Eve recalls JAY-Z warning about female rappers' success as she prepares for NYU residency

In a recent interview with The Times, rapper Eve shared a memorable conversation with JAY-Z following the release of her debut album, Let There Be Eve... Ruff Ryders' First Lady in 1999. According to Eve, while congratulating her on the album's success, JAY-Z warned her not to get too optimistic, stating that female rappers "don’t really do that well." Despite the warning, the album sold 213,000 copies in its first week and eventually went double platinum.

Eve is also preparing for a new chapter in her career as the 2024-25 Scholar-in-Residence at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Her residency will involve classroom visits and discussions about her experiences in the music industry. NYU’s Steinhardt dean, Jack H. Knott, expressed enthusiasm, stating, "We are thrilled to be hosting Eve as our Scholar-in-Residence." Eve also shared her excitement on social media, saying, “I want people to get an understanding of who I am as a person outside of music.”

Eve’s residency begins on September 21, coinciding with the release of her memoir, Who’s That Girl?, co-written with Hip-Hop journalist Kathy Iandoli.