Eve, The Last Scorpio (2001 Interview)
From a debut that’s embraced by B-boys and B-girls, Eve is gearing up for Scorpion. In this must-read interview, she says, “I grew a lot over this past year,” and even talks about her personal life.
Translator’s Note: Written by Atsuko “Akko” Matsuda for bmr (Black Music Review) in a February 2001 magazine issue number 270. Originally written in Japanese; translated into English for publication. All rights reserved.
Wearing orange pants and a biker-style T-shirt, Eve appeared at the interview venue. She was even prettier than I’d imagined, and both the photographer and I just stood there with our mouths open, staring. I’d read in a magazine interview that she likes Kiss Mints, so I immediately held out some Japanese gum, and she started explaining to the stylist and makeup artist how delicious Japanese gum is.
— Your first album Let There Be... seems to have been supported especially by women, right?
“Yes. I think that’s a good thing. I see myself as a strong woman, and there are a lot of strong women out there, and those women felt like they could support me. I hope that in the near future we can all do something together. I think an era has come where women stand up, take action, and can stay strong.”
— The single “Love Is Blind” (a song about women being abused by boyfriends or husbands) seems to have drawn an especially big response, right?
“I got a lot of positive feedback. A lot of people are happy that I made that song. Because a lot of women have had the same experience as that song. People would come up to me with tears in their eyes and say things like, ‘My big sister went through that,’ or ‘I’ve seen my mom get beaten,’ and… that song made me realize how much power words can have. And I think it was good because people understood that I’m not just doing music.”
— Looking back now on your first album, how do you rate it yourself?
“I really love it. But back then, I wasn’t the same as I am now.”
— After your first album blew up, did your life change? What was good about becoming a star, and what was bad?
“The good thing is getting lots of clothes from famous designers (laughs). And going to great restaurants… and traveling… I love Japan. I want to go again. The bad thing is not having privacy. I can’t go anywhere alone, and I can’t really go to clubs much.”
— So about the second album, why did you choose the title Scorpion?
Q-Tip said Scorpion would be good… Scorpios are passionate, loyal to friends and the people they like, and if you make them mad they’ll sting… that’s totally me.
“Q-Tip told me Scorpion would be good. So I kept thinking about it, and the word ‘Scorpion’ has a strong ring to it, and I felt like it represents me, so I decided to make it the album title.”
— What is a typical Scorpio girl like?
“Passionate, loyal to friends and the people she likes, and if you make her mad she’ll sting…… that’s totally me. And I’m really moody, too.”
— Which signs do Scorpios get along with?
“Sagittarius, Libra, and Scorpio. My boyfriend (producer Stevie J) is a Scorpio too, and both of us are moody so it’s tough. But Scorpios usually get along with most people. The only one that’s no good is a Taurus guy.”
— And there must have been a lot of pressure, like the sophomore jinx (the idea that the second album won’t sell). How did you get past that?
“At first I felt a lot of pressure. When I started making the second album, all kinds of people were telling me I can’t do this, I can’t say that, and I couldn’t focus…… so I told everyone, ‘Just leave me alone. Let me make what comes out of my heart.’ Then I was able to relax. I just want to make the music I think is good, and if people like it, that’s enough, and if they don’t…… that’s disgraceful, but it can’t be helped. I can’t predict what will happen. I do pray to God, though.”
— What’s different from the first album? You said before that the first one was like a diary.
“The second one is like a diary too, but I think I became more of an adult. I grew a lot over this past year, and I learned a lot. So I think I grew lyrically, and I think I grew mentally too.”
— Specifically, how do you think you grew mentally?
“I’ve gotten through a lot of stressful situations, so I think those experiences made me grow mentally. I lost my best friend because of jealousy on the business side, and this past year had a lot of crazy situations. I learned a lot about myself, and about the people around me.”
Can you explain the lyrics of a song you especially like on the second album?
“There’s a song called ‘Living Life So Hard,’ and Teena Marie sings the hook, and it’s a song like ‘Heaven Only Knows’ from the first album. It talks about what I went through this year, what I want to accomplish, and my relationship with God. It’s the most personal song on the second album.”
— How did you end up collaborating with Teena Marie this time?
“In ‘99 she called me and asked, ‘I want you to be on my album.’ But that didn’t happen. So when I was making ‘Living Life So Hard,’ I thought she’d be perfect, and when I called, she said OK.”
— Without sticking only to rap, do you want to do more singing too?
“I tried experimenting a little, using my voice. And I wanted to see what kind of feedback would come back. But I’m not going to do R&B. That’s not me.”
— I hear Southern female MCs like Trina and Da Brat are guesting too. Were you inspired by them?
“I just wanted to do a girls’ anthem. I picked Trina and Da Brat because we’re all from different regions and we have different rhyme styles. We’re all dope, and I thought if the three of us did it, it could get hot, so I tried it.”
— What do you think is the appeal of Southern female MCs?
“I don’t like all Southern female MCs, but I think their style is good.”
— I hear OutKast’s André is guesting. What’s appealing about him?
“He was supposed to be on it, but this time our schedules didn’t match and it fell through. But Swizz (Beatz) talked with him, so maybe we’ll work together in the future.”
— How did you feel about participating in Bob Marley’s tribute album Chant Down Babylon? Do you like reggae?
“It was dope. They (note: the people organizing it, like Stephen Marley and them) called me and said, ‘Are you down?,’ so I said OK right away. I love reggae. I listen to nothing but reggae normally. I like roots stuff too, but I like dancehall. Lady Saw, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz……”
— You met Stephen Marley, who’s on your second album, through that project, right?
“I met him when I went to Jamaica. And then I asked him to be on my album.”
— Do you have input on choosing producers?
“Yeah. I chose the producers I like.”
— This is your first time in about three years working with Dr. Dre again (note: Eve originally had a contract with Aftermath, but after releasing only one song she moved to Ruff Ryders). How was it?
“It was dope. Both of us were excited that we could work together again.”
— What kind of beats do you think suit you?
“I don’t like super hard beats. I like musical beats.”
— Beats like ‘What Ya Want,’ for example?
“Yeah.”
— Beats keep evolving more and more, and rap is changing more and more too, right?
“Of course.”
— What do you do to be inventive with your flow and things like that?
“I write rhymes to match the beat. I almost never write without listening to the beat. Because I want to match the beat at the parts where it breaks down, and the parts where it bounces.”
— Who do you think is a really good MC right now?
“No one in particular. Tupac is always my number one favorite. But I listen to JAY-Z, and I like Jadakiss (of The LOX) too.”
— Among female MCs?
“Only Lauryn Hill.”
— Since you all are active, I thought there would be more female MCs, but the number doesn’t really increase, does it?
“Being a female MC is hard. If you’re hard and like a man, men won’t like you…… You have to really know where you fit. With male MCs, there are lots of guys who are similar and it’s fine, but with female MCs, you can’t do that, you have to be original.”
— As a female MC, what do you think about the current hip-hop scene?
“I think hip-hop overall has gotten boring. That’s my honest opinion. As an MC, I only do what I understand myself, and I’m not going to try to copy what’s popular right now. Hip-hop now is simple like ABC, way too easy. The lyrics and the beats… it’s not hip-hop.”
— I think materialism will end soon and a new wave will come again, but what do you think?
“Personally, I’ve never thought to rap about that kind of thing. I like nice clothes and diamonds so I wear them, and I’ll say it (in lyrics), but I don’t mean those things. JAY-Z and Lil’ Kim, people expect them to rap about that kind of thing, so I think that’s fine, but… I can’t enjoy that kind of rap the way I used to. Maybe people want rap that talks about reality more than rap that talks about fantasy.”
— By the way, how was working with your boyfriend Stevie J? Was it easier than working with other producers? Or was it harder because of that?
“It was easy. Both of us knew what we had to do in the studio, and we did it as business. There was kissing, though (laughs). Meeting in the studio and helping each other made our distance get closer, I think.”
— Do you usually talk about music with him too?
“Of course. We talk about everything.”
— It looks like you two have been together for over a year, but what’s the secret to keeping a relationship going?
“We’ve been together for a year and seven months. But you have to trust each other. Communicate, and respect each other. That’s the biggest secret. And being honest. If you don’t borrow a hand, the relationship will never go well. We really talk a lot, and we communicate a lot. And we’re honest with each other, and we respect each other’s opinions. For me, being with him is the first relationship in the real sense, so I had to learn a lot.”
— What do you think of the new presidential candidates, Bush and Gore? Can we leave America to those two?
“Oh my God! The president still isn’t decided! (laughs) Well, I like Gore more. I think Bush isn’t good for the American people. A lot of Americans are Democrats, you know. We need a president for us. But right now, Gore is at a disadvantage.”
The way she talked, and the way she seemed to enjoy talking about horoscopes, made her seem like a totally normal girl, but mentally she gave the impression of being quite adult. It made me look forward even more to the second album arriving.