Grammy‑winning rapper and actress Eve has opened up about her journey from a feisty Philadelphia upbringing to the heights of hip‑hop success, candidly discussing the sexism she faced in label boardrooms, the early setbacks that shaped her resilience and her forthcoming UK and European tour in 2027. In a reflective interview she shared vivid memories of her debut album’s chart‑topping launch, the platinum‑selling Scorpion era and the lessons she learned navigating fame, mental health and motherhood.
Early Life and Philly Roots
Born Eve Jihan Jeffers in Philadelphia in 1978, Eve credits her hometown for instilling a relentless drive. She described Philly girls as feisty, unwilling to accept “no” and accustomed to working hard because the city is often overlooked in favour of nearby New York. “Coming from Philadelphia definitely shaped the rapper I went on to become. Philly girls are known for being feisty, for not taking no for an answer. It’s the underdog city – close to New York, but people usually skip over us to get there – and as a result Philly people are used to working their asses off,” she said.
She recalled a childhood filled with tap dance, violin lessons and an early attraction to rhyming. “I knew I wanted to be a rapper as far back as 15. I was that kid at school who tried her hand at everything, whether it was tap dance or violin. I started rapping at 11, and four years later I said to my mum: ‘I know you probably want me to go to college, but I really want to do music.’ I thought she would be upset, but she wasn’t. There was only one plan B, and that was special‑effects makeup. Some days I still think about retraining in it.”
Growing up in a neighbourhood where drugs and guns were prevalent, Eve found unexpected allies among local dealers who looked out for her. “Growing up, it was a lot more dangerous than it is now, so I saw a lot of drugs and guns, but the dealers were also guys who looked out for me – they were friends. I still knew I wanted to get out. I had a sheer determination that things would turn out different for me.”
Ruff Ryders Breakthrough and the Scorpion Era
After a rocky start that saw her signed to Dre’s Aftermath and then dropped after eight months, Eve found a supportive home with Ruff Ryders. She labelled the collective a “safe place” after enduring countless instances where producers would hit on her instead of hearing her music. “Ruff Ryders were my safe place. I’d gone through a lot of haunting experiences trying to get my music out there previously – the kind of bullshit that all women go through in most industries. I’d go to New York to play my demo to some producer, and instead of taking me seriously he’d hit on me and say, ‘Let’s go for dinner.’ By comparison, Ruff Ryders were the opposite. If anything, they were trying to cover me up, as I loved to wear little heels and shorts and tube tops. They were like: ‘Here, put this vest on! Get these Timberlands on!’ They also taught me how to format a song. At the start, I was just a battle rapper, but working with them was a hip‑hop boot camp.”
The hard work paid off with the release of Scorpion, which entered the Billboard 200 at number one and went platinum. Eve’s insistence on crossing genres led to the Grammy‑winning single “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” featuring Gwen Stefani. “I was a huge fan of all genres of music, from Biggie Smalls to No Doubt, and when I wrote Let Me Blow Ya Mind I knew we should get Gwen Stefani to feature on it. I was the only girl in the boardroom in those major label meetings and that Philly girl often had to come out. They were initially resistant because I was a rapper and she was a rock star, but I said: ‘Guys, this will work. Trust me.’”
She also shared a candid anecdote about her signature red look during the Scorpion recordings: “I was obsessed with red because of its astrological affiliation with Scorpio – everything had to be that colour. My hair is short because I convinced my hairstylist to put both a perm relaxer and colour in, which you’re not supposed to do. All my hair fell out, but thankfully it looked good. I felt powerful and sexy.”
Boardroom Battles, Acting Ventures and Personal Growth
Despite her musical triumphs, Eve often felt marginalised in label meetings. “Even though I won that particular fight, the response to a lot of my suggestions was often: ‘Oh, that’s cute. We’re not doing that.’ I felt I couldn’t be my full, excited self because there were so many miserable