~laydee-tease~

What more is there for Eve to achieve? She's sold over 5 million records, won a Grammy, starred in her own TV show and birthed her own clothing label. Now back with her dopest record to date, she's ready to represent hard for the ladies. Will Lavin finds out where the Pitbull In A Skirt's head is at.

First up - what’s your affiliation with Ruff Ryder these days?
We're still family, I'm just signed to Aftermath now. I recently finished shooting the video for my second single with Sean Paul, and Drag-On came by to say hi. There's still love there. I still speak to Darrin Dean (Ruff Ryders co-founder). There will always be love. I wouldn't be me without them.

Your career started at Aftermath, before you went to RR. How come you're now back on the 'Math.
I've been on Interscope for 10 years. I signed when I was 18 and I'm now 28. Jimmy Iovine just one day asked me if I wanted to go back to Aftermath. Then my manager asked me the same question. I really didn't know what I wanted to do, but then I decided I was ready to get back into my music and it just seemed natural to go with Aftermath.

What can people expect from Here I Am?
I honestly feel like this is the best album I have ever done. I got the chance to take a long break away from doing music and coming back into it excites me. If my album was a man, I'd marry it. It's perfect (laughs). I have Sean Paul and Sizzla on the album to mix in a little bit of reggae because I’ve been influenced by reggae since I was 11. Producer-wise I have

Timbaland, Scott Storch and Swizz Beatz, who’s my brother. The album also features T.I., Robin Thicke and Mary J. Blige.
How did you hook up with Robin Thicke?
I've actually known Robin for a long time. The track that he's on is called Fantasy. It's a very sexy track. The guy that did the track, Rich Skillz, is one of Robin's best friends. When we went in the studio, I told him I needed a male singer on the record. He suggested Robin and I was like, 'Hell yeah.' It's a very grown-up record.

What are your expectations for the album?
I don't have expectations. I never put out albums that way. It is what it is. I pray for the best and am prepared for the worst, especially with the music industry being so different now. I haven't put out an album in five years and I can feel the difference. I always say that if I had to survive off of just music, then I wouldn't survive. I just thank God that my music helped me get a clothing line and a TV show because the way music is right now, I can't make enough money off it.

With Kim and Foxy gone quiet, do you feel pressure to rep for the females?
I don't feel pressure - in fact I welcome the challenge. Most of my life has been all about me proving myself, especially being a female in hip hop. I feel like at the moment, there's so much testosterone in the industry that now's the right time for me to come in and calm it down a little. To be honest, and I know a lot of people are gonna hate me for saying this right now; there are a lot of men in the industry who are more feminine than I am. And they're a lot more insecure and self-conscious than I am.

http://www.rwdmag.com

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