Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady

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EXPLICIT // EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 18   Total Length: 57:09

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Sean Fennessey

eMusic Contributor

Director of Merchandising, emusic.com

11.16.10
Her first and best, balancing the girlish and the grim
1999 | Label: Ruff Ryders Records

In a room full of roughnecks, few were as tough as Eve Jihan Jeffers. The only female member of the East Coast brigade known as Ruff Ryders, the Philadelphian once known as Eve of Destruction is one of the most successful, and least-celebrated female rappers in history — an artist with million of sales to her name, and three strong, and occasionally terrific albums. This one, her first and best, is as much a statement of purpose for her as it is for Swizz Beatz, the auteur of the Ruff movement. He handles all but four of the productions here, and he was in full possession of his thudding, buzzing street sound — a pummeling style, executed nowhere better than on "Scenario 2000," a Ruff Ryders spotlight featuring DMX, The Lox, and Drag-On that swarms with descending Casio preset melodies that sound like doomsday tanks.

Eve balances both the girlish and the grim with equal poise. With "Love Is Blind," and her biggest hit "Gotta Man," she affirms a new sort of female rap — steely certainly, and sexual, but also emotionally resonant and in search of commitment. She also knew how to throw down. On "Philly Philly," a brutish duet… read more »

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The full title of Eve’s full-length debut is Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady for a reason. The Philadelphia rapper sets out to prove she’s earned her place in the Ruff Ryders crew, matching rhymes, raunch, and rounds with the hardest hardass. Minimal beats laced with synthesized strings and keyboards back traditional hip-hop brag fests like “Let’s Talk About.” Eve shows up guests Drag-on, DMX, and others with boasts of sexual prowess, withering insults to inadequately endowed brothers, and violent sister-centered anthems like “My Bitches.” A few short skits offer snapshots of Eve’s beloved hometown. The irresistible party anthem “We on That Shit!,” reminiscent of Coolio’s “Fantastic Voyage,” chronicles a night of clubbing and rounds out the street picture. “Ain’t Got No Dough,” a fabulous collaboration with Missy Elliott, is a fiery bridge between street-centered raps and the more interesting tracks. Purring and pissed, it’s an edgier alternative to TLC’s hit “No Scrubs.” Eve’s conviction and passion make her noticeable no matter what the subject, but she truly stands out when the stories become personal, examining the cost of the hard life she champions in other songs. “Love Is Blind” is a painful look at domestic violence. Self-respect and positivity are the moral of “Heaven Only Knows.” Both tracks are backed by beautiful arrangements with acoustic guitar and lush vocals. Eve maintains her hardcore image in these tracks, but with a subtle vulnerability that promise lots of interesting things to come from this Philly prodigy. – Theresa E. LaVeck

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