On May 14, Eve will return with her first album in over a decade, Lip Lock. The hip-hop trailblazer sat down with Rap-Up TV to discuss her long-awaited comeback record, which features appearances from Snoop Lion, Missy Elliott, Dawn Richard, Chrisette Michele, Juicy J, Pusha T, and more.
Label politics kept her in limbo for years, but she has no regrets. “I’m happy it took this long because I actually feel as excited as I did the first time I came out,” she said.
The follow-up to 2002s Eve-Olution shows her many sides. “This is my album. It’s completely Eve. It’s completely all of me,” she said. “I think you hear all my influences musically on this record. You’re definitely getting insight into who I am as a woman, an artist, as a person right now.”
She also weighed in on the controversy surrounding Rick Ross’ pro-rape lyrics, which ended with the termination of his Reebok deal. “I think they did what was in their right as a corporation,” explained Eve. “People still have to remember it is a business and there are shareholders that are bigger than just Reebok that are probably looking at this situation and being like, ‘You know what, this is not something that we want to represent.'”
While she realizes it’s only words, she did take offense. “As a woman, I’m like, ‘Whoa.’ It just makes you think in a different way. I feel like it’s wordplay, but at the same time, it does make you think twice, like what do you mean? Are you that dude? It’s not OK.”
Eve is currently promoting her Gabe Saporta-assisted single “Make It Out This Town,” but has already lined up the next single, “EVE” featuring Miss Kitty. A stripped-down video was recently shot in London where she lives. “That’s one of my favorite tracks,” she said.