In her memoir, Who’s That Girl, Ruff Ryders rapper Eve traces her path to hip-hop back to a surprising source: 1990s dancehall star Patra.
Eve writes that the first two CDs she ever bought were Nevermind by Nirvana and Legend by Bob Marley. “I was already into reggae and dancehall with my Buju Banton cassettes and what not, so I figured I’d add a Bob Marley CD to my collection too,” she recalls.
Her earliest live music experience came when her stepfather took her and her sister, Yvette, to see Shabba Ranks perform. “I was 12. We wore matching dashikis and these thick-ass braids like Patra did in her Queen of the Pack video,” Eve writes. “Once I saw the music live right there in front of me on stage, I knew I wanted to be up there too.”
At the time, Eve was singing in the church choir but realized it might not get her noticed. “All the other girls sang too,” she writes. “So I decided to rap.” She and Yvette formed a group with two classmates, calling themselves DGP — short for Dope Girls Posse.
The Grammy-winning rapper and actress, born Eve Jihan Cooper released her memoir Who’s That Girl? on September 17, 2024, through Hanover Square Press. Co-written with acclaimed hip-hop journalist Kathy Iandoli, the book offers a candid account of Eve’s journey from West Philadelphia’s Mill Creek Projects to becoming the First Lady of Ruff Ryders, and a multi-platform entertainer.
The memoir detail her rise in a male-dominated industry, behind-the-scenes stories of her albums—including the challenges preceding her album Lip Lock—her fourth studio album (2013), featuring Jamaican media personality Miss Kitty, and her impact on rap, fashion, film, and television. It also explores personal struggles, including a high-profile romance and fertility challenges before becoming a mother.
Eve, known for breaking barriers as one of the few female rappers to top the Billboard 200 and winning the first Grammy for Best Rap-Sung Collaboration, has released four albums, starred in films and TV series, co-hosted The Talk, and served as a long-time ambassador for girls’ education in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
