The rapper, actress and talk show host shares why this was the perfect time to tell her life story.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00I love how people are talking about this soft life thing, but it's like we can have that.
00:04It's what we curate for ourselves. And it's even more so important because I have a kid.
00:11I want to spend time with my kid. I want him to be a kid. I want him to have the opportunities,
00:16like we all do, to do the things that I didn't get a chance to do. If that is going to the
00:21countryside and seeing some animals on the weekend, that's amazing. We were at a farm two
00:25weeks ago. And I'm like, listen, I'm this chick from Philly, this girl from Philly.
00:29I still, sometimes I'm like, wow, I live in London. Like, what the hell?
00:40Thank you again for being here, Eve. Congratulations on the new book,
00:44Who's That Girl? It's coming out next week. How are you feeling about it, first and foremost?
00:50Yes, I'm feeling excited. I am excited for people to read it, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I
00:56felt naked. I feel a little naked, a little exposed. But honestly, as far as the actual
01:04book itself, the body of work, I am actually excited for people to read it. It is honestly,
01:10you know, it's my story. And some things I have touched on before,
01:14but I'll just go that much deeper. So yeah, I think I'm ready. I'm excited.
01:20Nice. I love that. And you know, like you said, people are getting to know you on a deeper level
01:24with Who's That Girl, hence the name, which is based on your hit song. But in addition to this
01:29being the 25th anniversary of Let There Be Eve, you know, that release, why was this the right
01:34time to tell this story, your story? Yeah, I just felt like I was ready to go that much,
01:43that bit deeper, I guess. You know, when I was on the talk, that was my first kind of
01:50dip into vulnerability. And I don't know, I think, you know, even when I was on the talk,
01:56I was asked before, like, oh, would you want to write a book? And I wasn't ready.
02:00And then, I don't know, it just felt right. I think also, having my kid has a lot to do with
02:07it. I just feel like, you know, he's made me that much more whole of a person. And some of the
02:13things that, I mean, a lot of the things that I talk about in the book are kind of things I want
02:18to shed and let go of to be ready for that next chapter in my life with my kid. And so yeah,
02:24it just felt time. Yeah. You got you. And something I loved about when you first hit the scene,
02:32you know, with your first album, and watching you as an artist was that you, I feel like you were
02:36the only MC that I saw at that time who had the look that you did. Like, you kept your hair, like,
02:41about this long. You had the, you had the paw print, like, tattoos, and everybody was like,
02:46I'm gonna do something like that, too. You know, you had a very just different, very bold
02:52appearance. And how did your, so I wanted to ask you, how did your label initially react to this
02:56look? And what motivated you to introduce yourself to the world in this bold way at a time when
03:02everybody's got, like, the long hair, very, very over-sexualized, but not necessarily in a bad way,
03:08but just that was the style. Yeah, I really was, I just wanted to be me. Like, I just, I wanted to
03:17just be me. And thankfully, with the Rough Riders, they never tried to make me be anything other than
03:25who I was. They really celebrated and helped, you know, nurture the artist that I wanted to be.
03:32They never had opinions about what I wore or how I did my hair or anything. So, I think I was very
03:39lucky with them because, like you said, you know, at that time, that wasn't the norm. So, for them
03:47not to kind of make me, so to speak, or, you know, or try to influence me in some way to try to be
03:52something else, I think I was really lucky with that. But I think with them as well, they kind of
03:56saw, like, okay, I guess I was so strong in who I was, my filliness, I don't know, or like,
04:03this is the artist I want to be, this is the MC I want to be. They kind of, yeah, they kind of
04:08just let me do me. Yeah. Nice. And what is it like to see so many women in rap now
04:16being, getting to be themselves? But, like, I feel like you and Queen Latifah, for instance, were, like,
04:20some of the first MCs that I saw who were getting to really, like, get on TV, have their own, like,
04:26primetime series, like, get in film, segway into other different avenues. You obviously, like you
04:32mentioned, you went on The Talk and, you know, after that. And now I just feel like it's kind
04:38of opened the door for women to be able to not just rap and, you know, they are getting to host,
04:44like, award shows, they're getting to have podcasts, they're getting to do, like, fashion collaborations.
04:50And I feel like you guys really opened up the door for those opportunities. So what is it like to see
04:54this advancement, not only in just the popularity and the breadth of, like, female MCs out there,
04:59but just what they're able to do, you know, from where, you know, where you came from?
05:04Yeah, no, I think it's great. I think it's, I mean, I feel like it also, it took long enough,
05:11because I feel like, you know, it was, like, where, at one point, I feel like there were
05:15no female MCs out for a while. Like, they would, it was like, oh, there's maybe one, two, maybe
05:22there's three. And then, and then we've had this, like, amazing emergence of all these incredible
05:28female artists, which is great. Thank you, God, because we needed the balance. And it is so nice
05:35to see. It is so nice to see. I think, you know, like you said, for me, even Queen Latifah, for me,
05:42her career was a blueprint for me. So, you know, it's well-deserved. I mean,
05:48these men have been out here celebrating each other for years, doing stuff for years. So,
05:52thank God. Yeah, nice. And, you know, I have to ask, because I see your page,
05:59I see you drinking your tea right now, and you're living a very soft life.
06:05It's giving weekends in the countryside, I must say.
06:11I was gonna say. So, is that the case? And, you know, 25 years after your first album, and,
06:17you know, as you mentioned in the book, like, you know, your experiences, you know,
06:20dancing in the past, like the hustle and bustle of where you came from, how is it to be able to,
06:26like, yes, be a soft-living, beautiful Black woman with a family, living in London, going to
06:33the countryside on the weekends? Like, how is that for you? And is that the case? Was I right?
06:38Yes. No, I mean, listen, I still work, I love work, but I think it's about, and it took me
06:46years to figure this out, and I'm still trying to figure it out. It's about curating the life
06:51that you want. Because I think that for some reason, well, not even, I won't even say that
06:57first. Coming from hip-hop, one, knowing that I wanted that to be my life, so I was gonna do
07:04whatever I needed to do to get into the business. But then being in it, and staying in it, and
07:10staying relevant, and staying, you know, doing these different things, it definitely tears you
07:15down and wears you down. And I think, you know, as I talk about in the book, a lot of, I did a lot
07:22of self, I did a lot of numbing. I did a lot of, you know, with alcohol and stuff. And it,
07:30I think I ran to that because I was so tired. I was so tired. I was exhausted. I was like,
07:40you know, and I probably, a lot of, as much as my life was great, I wasn't happy.
07:44So I think going from that, and then as I got older, I kind of was just like,
07:51I really want some peace within myself, just within myself, you know. So yeah,
07:59it is very important to me. And I love how people are like talking about this soft life thing, but
08:03it's like, we can have that. It's what we curate for ourselves. And it's, it's, it's even more so
08:10important because I have a kid. Like, you know, I want to spend time with my kid. I want him to be
08:15a kid. I want him to have the opportunities, like we all do, to do the things that I didn't get a
08:20chance to do. Like, if that is going to the countryside and seeing some animals on the
08:23weekend, that's amazing. Like we go, we were at a farm two weeks ago. And I'm like, listen,
08:28I'm this chick from Philly, this girl from Philly. I still, sometimes I'm like, wow,
08:33I live in London. Like what the hell? You know? But it's also, I just feel, I feel incredibly
08:41grateful that, yeah, it's about the life you curate. I do truly believe that it's what you
08:46want. You know, what's important to you. And for me, my peace is so important. It is so important
08:53because I lost it many, many times, many, many times. Yeah. Yeah. That's a great message.
08:59And how has, you mentioned your son, Wolf, how has motherhood transformed you? I can see you
09:06just saying my baby. He's just my bubby. Like he started, he started nursery this week and it's
09:12just like all these little milestones of things. I just feel, even just pushing his little stroller,
09:18um, almost at pram. I be saying words now that just come out of my mouth, but from.
09:23You'll get on the lift. You get on the lift and you take.
09:25I put in the rubbish. I be like, put in the rubbish.
09:30I hear a little, and I heard, I hear a little bit of an accent here and there. Yeah.
09:33I'm trying, it's hard not to, cause now I try to keep things consistent for him. So now I'm
09:38saying more things, but, um, but yeah, like even just that, you know, it's so nice to drop him off
09:44in the morning and pick him up, excuse me, in the afternoon and just hang out with him. Like,
09:50and watch him grow. I just feel he is just the, he makes me so happy. He honestly makes me so
09:56happy. Like, I can't wait to see, cause he is so strong willed. I can't wait to see who he turns
10:02out to be, but yeah, he's everything. Yeah. Everything I do from this point on is just about
10:09what, how can I make his life better? Yeah. I love that. And what is that like knowing
10:14the journey that it was to get to this point? Cause I can definitely relate. Like I had my own
10:19fertility and fibroid, you know, things, and you opened up about those obstacles
10:23and now you have your dream child. He's in nursery y'all in the pram. Like,
10:28so what is it like for you to like know that you have everything that you wanted,
10:34that you were kind of uncertain about. Cause there is that moment of like,
10:37is this really going to happen? It came to fruition and you're seeing it and now you want
10:41to just make it your whole world. What's that like for you? It's beautiful. It's beautiful.
10:46I think it's another, um, another lesson for me of like, be determined, believe and really believe
10:53like I do. I think, you know, we have to, we deserve what we want. And I think it's just
11:01another lesson of that, of like, because there, you know, I talk about this in the book where I
11:05kind of, I got to a point where I kind of was like, Oh, well maybe it's not for me. Maybe it
11:09isn't. And then it was like, no, no, this is, it can happen. Like, no, this you, you deserve to be
11:16a mom. Why not? Um, so yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Nice. And I also got to say, I love what,
11:25from what I can see, because I don't know your business, but I love what you, you and your
11:29husband Maximilian have. And it's just seems so like genuine and y'all just seem like,
11:37just like you're the perfect pair. How has that relationship transformed you as well?
11:43Yeah. Well, there's definitely, there's no perfection because we get on each other's
11:48nerves. We've been together 14 years now, so we know each other very well. Um, but I will say
11:56we mostly want the same things in life, the big shit. And that's important. Um, we're very honest
12:05with each other, even when it hurts. We're very honest. Um, and he became a, he was an anchor for
12:12me. I basically live in the car. I'm very much stressy. I'm a stressy worry person. And he's
12:17very much like, we're not even there yet. Like, just relax. Like, just give it a minute. Um,
12:22so he helps me to, to, to kind of slow down, um, and stay two feet on the ground when I need it.
12:31Um, you know, he's been with me through lots of things and, and getting myself together. He's
12:36been with me through panic attacks, all kinds of things. So, um, yeah, he's a good support system.
12:42I do feel like he's a good dude. Yeah. Yeah. 14 years in, he's a good dude.
12:49No, you know, it was funny when I read, um, and not so much when we wrote it, but when I read the
12:55audible book, the audible, you know, the audio version. Yeah. Uh, I actually got really emotional
13:02on his chapter and I was like, oh, it just reminded me as to why. And not that you forget,
13:09but when you've been in a relationship, you know, it's like that it's like that with friendship,
13:12it doesn't matter. Some of your family, you love who you are. You love the people in your life,
13:17but sometimes life happens and you kind of just don't have that same appreciation at the forefront
13:23and just reading that was just like, oh, that's why I guess I love him. Like, you know,
13:30this is why I went together and it was, it was actually really beautiful. It was really a nice
13:35moment for me. Yeah. I love that. And what the perfect date night be what's the perfect date
13:39night for you guys? Or is it like a gumball event? Like I love gumball events. Don't get me wrong,
13:47but that ain't no date night. That is me. That's work. It's work for me and him. But,
13:52um, but it's always fun. I would say perfect date night for me. I love a daytime date. Like I love
13:59a lunch date. Oh, the sun is going. Um, I love a lunch date. So for me, a boozy lunch is my
14:05favorite thing. Like hanging out is my favorite thing over nighttime, over a brunch, me and him
14:11on a lunch date, like a week, week day. Cause he's so busy during the week, but if we can steal
14:17a weekday, it's like my favorite thing in the world ever. I love that. I love that. And you
14:23know, this book is coming out in a sense as a retrospective, obviously it's telling us like
14:27your story from the beginning to the present, but you know, it's a look into your journey,
14:32but what's next? Yeah. I'm already thinking about the next book. Um, that is slightly
14:40different than this one, but, um, but also, you know, um, other projects, I mean, because of the
14:4725th anniversary, we all, we are talking about maybe reworking some of the hits, so to speak,
14:52and maybe bringing it out next year. We're taking our time with that though. Cause we don't
14:55obviously want to reinvent or mess anything up, but, um, but you know, I think I want to just
15:01celebrate that time. I want to celebrate that music. Um, so that we are working on. Um, and
15:08yeah, just like, I don't know. It's just, now it's just all about the baby. That's all I care
15:13about, you know, for real. But I do want to ask you to kind of wrap up the person that you were
15:22in the early days, maybe when that album came out and you were, you know, just working hard,
15:28like you said, to exhaustion, just trying to get your name out there. Who is she in comparison to
15:34the woman that we see now living in London? Yeah. You know, enjoying the lunch dates,
15:40like just having some ease in her life. How do those women, you know, where are they now?
15:47That person is me still. It's just that I've now given her some rest. Like I don't need the,
15:55I don't need the attitude. I don't need the, everything that got me to that place,
16:00to that first album, all those tools, building up the wall, being hard, hustling, all that stuff I
16:06needed to make it in the industry that I was in. Um, and all of that is still part of who I am,
16:12because I'm a fight for what I want always. Also, I'm from Philly and Philly is feisty. So
16:17there's never, ever going to be taken any of that way. It's still the same girl. It's just that
16:24sometimes you don't need those same tools as you grow, you know, some things you do have to let
16:29go. So I think I like to think that, you know, I'm the same person. It's just, I'm a little,
16:36like you said, I'm a little softer. I'm a little, I'm a lot softer actually, which is nice. Yeah.
16:43I love that. I love that. Well, I, you know, this has been a tree, like I'm a huge fan and I'm just
16:48so like, like I said, it's been, it's been really nice to just watch you just be on mommy duty,
16:54go on, you know, travel with your family, like just have a birthday party and, you know, like
17:00with your friend, you know, family and your husband, your friends, and just seem like you're
17:04just really just, I'm just enjoying what, you know, my life is right now. And I think that's
17:09so cool. A lot of black women need to see that because yes, it's important because we can,
17:17we deserve all that we want period. So yeah, it's important. It's important. Yeah.
17:24Nice. Well, congratulations again on who's that girl. I'm sure everybody's going to run out and
17:29get it. And you know, I'm just going to keep watching and keep fangirling out because I
17:32think you're fabulous. So thank you so much. Thank you for today. Yes. No, thank you.