Eve | |
|---|---|
 Eve atThe Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection Fashion Show, 2011 | |
| Born | Eve Jihan Jeffers (1978-11-10)November 10, 1978 (age 47) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Martin Luther King High School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Works | |
| Television | Eve |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | East Coast hip-hop |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Ruff Ryders |
Musical artist | |
Eve Jihan Cooper (néeJeffers; born November 10, 1978), known mononymously asEve, is an American rapper. Her debut studio album,Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady (1999), peaked atop theBillboard 200 (making her the third female rapper to do so), receiveddouble platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned the singles "What Ya Want" (featuringNokio), "Love Is Blind", and "Gotta Man". That same year, she guest appeared onthe Roots' single "You Got Me", as well asMissy Elliott's single "Hot Boyz", both of which peaked within the top 40 of theBillboard Hot 100 (the latter reaching number 5).
Eve's second and third studio albums,Scorpion (2001) andEve-Olution (2002), were both met with continued commercial success. Their respectivelead singles, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (featuringGwen Stefani) and "Gangsta Lovin'" (featuringAlicia Keys), both peaked at number two on theBillboard Hot 100; the former won her the inauguralGrammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Her 2007 standalone single, "Tambourine" (featuringSwizz Beatz), also entered theBillboard Hot 100's top 40. After parting ways withInterscope Records, Eve released her fourth studio album,Lip Lock (2013), as her first independent project.
As an actress, she starred as Terri Jones in thecomedy drama filmsBarbershop,Barbershop 2: Back in Business, andBarbershop: The Next Cut, and played the lead role of Shelley Williams on theUPN television sitcomEve. Eve also had supporting roles in thedrama filmThe Woodsman (2004), the comedy filmThe Cookout (2004) and the horror filmAnimal (2014). From 2017 to 2020, she co-hosted theCBS Daytime talk showThe Talk, where she was nominated for twoDaytime Emmy Awards.
Eve Jihan Jeffers was born on November 10, 1978, inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, the daughter of Julie Wilch, a publishing company supervisor and Jerry Jeffers, a chemical plant supervisor.[1] Eve lived inWest Philadelphia until age 13 when her family moved to the neighborhood ofGermantown.[2] She graduated fromMartin Luther King High School in Philadelphia.[2]
At the age of 18, she worked as a stripper until rapperMase convinced her to quit.[3][4] In 1999, Eve discussed stripping in an interview withRolling Stone, saying "that was a hustle, too; there's a song about it on my album, 'Heaven Only Knows.' But I don't regret it – I was eighteen and confused, going through personal problems. I did it for about a month, and I was glad I did it. It helped me find Eve, helped me get serious. It was depressing – a lot of those girls have three or four kids. I'd sit there and be like, 'Eve, you don't belong here, this is not your world.'"[5]
Eve's first musical interest was singing. She sang in many choirs and even formed an all-female singing group (Dope Girl Posse or EDGP) with a manager.[6] This group covered songs fromEn Vogue andColor Me Badd. The group's manager suggested that they should start rapping, and Eve stuck with it. After the group split up, Eve began working on a solo career under the name "Eve of Destruction".[6]
In 1998, Eve appeared on theBulworthsoundtrack asEve of Destruction while signed toDr. Dre's record labelAftermath Entertainment. She appeared onDMX's song "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" (Remix) from his albumIt's Dark and Hell Is Hot andThe Roots' single "You Got Me" from the band's fourth albumThings Fall Apart.[7] Eve also provided background vocals on The Roots' song "Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New" fromThings Fall Apart and is credited as Eve of Destruction. Eve's first single, "What Y'all Want", featuringNokio the N-Tity ofDru Hill, was released in June 1999.[8] The song peaked at number 29 on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number one on theHot Rap Songs chart. "What Ya'll Want" was included on the compilation albumRyde or Die Vol. 1 (1999).[9]
Her debut album calledLet There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady was released on September 14, 1999, byRuff Ryders Entertainment andInterscope Records,[9][2] and sold 213,000 copies in the first week. Eve became the third female hip-hop artist to have her album peak at number one on theBillboard 200, withLauryn Hill's debut album,The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, being the first to top the chart in 1998 andFoxy Brown's second album,Chyna Doll achieving the feat earlier in 1999. The album has sold over two million copies (according to SoundScan) and is certifiedDouble Platinum. It features singles such as "Gotta Man" and "Love Is Blind",[9] which was written when she was 16 and is based on her 17-year-old best friend's relationship with a 35-year-old abusive man by whom she became pregnant.[10] All of the songs on the album were written by Eve herself.[11]
In November 1999, Eve was featured onMissy Elliott's single "Hot Boyz (Remix)" alongsideNas,Lil Mo, andQ-Tip.[11] The remix broke the record for most weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart issue dated January 15, 2000, as well as spending 18 weeks at number one on theHot Rap Singles from December 4, 1999, to March 25, 2000.[11]
Eve does not like being referred to as a "Pop Princess". Her second studio albumScorpion, was released on March 6, 2001. She appeared on the cover ofJet magazine, which referred to her as the "Queen of Rap".[12] The album's first single, "Who's That Girl" peaked at number 47 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number six in the United Kingdom.[13] It was also number 97 onVH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. The second single, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" withGwen Stefani ofNo Doubt, peaked at number two on theBillboard Hot 100 and number one on the USMainstream Top 40 chart.[9] It won aGrammy Award in 2002 forBest Rap/Sung Collaboration, which was a brand new category at the time. The song was listed at number seven on the 2001Pazz & Jop list, a survey of several hundred music critics conducted byRobert Christgau.[14][15] A remix of "Love Is Blind" featuring singerFaith Evans also appeared on the album. In June 2001, Eve won theBET Award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist.[16] In November 2001, she appeared as a contestant on the game showWho Wants to Be a Millionaire and won $32,000 for her charity.[17]
Eve's third album,Eve-Olution, was released byRuff Ryders Entertainment on August 27, 2002, and peaked at number six on theBillboard 200. The album's first single, "Gangsta Lovin'", withAlicia Keys, became her second consecutive number-two hit on theBillboard Hot 100, as well as her third consecutive top ten hit in the United Kingdom. The second single, "Satisfaction" was moderately successful in the United States, reaching number 27 and 22 on theBillboardHot 100 andR&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.Eve-Olution has sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S. and was certified gold in sales by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In 2002, Eve appeared on the remixed version ofMichael Jackson's "Butterflies". She appeared in the action filmXXX (2002) and all threeBarbershop films (Barbershop,Barbershop 2: Back in Business, andBarbershop: The Next Cut). In 2003, Eve starred as fashion designer Shelly Williams in the televisionsitcom,Eve.[18] The show aired for three seasons on UPN, from September 15, 2003, to May 11, 2006, and followed two sets of male and female friends attempting to navigate relationships with the opposite sex.[18] Eve guest starred as Yvette Powell in an episode ofNBC's crime drama television seriesThird Watch. In 2004, she appeared in two films,The Woodsman andThe Cookout.[19]
In 2005, she appeared onGwen Stefani's song "Rich Girl", which peaked at number seven on theBillboard Hot 100 in March. In the United States, "Rich Girl" was certified gold, and it received a nomination forBest Rap/Sung Collaboration at the47th Grammy Awards.[20] The same year, she appeared on the official remix ofAmerie's number one U.S. R&B single, "1 Thing". She also appeared onKeyshia Cole's single "Never" andTeairra Mari's official remix for "No Daddy". In 2007, Eve appeared onKelly Rowland's single "Like This" which reached the top-ten in Ireland and the United Kingdom, the top-twenty in Australia and New Zealand, as well as number 30 on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart.[21] In July 2007, Eve made a guest appearance onMaroon 5's second single "Wake Up Call" on Live45th at Night. In late 2008, she performed "Set It On Fire", which became available on theTransporter 3soundtrack. In April 2009, Eve andLil Jon appeared on the song "Patron Tequila", the debut single of girl groupParadiso Girls.[22]
She played Ophelia Franklin in the British drama filmFlashbacks of a Fool (2008). In 2009, she landed a role as Rosa Sparks in the comedy-drama filmWhip It, oppositeElliot Page andDrew Barrymore.[23] It received generally positive reviews from critics but did not perform well financially, having made $16.6 million worldwide against its $15 million budget. Also in 2009, she portrayed La-La Buendia in an episode ofCBS' crime drama seriesNumbers and appeared in two episodes ofFox's musical comedy-drama seriesGlee, appearing asGrace Hitchens.[24][25] She portrayed Latisha in the crime thriller film4.3.2.1. (2010) alongsideEmma Roberts andTamsin Egerton. Eve hosted the2010 MTV Africa Music Awards.[26]
In March 2010, Eve was featured on the official remix ofLudacris' song "My Chick Bad".[27] In November 2010, Eve performed a rap onAustralian singerGuy Sebastian's single "Who's That Girl", which reached number one on theARIA Singles Chart and has been certified 4× Platinum.[28] In December 2010, Eve was featured onAlicia Keys' song "Speechless", which charted at number 71 on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in early 2011. In March 2011, Eve was featured onSwizz Beatz' song "Everyday (Coolin')", the first promotional single from his upcoming albumHaute Living. In April 2011, she appeared onJill Scott's song "Shame" from her albumThe Light of the Sun. She also appeared on Russian rapperTimati's single "Money In Da Bank" andWolfgang Gartner's song "Get Em".[29] In April 2012, Eve appeared onreggae artistShaggy's single "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".[30]
In 2007, Eve began working on a new album titledHere I Am.[31] Five of the album's songs were produced bySwizz Beatz, including the singles "Tambourine" and "Give It to You" (featuringSean Paul). "Tambourine" debuted at number 73 on theBillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the week of April 19, 2007. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 38, two weeks before the song's physical release. "Tambourine" peaked at number 18 there and was her fifth consecutive top twenty solo hit in the UK. The song peaked at number 68 onRolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007,[32] and was placed at number 70 onMTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.[33]Pharrell Williams produced the song "All Night Long", in which Eve sings rather than raps.[34][35] The album ran into a series of delays due to corporate change at the record label and discontent with the lackluster success of the singles.
The album was renamed twice from "Here I Am" to "Flirt" to "Lip Lock". After Eve leftInterscope Records and signed withEMI,Lip Lock was expected to be released in 2011, but it was delayed again. In 2012, Eve decided to release the album as an independent artist, and stated that there will be several buzz singles before the official single release.[36][37] In an interview withBillboard, Eve stated that "one of the biggest things that I wanted to do on this album was make people realize why they fell in love with me in the first place and then take them on a journey to where I am now musically. My ear is different but I think people will recognize me. I think you'll hear that I'm in a happy place. I miss my music. My hunger is different than the first time around".[38]
On October 9, 2012, Eve released a promotional single titled "She Bad Bad" oniTunes.[39] In November 2012, Eve released a series of weekly remixes onYouTube calledEVEstlin' Tuesdays, in which she added freestyle rap verses on 2012 hit singles, such asRihanna's "Diamonds" andMiguel's "Adorn".[40] The album's first official single, "Make It Out This Town", featuringGabe Saporta ofCobra Starship was released on February 23, 2013.[41][42] In an interview withRap-Up TV, Eve confirmed that the second official single would be "Eve" featuringJamaicanreggae artist Miss Kitty.[43] The music video for the song was shot inLondon in February 2013 and premiered onBET on April 29, 2013.[44]
On May 14, 2013,Lip Lock was released under her own label From The Rib Music and distributed throughSony/RED.[39] The album debuted at number 46 on theBillboard 200 chart, and features collaborations withJuicy J,Dawn Richards,Claude Kelly,Pusha T,Chrisette Michele, Nacho,Gabe Saporta, Propaine,Missy Elliott, andSnoop Dogg.[45] During this time, Eve appeared in the post-apocalyptic action comedyBounty Killer (2013) and the horror thriller filmAnimal (2014). She also appeared in two episodes of theOxygen reality television seriesSisterhood of Hip Hop.[46] In 2015, Eve portrayed Amaya inLifetime's romantic comedyWith This Ring, which also starredJill Scott andRegina Hall.[47]
In April 2016, it was announced that Eve would joinGwen Stefani on herThis Is What the Truth Feels Like Tour.[48][49] The tour began on July 12, 2016, inMansfield, Massachusetts at theXfinity Center and continued throughout North America before concluding on October 16, 2016, inInglewood, California atThe Forum.[50] In 2016, she hostedVH1's annual eventHip Hop Honors, which honorsold school andgolden age hip hoprappers and contributors for their long-term influence and importance in the history ofhip hop culture. In 2017, she portrayed Cecile James in two episodes ofVH1'ssatiricalcomedy-drama television seriesDaytime Divas. On November 14, 2017, Eve became a co-host of theCBS Daytime talk show,The Talk, replacingAisha Tyler.[51][52][53] In 2018, she appeared in several television shows, includingJane the Virgin,Empire,Celebrity Family Feud, andHappy Together.[54]
On July 12, 2019, Eve released her first single in six years titled "Reload", featuring Jamaican dancehall artistKonshens.[55][56][57] In November 2019, Eve andGwen Stefani performed "Rich Girl" onNBC's competition seriesThe Voice.[58][59] The special performance celebrated Stefani's debut solo album's 15th anniversary.[60] Eve hosted the 47th annualDaytime Emmy Awards withSharon Osbourne,Sheryl Underwood,Carrie Ann Inaba, andMarie Osmond on June 26, 2020.[61][62][63] She received a secondDaytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host along with herThe Talk co-stars in 2020.[64] On the November 2, 2020, episode ofThe Talk, Eve announced that she would be leaving the show at the end of the year due to the impending lockdown restrictions preventing her from returning to the US, and plans to expand her current family.
On March 6, 2021, Eve released a 20th anniversary re-release of her albumScorpion with four new remixes.[65] On June 16, 2021, Eve andTrina battled in the webcast seriesVerzuz.[66]
On March 8, 2021, it was announced that Eve was to join the cast ofAmerican Broadcasting Company's music seriesQueens, alongsideNaturi Naughton andBrandy.[67][68][69][70] In May 2021, it was announced the show was being picked up for a full series,[71][72][73][74] followed by the first official trailer, released on May 18, 2021.[75] On October 1, 2021, the first promo single fromQueens ("Nasty Girl")was released featuring Eve alongside the cast:Brandy,Naturi Naughton andNadine Velazquez.[76] A music video, directed byTim Story, was released on the same day.[77] This was followed on October 18, 2021, by another rap song from theQueens soundtrack: "The Introduction", which was co-written byNas.[78]Queens debuted on October 19, 2021, and reviews were largely positive; Caroline Framke for Variety praised the quartet's musical offering, calling their raps "sharp and distinct […] making clear their talent as both individuals and a swaggering collective".[79] Angie Han for The Hollywood Reporter called the show "Impressive […] lavish […] magic".[80] The show was cancelled in early 2022 after one season.[81]
Eve has appeared in music videos throughout her career. She was on the covers of numerous magazines, includingEssence,Teen People,Allure,Rolling Stone,Paper,Philadelphia Style,Giant,Blaze,Vibe,Inked,XXL, andEbony.[citation needed] She has also appeared in television commercials forClarica,Pepsi, andSprite. Her print ads includeTommy Hilfiger andMAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam campaign.[82]
In 2003, Eve launched a clothing line titled Fetish which was targeted towards black women.[83][84] Fetish was discontinued in September 2009.[85][86]
Eve divides her time between London, New York, and Los Angeles. She began dating businessman Maximillion Cooper in 2010.[87] The couple became engaged on December 25, 2013,[88] and married on June 14, 2014, inIbiza, Spain. Eve has four stepchildren, all from Cooper's previous marriage.[89] In October 2021, Eve announced she was expecting her first child with Cooper.[90] Their first child, a son, was born on February 1, 2022.[91]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Barbershop | Terri Jones | |
| XXX | J.J. | ||
| 2003 | Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | Herself | |
| 2004 | The Woodsman | Mary-Kay | |
| Barbershop 2: Back in Business | Terri Jones | ||
| The Cookout | Becky | ||
| 2008 | Flashbacks of a Fool | Ophelia Franklin | |
| 2009 | Whip It | Rosa Sparks | |
| 2010 | 4.3.2.1. | Latisha | |
| 2012 | All Wifed Out | Natalie | |
| 2013 | Bounty Killer | Mocha Sujata | |
| 2014 | Animal | Barbara | |
| 2015 | With This Ring | Amaya | TV movie |
| 2016 | Barbershop: The Next Cut | Terri Jones |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Soul Train | Herself | Episode: "Silk/Eve/Lost Boyz" |
| Showtime at the Apollo | Herself | Episode: "Episode 13.6" | |
| 2000 | FANatic | Herself | Episode: "Sarah Michelle Gellar/Eve" |
| 2001 | Making the Video | Herself | Episode: "Eve: Who's That Girl?" |
| Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host | |
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "Celebrity Edition 4, Show 1 & 3-4" | |
| 2001–2005 | Saturday Night Live | Herself | Recurring Guest |
| Top of the Pops | Herself | Recurring Guest | |
| 2003 | Style Star | Herself | Episode: "Eve" |
| Third Watch | Yvette Powel | Episode: "Second Chances" | |
| Spider-Man: The New Animated Series | Cheyenne/Talon (voice) | Episode: "Keeping Secrets" | |
| 2003–2006 | Eve | Shelly Williams | Main Cast |
| 2004 | E! True Hollywood Story | Herself | Episode: "Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott" |
| Punk'd | Herself | Episode: "Episode 3.1" | |
| One on One | Ida | Episode: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Hip Hop World" | |
| 2005 | The Apprentice | Herself | Episode: "Bling It On" |
| Red Nose Day | Herself | Episode: "Red Nose Day 2005" | |
| Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Herself | Episode: "Episode 5.5" | |
| America's Next Top Model | Herself | Episode: "The Girl Who Gets Bad News" | |
| 2006 | Your Total Health | Herself | Episode: "Episode 3.20" |
| 2008 | Stylista | Herself | Episode: "The Right Fit" |
| 2009 | Styl'd | Herself | Episode: "Catwalks and Catfights" |
| Numbers | La-La Buendia | Episode: "Sneakerhead" | |
| Glee | Grace Hitchens | Recurring Cast: Season 1 | |
| 2010 | Behind the Music | Herself | Episode: "Eve" |
| Double Exposure | Herself | Episode: "A Monster with Two Heads" | |
| MTV Africa Music Awards | Herself/Host | Main Host | |
| 2011 | Audrina | Herself | Episode: "Cheers to the Freakin' Weekend" |
| 2011–2012 | Single Ladies | Herself | Guest Cast: Season 1-2 |
| 2012 | Whitney | Britnee | Episode: "Something Old, Something New" |
| 2013 | Marked Up | Herself | Episode: "Episode 2.2" |
| The Getaway | Herself | Episode: "Eve in Kingston" | |
| 2014 | The Dudesons | Herself | Episode: "Gumball Rally in America" |
| RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself/Guest Judge | Episode: "Oh No She Betta Don't!" | |
| 2016 | Inside the Label | Herself | Episode: "Ruff Ryders Entertainment" |
| VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens | Herself/Host | Main Host | |
| The Real | Herself/Guest Co-Host | Recurring Guest Co-Host: Season 3 | |
| 2017 | Daytime Divas | Cecile James | Recurring Cast |
| 2017–2020 | The Talk | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host: Season 8-11 |
| 2018 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | Episode: "Episode 5.2" |
| Jane the Virgin | Herself | Episode: "Chapter Seventy-Four" | |
| Empire | Herself | Episode: "Bloody Noses and Crack'd Crowns" | |
| Happy Together | Herself | Episode: "The Power of Yes... Men" | |
| 2019 | Let's Make a Deal | Herself | Episode: "Episode 10.151" |
| 2020 | Ruff Ryders Chronicles | Herself | Main Guest |
| Uncensored | Herself | Episode: "Eve" | |
| Kidding | Herself | Episode: "I Wonder What Grass Tastes Like" | |
| Play On: Celebrating the Power of Music to Make Change | Herself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host | |
| 2021 | Secret Celebrity Renovation | Herself | Episode: "Eve" |
| Feel Good | Audrey | Episode: "Episode 2" | |
| 2021–2022 | Queens | Breanna "Professor Sex" | Main Cast |
| 2022 | Origins of Hip Hop | Herself | Episode: "Fat Joe" & "Eve" |
| 2023 | Welcome to Rap City | Herself | Episode: "Building a City" |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | XIII | Major Jones (voice) |
| 2020 | XIII Remake |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Slip N' Slide: All Star Weekend |
| 2008 | Hotel Gramercy Park |
| The Upsetter | |
| 2009 | Good Hair |
| 2010 | My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop |
| Music | |
| 2011 | Gumball 3000: LDN 2 NYC |
| 2012 | Gumball 3000: Number 13 |
| 2021 | The Real Queens of Hip Hop: The Women Who Changed the Game |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)The two have been together for about four three years and got engaged on Christmas Day last year. He shares four children with an ex-wife.
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | The Talk co-host 2017–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | MTV Africa Music Awards host 2010 | Succeeded by |
