Eve has candidly shared details about her relationship with Suge Knight, shedding light on its impact on her career and the complications it fostered with Interscope Records in the early 2000s.
The pair briefly dated in 2001, a chapter of her life that Eve revisits in her memoir “Who’s That Girl?”. Reflecting on the time, she explained her motivations for pursuing Suge, linking it to unresolved feelings about Dr. Dre.
“I was still in my little mood about Dre even though we made a solid hit together, so having Suge, his former boss at Death Row stomping around Interscope felt like some sweet revenge. I am not really sure how I concocted this idea yet here we were.”
Things began to unravel when Suge started weighing in on Eve’s dealings with Interscope and its executive Jimmy Iovine. This interference caused tensions between Eve and the label: “I feel like he (Jimmy) took his anger out on my third album.”
Eventually, Eve cut ties with Suge following advice from Ruff Ryders co-founders Dee and Waah Dean: “They didn’t like the idea of me hanging out with Suge at all. When my guys said it was time to cut the cord, I didn’t think twice.”
Fast forward to last year, Eve made headlines with a major financial move, selling her back catalog for an impressive eight-figure amount. According to Music Business Worldwide, Iconoclast acquired the rights to her entire discography, a deal reportedly valued between $25 and $50 million.
The acquisition includes her groundbreaking 1999 debut album “Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady”, which propelled her to become the third female rapper in history to top the Billboard 200 chart. Iconoclast hailed Eve as a pivotal influence in Hip-Hop, emphasizing her lyrical talent, dynamic delivery, and innovative mix of rap and R&B elements.
Interestingly, Iconoclast also reached another milestone by purchasing Irv Gotti’s 50 percent stake in Murder Inc.’s masters for a staggering $300 million. The deal not only secured his share of the music catalog but also provided funding for numerous film and television projects, cementing the company’s powerhouse status in entertainment acquisitions.
