‘The Talk’ Co-Host Eve Celebrates 20th Anniversary of First Album
Viewers of the daytime talk show The Talk have grown to love watching co-host Eve give her take on popular culture every day. But long before she joined the panel style opinion-based show, she was known as one of the biggest names in hip hop music.
Eve broke barriers as a female rapper by being one of the first to merge raw street lyrics with a pop sound when she won a Grammy with The Voice judge and singer, Gwen Stefani, for their hit “Let Me Blow Your Mind.” She later transitioned into a successful acting career in both film and television before lending her talents to The Talk.
With her newfound success on the Emmy award-winning show, she has not forgotten about her roots in the rap industry. This past weekend, Eve celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of her platinum-selling debut album and hinted that new music may be on the way.
Eve releases first album
The first lady of the rap crew known as the Ruff Ryders was introduced by the leader of the crew, fellow rapper DMX. Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady, was released on September 14, 1999, and sold 213,000 copies in its first week before going double platinum. Every song on the album was written by Eve and went #1 on the Billboard charts thanks to hits like “What Ya Want,” “Love Is Blind,” and “Gotta Man.”
The self-proclaimed “pitbull in a skirt” made an impression in the male-dominated world of hip hop and earned respect from rappers and critics. Music critic, Nathan Rabin, of The AV Club, wrote about what set Eve apart from her peers, saying, “Rare maturity and sensitivity—as well as dynamite technical skills that perfectly complement producer Swizz Beatz’s simple keyboard melodies—sets Eve apart and establishes the Philly native as a rare talent.”
The rapper turned talk show host reflected on social media on her two decades in the industry on the anniversary of the album and promised fans there would be more music to come.
Eve makes history as a rapper
After her first album went number one, she became only the third female rapper to accomplish topping the Billboard 200 after Lauryn Hill and Foxy Brown. Her winning streak continued after she won a Grammy Award for the first single on her second album Scorpion. “Let Me Blow Your Blind,” featuring Gwen Stefani, won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
Eve continued to make music but knew that a career as a female rapper would not last forever. She soon set her sights on acting and landed roles in the Barbershop trilogy, The Cookout, and XXX. But her biggest role came with her own TV show on UPN, Eve, where she starred as a fashion designer named Shelly. The show lasted three seasons until it was canceled in May 2006. The only other female rapper to star in her own TV show on network television up until Eve was Queen Latifah on the 90s FOX sitcom Living Single.
Music and movies weren’t the only industries Eve conquered. Like her character on her show Eve, she started a women’s clothing and accessories line, Fetish, which she sold online until shutting it down in 2009. She still has a passion for fashion and told Huffington Post in 2012 that she was interested in her own shoe line.
Eve as co-host of ‘The Talk’
After her third album, Eve focused on love and family and married her longtime boyfriend Maximillion in a beachfront ceremony in Ibiza, Spain. As fans waited for new music, the rapper and actress focused her attention on other goals. Many were shocked when it was announced that her return to the small screen wouldn’t be as a character on a new television show.
In November 2017, CBS announced that Eve would join The Talk as a permanent replacement following Aisha Tyler’s departure. She proved to be a standout when she tested for a week, impressing viewers, the hosts, and network executives. CBS executive, Angelica McDaniel, told Variety that Eve brought a new perspective to the show.
“Eve is a natural fit with our dynamic group of Daytime Emmy Award-winning hosts, and brings a fresh perspective and bold point of view as an accomplished artist, businesswoman, and wife who is raising four stepchildren and looking to add to her family.”
Eve has been a staple since joining the show and proves to be a triple threat in an ever-changing entertainment business.
