20 years ago this week, EVE released her debut album ''Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders’ First Lady'' September 14, 1999.
1999: It seems to be slim pickings when talking about successful female rappers in this industry. But back on Sept. 14, 1999, one Philadelphia rapper by the name of Eve pushed the boundaries of female rap standards and put on for an entire generation of women with her debut album Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady.
In 1998, the same year Ruff Ryders’ principal rapper DMX released two platinum-selling albums, Eve got to work. By that point, the only credit to her name was a loosie on the Bulworth soundtrack, released as Eve of Destruction and on the compilation album Ryde or Die Vol. 1 earlier that year, Eve was determined to prove she had earned her spot on the Ruff Ryders roster. With unflinching delivery and a knack for a braggadocios punchline, E-V-E got her point across.
With features from Missy Elliott, Drag-On, The Lox and DMX, Eve's bars surpassed all expectations on the 18-track project.
A la Ruff Ryders the production was handled by Swizz Beatz. The LP spawned two high-charting singles: 'Gotta Man' and 'Love Is Blind' featuring Faith Evans. Let There Be Eve debuted at No. 1, selling 213,000 copies in the first week. After Lauryn Hill and Foxy Brown, Eve became the third female MC in history to have her album hit No. 1 on the charts.
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