Eve Jihan Cooper appeared for an interview with the Guardian on September 16, 2024, and opened up about her musical journey and favorite songs. The interview came at the head of her upcoming book, Who's That Girl?: A Memoir, set to be released on September 17, 2024.
The 45-year-old rapper and singer began her career in 1998, signing under Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label. She released her debut single, What Y'all Want ft. Nokio, in the June of 1999. The track was part of her debut album, Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also charted at the top of Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart.
Looking back at the debut song that kick-started her music career and played significant roles in changing her life, the singer told the Guardian:
"Probably the first verse I wrote for What Y’all Want from my first album … Ruff Ryders’ First Lady. I wrote it in an SUV in front of the Apollo theatre in Harlem."
Adding how she was determined to write the sickest verses for the chart-topping song, she continued:
"I was the new girl that signed to Ruff Ryders, so I had something to prove. It had to be the sickest verse I could think of. It was a life or death situation."
A look at Eve Jihan Cooper's music journey and favorite songs
Eve Jihan Cooper's debut album, Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady came out on September 14, 1999. The project received critical acclaim and secured over 213,000 first-week sales. It has sold over 2 million copies and was awarded a double-platinum certification by the RIAA.
The Grammy-winning singer told the Guardian that MC Lyte's hit song, Cappucino, significantly impacted her. Cooper mentioned being amused by the Cappucino MV and wanting to do something similar. She was impressed by Lyte's attitude and style in the MV and thought of becoming a female rapper.
The rapper added that she wakes up to Immortal Queen by Sia and Chaka Khan. Hinting at how the favorite has helped her through difficult times, she mentioned that Immortal Queen is a beautiful and powerful song.
Cooper also said Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World was on her birthing playlist. The singer said she took turns picking the songs with her husband, Maximillion Cooper, who chose David Bowie's Starman.
Eve Jihan Cooper experienced a rise in her music career in the 2000s and released her fourth album, Lip Lock, in May 2013. It peaked at #46 on the US Billboard 200 chart and debuted at #7 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Since then, she has not released an entire project and last dropped the single, Reload ft. Konshens in 2019.
Cooper is actively engaged on the silver screen, and last appeared in the BET Network's docu-series, Welcome to Rap City, in 2023. She has also acted in movies like - All Wifed Out, Bounty Killer, Animal, Barbershop: The Next Cut, and more.
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Eve Jihan Cooper's book, Who's That Girl?: A Memoir will be available at major sellers, including Amazon, starting September 17, 2024. The memoir is an intricate autobiography covering her musical journey, achievements, personal life, and more. It is listed for pre-order at $20.99 on Amazon.
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