Eve (Rapsody album)

Eve is the third studio album by American rapper Rapsody, released on August 23, 2019. Each song is named for an influential black woman, including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Myrlie Evers, and Aaliyah.[1] Eve also samples artists like Phil Collins (his hit single "In the Air Tonight" was sampled on the second track "Cleo"), Nina Simone and Herbie Hancock.[2]

Eve
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 23, 2019
GenreHip hop
Length62:59
Label
Producer
Rapsody chronology
Laila's Wisdom
(2017)
Eve
(2019)

Production

Rapsody decided to write the album in 2018 when a writer asked her if she felt that she was a successor to Nina Simone and Roberta Flack. She crafted an album with each song dedicated to one of her heroes.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[4]
Metacritic90/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
And It Don't StopA−[7]
Evening Standard[8]
The Guardian[1]
HipHopDX5/5[9]
The Independent[10]
Pitchfork8.0/10[11]
Q[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention))[14]

Eve was critically acclaimed by contemporary music critics at the time of its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 90, based on 8 reviews.[5]

Andy Kellman reviewed the album for AllMusic, concluding that "[Rapsody's] lyrical marksmanship, top-tier mike command, and service to her people and culture are indisputable."[6] Reviewing the album for HipHopDX, Kyle Eustice claimed that "The 16-track potent lyrical adventure is peppered with countless poetic musings masquerading as seamless Hip Hop tracks, easily solidifying Rapsody’s musical legacy."[9] In the review for Pitchfork, Sheldon Pearce described Rapsody as "A self-professed rapper’s rapper, [she] has been taut and inflexible in the past, almost as if having to force her immense talent to overcome a deck stacked against her. It sounds like she’s in a home-run trot on Eve."[11]

Roisin O'Conner also praised the album in the review for The Independent; "Women’s power, as a source of strength, intellect, emotion and, most importantly, life, has been a recurring theme in the North Carolina artist’s work for years. On her new album, Eve, she explores a lineage of black female icons in a way that is both tender and compelling."[10] Writing about the album's content, Stephen Kearse stated in a review for Rolling Stone that "Throughout Eve, Rapsody speaks frankly of the burdens black women bear, citing infighting that perpetuates sexism ("Cleo") as well as the psychic costs of the violence that black men endure ("Myrlie") and commit ("Afeni"). These are not new themes for her, but here they resonate more fully. As she taps into the specific struggles and tribulations borne by her idols, she sees her own battles with visibility and self-assurance more clearly. Black girls are magic, but they are also people."[13] In the review for The Guardian, Aimee Cliff declared, "With a delivery cut from the same cloth as Jay-Z or Lauryn Hill, she’s a storyteller, and counterbalances her wisdom with a dry, playful wit. Plus, she’s the queen of the dismissive one-liner."[1]

In a year-end essay for Slate, Ann Powers cited Eve as one of her favorite albums from 2019 and proof that the format is not dead but rather undergoing a "metamorphosis". She added that concept albums had reemerged through the culturally-relevant autobiographical narratives of artists such as Rapsody, who created a tribute to her ancestors "that spoke volumes about black life today".[15]

Track listing

Unless otherwise indicated, Credits are adapted from Tidal.[16]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Nina"Mark Byrd4:20
2."Cleo"9th Wonder4:00
3."Aaliyah"
Eric G3:54
4."Oprah" (featuring Leikeli47)
  • Evans
  • Gabouer
  • Sauveur Mallia
Eric G5:02
5."Whoopi"Khrysis3:12
6."Serena"
Eric G2:54
7."Tyra"Eric G2:01
8."Maya" (featuring K. Roosevelt)
9th Wonder3:41
9."Ibtihaj" (featuring GZA and D'Angelo)9th Wonder4:40
10."Myrlie" (featuring Mereba)
Eric G2:21
11."Reyna's Interlude"
  • Douthit
  • Quintin Gulledge
  • Terrace Martin
9th Wonder3:49
12."Michelle" (featuring Elle Varner)Nottz3:49
13."Iman" (featuring Sir and JID)
9th Wonder4:35
14."Hatshepsut" (featuring Queen Latifah)
Nottz3:15
15."Sojourner" (featuring J. Cole)
9th Wonder5:31
16."Afeni" (featuring PJ Morton)9th Wonder5:53
Total length:62:59

Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[23] 76
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[24] 42

References

  1. Cliff, Aimee (August 23, 2019). "Rapsody: Eve review – inspiring rap celebration of women of colour". The Guardian. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  2. Carmichael, Rodney (August 9, 2019). "With 'Eve,' Rapsody Wields The Legacies Of Legendary Black Women, From Nina To Serena". NPR.
  3. Hale, Andreas (August 23, 2019). "Rapsody Looks to Inspire With Her Captivating New Album 'Eve': 'This Is My Love Letter to All Black Women'". Billboard.
  4. "Eve by Rapsody reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  5. "Eve by Rapsody Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  6. Kellman, Andy. "Eve – Rapsody". AllMusic. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  7. Christgau, Robert (October 9, 2019). "Consumer Guide: October, 2019". And It Don't Stop. Substack. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  8. Wolstenholme, Harriet (August 23, 2019). "Rapsody: Eve review – By design, a great feminist tribute to others". Evening Standard. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  9. Eustice, Kyle (August 24, 2019). "Review: Rapsody Firmly Secures Her Hip Hop Legacy With Women-Empowering "EVE"". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  10. O'Connor, Roisin (August 22, 2019). "Rapsody review, Eve: North Carolina artist's masterful tribute to black women is tender and compelling". The Independent. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  11. Pearce, Sheldon (August 27, 2019). "Rapsody: Eve". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  12. Yates, Steve (November 2019). "Rapsody: Eve". Q. No. 404. p. 115.
  13. Kearse, Stephen (August 29, 2019). "Rapsody's 'Eve' is a Masterpiece of Hip-Hop Feminism". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  14. Hull, Tom (September 9, 2019). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  15. Powers, Ann (December 17, 2019). "The album is evolving". Slate. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  16. "Rapsody | Eve". Tidal. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  17. Rapsody, GZA & D'Angelo. "Ibtihaj". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  18. Rapsody & Mereba. "Myrlie". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  19. Rapsody (with Elle Varner). "Michelle". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  20. Rapsody, SiR & JID. "Iman". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  21. Rapsody (with Queen Latifah). "Hatshepsut". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  22. Rapsody (with J. Cole). "Sojourner". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  23. "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/2)". Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  24. "Rapsody Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
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