Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady

Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady is the debut studio album by American rapper Eve. It was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records on September 14, 1999. All of the songs on the album were written by Eve herself. It sold over 200,000 copies in the first week.[1] The album has sold over 2 million copies and was certified Double Platinum.[2] The album features singles such as "Gotta Man," and "Love Is Blind" with Faith Evans. Eve became the third female hip-hop artist to have her album peak at number one on the Billboard 200 (Lauryn Hill's debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, being the first to top the chart in 1998 and Foxy Brown's second album, Chyna Doll achieving the feat earlier in 1999).

Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders' First Lady
Studio album by
Eve
ReleasedSeptember 14, 1999 (1999-09-14)
StudioPowerhouse Studio
Genre
Length57:09
Label
Producer
  • Dee Dean (exec.)
  • Waah Dean (exec.)
  • Swizz Beatz
  • P.K.
  • DJ Shok
  • Jay "Icepick" Jackson
Eve chronology
Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders' First Lady
(1999)		 Scorpion
(2001)
Singles from Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady
  1. "What Ya'll Want"
    Released: June 1999 (1999-06)
  2. "Love is Blind"
    Released: August 31, 1999 (1999-08-31)
  3. "Gotta Man"
    Released: December 9, 1999 (1999-12-09)

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[4]
Muzik[5]
NME(7/10)[6]
PopMatters(favorable)[7]
Pitchfork(8.1/10)[8]
Q[5]
Robert Christgau[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
The Source[5]

Allmusic editor Theresa E. LaVeck found that "Eve's conviction and passion make her noticeable no matter what the subject, but she truly stands out when the stories become personal, examining the cost of the hard life she champions in other songs. "Love Is Blind" is a painful look at domestic violence. Self-respect and positivity are the moral of "Heaven Only Knows." Both tracks are backed by beautiful arrangements with acoustic guitar and lush vocals. Eve maintains her hardcore image in these tracks, but with a subtle vulnerability that promise lots of interesting things to come from this Philly prodigy."[3]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[11]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."First Lady" (Intro)Kasseem DeanSwizz Beatz1:36
2."Let's Talk About" (featuring Drag-On)
Swizz Beatz3:31
3."Gotta Man" (featuring Mashonda)
  • E. Jeffers
  • K. Dean
Swizz Beatz4:24
4."Philly Cheese Steak" (Skit) (featuring Swizz, Eric and Fuquan) Swizz Beatz1:37
5."Philly Philly" (featuring Beanie Sigel)
Swizz Beatz3:57
6."Stuck Up" (featuring C.J.)
  • E. Jeffers
  • George Cantres
  • D. Dean
  • K. Dean
Swizz Beatz3:53
7."Ain't Got No Dough" (featuring Missy Elliott)
Swizz Beatz4:17
8."BM" (Skit) Icepick1:01
9."Love Is Blind" (featuring Faith Evans)
  • E. Jeffers
  • Anthony Fields
  • K. Dean
Swizz Beatz4:20
10."Scenario 2000" (featuring DMX, The Lox and Drag-On)
Swizz Beatz3:50
11."Dog Match" (featuring DMX)
  • E. Jeffers
  • E. Simmons
  • K. Dean
Swizz Beatz4:19
12."My Bitches" (Skit)
  • Jay Jackson
  • D. Dean
  • E. Simmons
  • K. Dean
Swizz Beatz1:08
13."We On That Shit!" (featuring P. Killer Trackz)
  • E. Jeffers
  • A. Fields
  • D. Dean
  • K. Dean
P.K.3:25
14."Chokie Nikes" (Skit) (featuring Eve, Diona, Eric and Grimy) Icepick1:04
15."Maniac" (featuring Swizz Beatz)
  • E. Jeffers
  • D. Dean
  • K. Dean
Swizz Beatz4:22
16."My Enemies" (Skit)
  • E. Jeffers
  • K. Dean
Swizz Beatz1:43
17."Heaven Only Knows"
  • E. Jeffers
  • Michael Gomez
Shok4:29
18."What Y'all Want" (Remix) (Bonus Track)
  • E. Jeffers
  • K. Dean
  • M. Gomez
Shok4:05

Personnel

Credits for Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady adapted from Allmusic.[12]

Charts
Chart (1999) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[13] 16
US Billboard 200[14] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[15] 1

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[16] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[17] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. Boehlert, Eric (1999-09-22). "Eve Rides to the Top of the Chart". Rolling Stone. Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
  2. Eve. "Singer of the Week". AskMen.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  3. LaVeck, Theresa E. "Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryder's First Lady - Eve". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
  4. Walters, Barry (October 8, 1999). "Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
  5. "Let There Be Eve... Ruff Ryder's First Lady CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  6. "Album Reviews - Ruff Ryders' First Lady". NME. November 3, 1999. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  7. "Eve, Eve: Ruff Ryders' First Lady". PopMatters. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  8. Kameir, Rawiya (March 17, 2019). "Eve: Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  9. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Eve". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  10. Touré (October 14, 1999). "Recordings: Eve, Eve: Ruff Ryders' First Lady". Rolling Stone: 119–120. Archived from the original on 2001-11-02. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  11. Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady (booklet). Ruff Ryders, Interscope. 1999.
  12. Eve. "Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryder's First Lady: Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
  13. "Eve Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  14. "Eve Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  15. "Eve Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  16. "Canadian album certifications – Eve – Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady". Music Canada.
  17. "American album certifications – Eve – Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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