It’s been nearly a decade since Eve released her last album “Eve-Olution”, but she is slowly inching her way back to music with her upcoming album “Lip Lock”.
“It’s been a long time coming, I know that,” said the rapper. “What can I say? I’m a perfectionist,” she giggled.
Although, being renamed twice from “Here I Am” to “Flirt” and eventually to “Lip Lock”, the date is now set for early 2013, with lead single “She Bad Bad’”dropping last month on iTunes.
Known as ‘The Woman of Hip Hop’ the rapper-actress has enjoyed the ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ of the industry.
Music will always be my life,” says the 33-year-old. “It’s what keeps me sane and it feeds everything else I do.”
With music on her mind from morning until night, the young Eve sang in numerous girl groups including “Dope Girl Posse” and “EDGP”. Going solo was always the dream, and “Eve of Destruction” was born as a new passion for rap started to emerge.
Her first three albums “Let There Be Eve... Ruff Ryders”, “First Lady”, “Scorpion” and “Eve-Olution” have sold more than eight million copies worldwide, and in 2002 Eve hit the high notes, scooping a Grammy Award for her song “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”, featuring Gwen Stefani.
Eve on Abu Dhabi: “I love the crowd and the region. It’s like a giant melting pot of people and it’s always so much fun to visit a place with such a foreign feel.”
Eve on the F1: “Coming to Abu Dhabi is reason enough to be excited but the excitement will be times by about 10 because of the F1. It’s such a great event. I have been to Monaco before and can’t wait to experience everything Yas Island has to offer. I am such a car person, I just love fast cars. Beautiful machines. It’s going to be wonderful.”
Eve on what’s next: I’ve been working with Snoop and Swiss Beats. He’s such a great guy. People ask “how do you just work with someone like that?” but I just called him up and we chatted. A record came to me with his voice already on it and I thought it was cool. So I asked if he was k with me using it. Legal stuff takes a while but we got there in the end.”
Eve on life in the business: “It’s definitely an industry which helps if you know people. That’s for sure. It makes life a lot easier. Personal relationships can be the difference between getting a song or not. I’ve been in this business a long time and as fortunate as I’ve been, you have to take the good with the bad.”
Eve on acting: Having landed roles in two films including Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut “Whip It!” and Chris Rock’s “Good Hair”, Eve is excited about the future. “Whip it! was like summer camp on skates with cameras,” she says in fits of laughter. We are doing 90 per cent of our own stunts. I took the movie because I didn’t think we’d be doing our own stunts.” In 2010 Eve appeared as Latisha, a supporting role, in Noel Clarke’s film 4.3.2.1 and also appeared as rival show choir coach Grace Hitchens in popular television show Glee.
Eve on female rappers: “ I like Azealia Banks. I think her style is dope. If you listen to her lyrics, she knows how to wordplay and I think that’s cute.”
Eve on which female emcees she would record with: “I would definitely have to get Missy and Lil Kim but my dream collaboration would be with Lauren Hill. A dream wouldn’t describe it.”
•Eve plays at Friday night’s Skybar, Yas Island, and doors open at 11pm. For tickets, priced Dh500 or from Dh8,000 for a table of 10, call 800 35274.
