent through lines in her new memoir, as she wonders whether she's blessed or cursed to share a name with such a controversial figure. So she collaborated on this book Who's That Girl, with writer Kathy Ian Dolly.
You know, when I think about part of that Girl and that hustle that I respect so much, I think it's also because she was one of the first women to find success in the rap scene. I mean, she began her career in the late nineteen nineties, and she made history with her debut album. It reached number one on the Billboard two hundred and then her two thousand and one platinum album Score featured hits like Who's That Girl and of course the Grammy Award winning song let Me Blow Your Mind, And throughout her career she's always just been a boundary breaker. She was one of the first female rappers to have a sitcom, the other one was Queen Ladifa. She launched a clothing line called Fetish before celebrities were even doing that. Since then, she's released more albums she's co starred in films. She co hosted the CBS Daytime Emmy nominated talk show The Talk, and then she recently starred in the critically acclaimed series Queens. And that's all her resume, right, which is super impressive. But this book really highlights her personal life, the behind the scenes, and the more recent version of Eve that we see is the one that fell in love and moved to London and started a family.
Yeah, it was really interesting to hear her reminisce about the early days and what it was like to be one of the founding females of hip hop. She says that she was constantly fighting for an ounce of the same respect that her male colleagues enjoy, which is funny because that is such a huge recurring theme on our show.
We talked to a lot of our guests about that.
And then coming back to that theme of her name, Eve writes that in those gritty early days, she often felt herself leaning on the legacy of her name for strength. This is one of my favorite quotes from the book. She says, I realized that if the music industry wasn't going to let me be the first woman of their universe, then I had no choice. I had to leave and go build my own. So that's that ferocity that you were talking about, Danielle. It's clear that she's someone who sees rejection as a challenge and not as a setback.
You know what. We could go back and forth all day, Simone, but she's here with us, Eve, Welcome to the bright side.
Thank you.
We're so happy to have you.
Thank you, thank you for having me.
So you're out with a brand new memoir. Before we get into it, it's called Who's That Girl? And I want to tell you that I read it in one night. Oh no way, Wow, so good.
Thank you, so so good.
Thank you for keeping me company on my Saturday night. It was much better than any date I've been on in a while.
Do so much. That honestly means a lot. That means a lot.
And my my co writer as well, Kathy, will appreciate that.
She's amazing.
Well. You share so many moments from your illustrious career, and you recently told People magazine that having your son wild actually has a lot to do with feeling like you can talk about your past. Yeah, I didn't understand what you meant by that.
Why so I mean like I kind of, I guess, did a little dive into being vulnerable, being honest and truthful and talking about things that I feel like, I guess I needed to heal when I was on the talk, So that was like my first little toe in, and then, you know, I continue to kind of work on my vulnerability, work on opening up about things. One of the biggest things for me was my journey with fertility and trying to have a kid. And once I had him, I was like, oh wow, like it's almost like one.
He just gives me this courage.
I know how this little boy just gives me this like courage and I definitely feel so much more whole.
He definitely was.
A missing piece in my life. Everything is about him. I want him to have the best life he could that I could dream of for him. That a lot of me writing this book and putting things in this book and being honest and open is kind of shedding old shit that I don't want to bring into how I raise him feelings that he feels for me. I really believe in things like that, energetically, familial ties, things like that.
So yeah, I think it was just it was a lot. It was a lot. He brought up a lot of things.
I will say childbirth and having the kid opens a whole other canon worms of things.
So yeah, Simone actually always talks about that on the podcast I'm not a Mom Yet, and she says that often. Yeah, what was your process in terms of trying to shed some of those past things?
Are you a therapy girl, I'm like, off and on do therapy. I'm a crystal healing, acupuncture, meditation, breath work, reiki. I'm like, listen, whatever the modality I feel I need, I will go towards it. I also, I just, yeah, I try everything.
I do.
Believe therapy helps a ton. I'm grateful that I started therapy and then I tried different kinds of therapy. But yeah, I feel like from my friends that had kids, I didn't hear about the other the breaking open as such, and no one talked about that a lot to me. I feel like, so I actually wasn't prepared for that of like bringing up past childhood things, which makes total sense, of course, but it's just not something I ever thought about.
Yeah, it's kind of like this giant new mirror in your life that just reflects everything back to you. Everything you've been trying to run away from. Yes, it's crazy, it's my experience.
No, it's true.
It's crazy, like you cannot go anywhere. Like you said, you can't run from it, you can't ignore it. I had been asked a few years ago while I was on the Talk, probably my second year on the Talk, I had been asked by someone if I wanted to write a book, and I just definitely wasn't ready. But I think when I met Kathy, because of being broken open in a new way the kid everything, I was like, you know what, yes, because I kind of want to get this shit out, Like I.
Feel like I need to let it go.
I need to say it so I can release it physically as well, heal whatever needs to be healed. Shed that part and be ready for the I mean it's so cliche to say, but be ready for the next chapters of my life with this kid.
Yeah.
I also feel like marriage cracks you open in a way too.
And also.
Because once you start, I mean just I'll just speak for myself, like realizing how I am in arguments and then tracing that back to you know, the wounds and the patterns and just those deep rooted grooves in my brain and then thinking about, okay, how do I undo those patterns so I can a be a good wife and a healthy wife, yeah, and then be model a healthy marriage for my kids.
It's like it's a lot of pressure.
It's a lot of it's a lot of pressure as I come from a family that wasn't very lovey dovey. We didn't say we weren't really great communicators. We didn't say I love you or I hate you, so if things went bad then we screamed. So with my husband and it's funny because you know he's very British, but I will say I found the most touchy feely I love you British family on the freaking planet. And also you know I gained four bonus kids as well, so and.
They are very to this day, they are very I love you.
They don't leave that they could be going to the store, they will not leave the house without saying I love you, or if they're going away for a weekend, they will hug. And it took me, it's so sweet, but it took me years actually to be comfortable enough to be like, oh yeah, hug you back, I love you. And then also being a step parent now being on mine, it's just like so much.
Yeah, that mirror, that mirror, don't.
Ever get tired of itself. Chah, that mirror be up.
So you write in your book pretty early on about where you grew up in Philly, and there's this moment where you talk about how your house was dark and it wasn't like there weren't a lot of windows, but it felt dark. And you would go to friends' houses and realize that their houses were lighter. And I'm sitting here wondering if you always had this want for a happy, light family because of that one memory. Is there a tie there?
Yeah? I think so. I think.
You know, as you become an adult, you realize the shit adults have to deal with, whether that is their own addiction, their own ties to their familiar shit, their own sadness, depression, whatever that is, right, I of course didn't know it was that. As a kid, I grew up a class clown. I always wanted to make people laugh. I always wanted to make my mom laugh. I always felt like that was something that I should be doing. I was a performer. Clearly, this is why I'm in the business. I always needed attention, and I think it does come from that. I think it comes from trying to find happy moments like be happy, laugh.
Like you know, performing one. I definitely think that's what it came from for sure.
Eve My half brother lives in Philly and my dad went to school in Philly, so I have a real soft spot in my heart for Philly people. Philly people, they're just the realist, the warmest. What do you think is the most Philly thing about you? Oh my god, I am a Philly girl, true and through. I'm definitely I do think.
Yes, Philly people are warm and they're down on earth, but they are feisty and I think that has what carried me far in life is the Philly feistiness.
And I'm proud of it. I am proud of that.
Like I'm real nice until i'm not, and I think Philly people are.
Good at that.
Here's the question, though, after living in London for ten years, what's the most British thing about you? Now?
I talk about the fucking weather all the time.
I am so concerned about the weather that it lives to me.
Now.
I get it though, because on Sunday it was beautiful walking around sunshine.
Now I am freezing. It is cold. It is great.
So I get now while they're obsessed with the weather because it could change like that.
Yeah.
You know what's funny though, is all these interviews like with Ebro and the Breakfast Club that you did, none of them can believe that you moved to London. Like they're all like why, how why? And it was like, dush, she moved for love. I get it.
Yes, yes, And it's not like it's London. It's not Siberia. It's not like freaking it's londoness dough.
London is dope. Also, it's not.
That far like from the east coast. I mean it's quote as far from the west coast, but is not that far from the east coast. Yeah, I did it for love. I would have probably been here anyway, even without my husband. It was something in my life that I always said I would move to. I thought I was going to move to Paris. Of course, I was like, I'll live in Paris or London at some point in my life. But obviously having love made it easier, and I honestly love.
It's a great city. It's a great Okay.
So I'm really interested in that chapter of your life when you ended up moving across the world for your love. You moved countries, got married, gained four step children all at once, and then you.
Had a baby.
Like that's a lot of change and a short amount of time.
Eve.
Yeah, yes it is. I sometimes think I am a masochist. I swear because oh, when I take it on, I take it on. When I jump in, I jump in and both feet, eyes wide open. But I'm also one of those people that's like, fuck it, let's see.
I have always been like that.
I just believe that God forbid, if it hadn't worked out or whatever, I could always move back. It is a lot, but I am happy, of course, clearly that did it.
Okay, we have to take a quick break, but we'll be right back with more from Grammy Award winning artist Eve. Stay with us and we're back with Eve.
Okay, we're gonna turn the clock all the way back. So, coming up as an MC in the nineties, you talk about how everything was heavily gendered, that anytime you were mentioned in an article or impressed, it was prefaced with female rapper, and also that people had a lot of low expectations for what a woman can do when you take a look at the landscape today, how do you process how things are now compared to when you were coming up.
I love that there are so many women, so many female voices in the landscape because we needed. You know, how many freaking award shows can you have where all these dudes are on stage celebrating each other, you.
Know what I mean? So thank you, gosh. I am very happy.
The other thing that females have that I feel like when we were coming up, there's none of that. The one girl and the crew and the men have to co sign her. Yes, it was a great era, but at the same time, like, no, it's not necessary, and I'm so happy that that seems to be in the past a bit.
I think, just for context for everyone listening, it was like you were the first lady of rough Riders. So as DMX, it was all the boys, and then you and even Gwen Stefani had no doubt in all the guys, and then it was her. We saw that a lot, so you're right, you.
Know, and I was like Kim with Bad Boy and like so it was just kind of like that thing, right that was yeah, the girl and the crew, the one girl of the crew, the token with the token girl. Yes, so yeah, thank god is not like as much like that anymore.
Yeah.
So you said in interviews that the industry really never made space for women who wanted to rap and be mothers. And you and I both share a love you probably in a different way because you know her for Lauren Hill, and you saw how her career was impacted when she had a child. Yeah, did that make you feel like you didn't have an option to be a mom?
Like?
Did that delay things for you in any way?
It did?
I think I just didn't think I could do both, to be honest, And I think it was that it was definitely Lauren when she put out that song Zion, and she literally talked about it in Zion and how people were discouraging her from that. I mean I would go in meetings sometimes and be discouraged for having a boyfriend, Like literally, in meetings that was supposed to be about music. I'd have execs being you know, you really shouldn't be in relationships for too long. It takes away your focus. I'm like, would you say that to these guys that come in here.
And has like twelve girlfriends by the way, exactly, that's exactly what I was thinking.
Danielle literally twelve girlfriends and six baby mamas. Yes, yeah, so it was always weirdly talked about. And then I think the delay also just came from I think the more and more I got busy, the more and more I kind of was in this my own space of kind of self sabotage and what is happening and what is going on? And then I kind of was just like, not, I can't bring a kid into this at all right now, and also thinking and taking for granted that it would just happen when I meet the guy that I love, because that's what they tell you, like, you get married, you have a baby.
That's it. I think I actually took that for granted as well.
I'm gonna admit something embarrassing. Twenty seventeen, Cardi came out with Bodak Yellow, huge hit. It put her on the map, and the next year she got pregnant and I was doing a morning show like reporting on the news, and I remember thinking like, oh, her career is over. Why would she do that? And thankfully it wasn't, but to me that felt like the turning point. What do you think changed?
Oh my god?
I one hundred percent what you thought. We all thought that is the realest thing, because she was the one who did it. And you're like, oh, but how amazing, how beautiful, How I was so happy and proud to see, Like, damn, I was inspired by her, you know, like, oh man, we really have moved on, you know what I mean. Nah, it's a great, amazing, beautiful thing. Definitely, there's moms in all industries, very high stress energies that have kids all across this world.
Why can't it be music as well? You know what I was just thinking about as you were talking about CARTI. Male rappers have had babies, lots of them since the dawn of hip hop, and it's never been an issue for them. But now suddenly a mother can't be publicly mothering and rapping at the same time.
Yeah, it's insane, but that's all societal bullshit.
Yeah, all societal bullshit.
Okay, I'm going to ask you something that everyone's going to ask you in an interview, So I'm sorry if this is annoying, but it is interesting. So you released your first album in nineteen ninety nine. It's called Let There Be Eve, and you're Rough Riders. Quote unquote first lady, you go on to be double platinum, you sell two hundred thousand records in your first week, which is insane. And Jay Z called you the day the album was released. Yes, will you share what he said?
Yes? Yeah.
He basically was like, you know, congratulations, which I was like thanks, but it was like he was like, well, you know, don't be too disappointed because female rappers really don't sell that well usually so and I was just like, okay, you know, thanks for the congratulations. And I didn't feel And it's funny because and I put it in the book because I do. It was such a big moment, like it didn't stop anything, it didn't steal my scheme in any way. Jay went on to be a friend and a supporter and I vice versa whatever. But it was just one of those moments where it was like, wow, that's crazy, and thankfully the album did what it did, but it became a theme in my life, I feel like, and in the book it feels that way even for me once I wrote it, of the underdog syndrome of being questioned of the would they say this to a man?
No, they would not like.
Why that was one of those moments where you're just like, oh wow, it was a bit shocking, but it didn't take any steme away or anything like that.
If anything, it was more of the.
Okay, I'll show you don't no worries.
I feel like that underdog spirit is so intrinsic to Philly, maybe partly because of Rocky.
It's true, I think so too. We are very much that.
You know, The thing is, Philly is one of those places that has grown and grown and grown. But back then, you know, musically it was New York, New York City. If it's hip hop is New York. If you're from Philly, okay, there is Listen, there's a rich, huge, rich musical history of Philadelphia, but it's still not New York. So when I used to go to New York and like try to rap, well give out my demos and stuff, people be like, oh, you sound so country, I'm like.
I'm fucking Philly. It's an hour thirty five minutes.
Excuse me, it's not that far. Like, I don't.
Sound that country.
So yeah, you know, I think back then it was just still just having to prove yourself, which I get, which I get.
Okay, we're gonna talk about your second album. So, despite the success of your first album, you write that you were still underestimated for your second album, Scorpion, and you have this megahead. Of course, this banger we all know, let me blow your mind with Gwen Stefani. It wins a Grammy, But you said that your team originally didn't I want you to work with Gwen on that track?
Why not?
It's funny because she was the only person I heard. I didn't hear anyone else. I heard that record. I was like, it has to be Gwenn, and everybody else was like, it's just not gonna work. Nobody's gonna believe this, And I'm like, why, we're both We're just artists making music and seems where Also, she was a label mate at that time, so it took me a while to convince.
I've had since then. I've had an.
Old exact that I saw years ago that was like, you know, it was me too, that was like, this is gonna work. I'm like, of course, of course, yes, of course, of course. But back then I kind of had to fight for it, and I'm so glad that it happens. I think Jimmy Ivan probably was the one the catalyst because Jimmy gets it. He's a genius when it comes to stuff like that, So I think he helped to make that happen.
Yeah, was it that people thought Gwen was to pop and like the it was a juxtaposition that was too harsh.
Yes, And I would say to them like, look at Aerosmith and run DMC like that happened in eighty four eighty five. Come on, that's a classic fucking record. And yeah, I think also because I was the new girl in hip hop, I think on the hip hop side, people were probably like, oh shit, nah, like this is too fast of a transition. You need to stay in this lane, you need to stay here, which I also understand. But I was just like, come on, y'all, this is a banger, like Dre is producing, like I'm.
Rapid, Like it's fine, Like it'll be fine.
And I remember when we when we showed up to the BET Awards on the red carpet, it was definitely like okay, oh oh, you brought your little friend, your love friend into wards.
But you know what, it fucking worked out. It worked out.
It was that was a fun time because I had gone into spaces I'd never been in and when was in spaces, she had never been in.
Well from the outside looking in, like y'all do have like this same energy piece that I think worked so well, Like she's got that SoCal Orange County edge tour you bring in the East Coast flavor, like there's some that synergy was obviously just a match made in heaven.
I thought so too. Thank you very much.
We need to take another short break and we'll be right back. We're back with Eve.
When you say fight for it, you talk about what you fought for with your music, with your fashion line, with all of it throughout the book. But now talking to you, I'm guessing the way you fight for things has changed.
You know.
The idea of not having your voice or your ideas heard is so prevalent. Simona and I interview women every single day, and it is a theme that we hear over and over again. It just is what have you learned about getting your point across, getting your ideas heard? Throughout all these years.
I think back then it really used to hit me in a way that made me very sad. I will say that it really took a lot of my self esteem. I have been apologized to from a director from an old A and R person about my ideas and just saying you know which, I'm so grateful that that happened because that normally never happens. But it helped me know that I wasn't fucking insane, because what happens is you start questioning yourself about your instincts Okay, maybe I'm not supposed to be doing this, where it's really people who are intimidated or just don't want to champion you, and that is really sad and it sucks. Like you said, you guys talk to these women and it's still happening, and that they feel like this, that is horrible. I have learned now that and it's hard sometimes, but you have to trust your gut, trust your instincts, and if you really feel like that's what it is, you can put your foot down without screaming if you don't want to. But also to be like stand in your truth of no, this is what it is, or I'm sorry, and that has a lot of power and that takes a lot of courage.
It took me a long time to get to that place.
Because then the business sometimes you would have management or an agent that's like, oh no, you have to take this opportunity because if we say no to them, you won't get another opportunity, and like you become paranoid. But I think it's just about standing in your truth and knowing like you just have to put your foot down.
You just do.
And now I don't have any issues with it. I don't have any issue saying no. I have zero issues saying no now, which is so nice. It's a nice place to be.
It takes time, though. I loved reading about that because I felt that and still feel that sometimes. And it's like you're such a tough person externally that to hear that it affected you. Oh yeah, I think was really nice to hear no.
Thank you.
I think I had to build this toughness though to be heard like it served me. The toughness, the wall, the fuck youness is served me. And then you get to a point where you're like, oh shit, I don't need that anymore. So now how do I voice myself voice my opinion without using you know, stuff from the past. And that takes time too, and I do sometimes still get a little ek of course, because we're human. I do sometimes I'm like, oh man, I feel bad I should maybe, and then it's like, but you know what, if it can't happen, it can't happen if they're not respecting where I'm at, then sorry, Because also it goes both way, like respect me and I will respect you.
I know that we got to wrap up your time here.
You have truly done it all.
I mean, you've hosted the talk, You've got upwards of fifty acting credits. I loved you and The Woodsman, and even still I feel like we are barely scratching the surface of Eve the actor and what you're capable of. And I see you nodding your head, and I feel that you feel that too. So what kinds of roles do you crave these days? Or do you like, do you crave getting back into the acting game at all?
I think I am. I mean, I will say this, My dream role of all time is like, because I love conspiracy shit, So if I could be like.
An agent that's so east coast of you by.
The way, forty eight hours, no, like anything that's kind of like government, I'm an agent.
He's amazing. Any type of action, I'm jumping on it.
But I would love to be on the producer creative side.
That's kind of what I'm working on right now.
I'm thinking Bond Girl. You're in London. I think you should push for that one.
I'm gonna put it in the universe.
Let me go squat and crunch my way home the whole time because I gotta get the body right for that.
Leave the Bond girl. Okay, here's what I really need to know. Are we ever bringing fetish back?
I love you for that. You know what's funny.
I just found a bunch of old fetish shit that I cleaned out some stuff.
And I was like, oh, fetish in what it was? No, but I would actually love to do something new.
I would love to get back kind of into fashion maybe in some way, don't know how, but oh yeah, not fetish as it was.
I thought that was one of the coolest things you've ever done. That was pre anybody having a fashion line that was pre j Low, pre all of this. I just think you had so much artistic vision always I had fetish pieces, So I'd like a reboot.
Thank you, Eve, Thank you so much. This has been just the greatest joy of my life. Speaking to you is wonderful.
Thank you for having me.
Eve is the multi Plotnam, Grammy Award winning rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur.
That's it for today's show. Tomorrow, it's Wellness Wednesday. We're joined by Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of fair Play and find Your Unicorn Space. She'll be sharing groundbreaking insights from a brand new study on the truth behind the mental load and how to reclaim your time.
Join the conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect with us on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram and at the bright Side Pod on TikTok Oh, and feel free to tag us at Simone Voice and at Danielle Robe.
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See you tomorrow, folks, Keep looking on the bright side.