Eve is one of the most prolific rappers in the '90s and the 2000s. Earning the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Gwen Stefani, she has been considered one of the few female MCs who were considered trailblazers of the genre.
In celebration of the 50 Years of HipHop, Eve gave her flowers to five female MCs who she believes have changed the game.
Eve Lists 5 Rappers Who Changed The Female Rap Game
First on her list was Queen Latifah. According to Eve, a Philly native, she feels a particular closeness with the rapper-turned-actress.
"..but also because I was a tomboy when I was young. I saw that toughness in her, too: she stands strong in her womanhood, but she also hangs with the boys," she told BBC. "And lyrically, she's amazing. She talks about her pride in being a black woman and about female unity: let's stand together, we don't have to be competitive, let's celebrate each other."
For Eve, Latifah's career has been a blueprint for her in terms of longevity and versatility.
Lauryn Hill was also part of Eve's list, which is understandable as she is also part of today's female rappers' idol list.
"I love her to death. The Fugees as a whole were amazing, but having Lauryn there took them to higher heights, for sure. She rapped about things outside the normal, [subjects like] heartbreak and resisting peer pressure, and for a lot of us coming up with Lauryn, we felt like she was a big sister, pulling us to one side and going "hey, girl, watch out, you shouldn't be doing this" or "don't be scared of this person," Eve shared.
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To this day, Lauryn Hill is the only female rapper to have won a Grammy for Album of the Year.
Brooklyn-based rapper Leikeili47 also made it into the list, as Eve said that despite the rapper's elusive nature, she was surprised to hear how amazing she was when she stumbled upon one of her tracks.
Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree, Missy Elliott, couldn't be missed. Eve credited Missy for taking everyone to the "crossover world."
"Everything was bigger and brighter and bolder. She brought a theatrical element to hip-hop in her presentation and her videos," she gushed.
Lastly, Eve never forgets to bring her flowers to Nicki Minaj.
"She's also very smart about the industry - knowing what's coming and capturing the moment. She's done a great job building her fanbase, the Barbz, and knowing where that generation was going," she said in the interview. "Being a female rapper, or even a female pop star, it's easy to get put into a box - and sometimes you have to do drastic things to break out of that box."
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