Whether it was in her time with Dr. Dre or a gift she had widdled to perfection after her years of talent shows and freestyling, Eve was as structurally sturdy in her raps and songwriting as any rapper before her. Philadelphia in the early 2000's was gushing talent into New York, lining the pockets of Jay-Z for Roc-A-Fella, or crafting neo-soul classics in the hallowed walls of Electric Lady Studios. Eve had taken an unconenvtional route, going first to LA as an early Aftermath signee under Dr. Dre, until getting dropped and finding her way to the Yonkers bred Rufff Ryders label. From the jump her verses were always in conversation with one another, the hooks could be seen coming and still would keep you chanting. The excitement and leftfield experimentation never came from her mouth, but rather the production end. Swizz Beatz production is notorious for just sounding like stock sounds piled onto one another with your fingers crossed hoping it all comes together in the end, but for Eve it was rolled back. Swizz was at his most purposeful working alongside the First Lady of Ruff Ryders, still finding ways to shoot off the flares that signaled a traditional anthem the label had become so renowned for making, but never too much to outshine Eve. Dre was back in the picture as well for this album, working heavily with Scott Storch in this time coming fresh off of Chronic 2001, also perfecting his own brand of minimalism. The drums on “Let Me Blow Your Mind” are a simple stomp back and forth between kick and snare, calculated and spacious. The keys have a world to fill, with every synth and drum hit no matter how subtle crashing through the wall like a superhero. The central theme of her sophomore record became “go big, but stay street”.
Scorpion came at a period in album making where the idea of doing “the club record” or “one for the streets” and “Hey, don’t forget something for the ladies” was in full tow. Concept albums were few and far between, and creating a singular sound across an entire album made repeat listens tiresome unless it was truly one of a kind. A CD was a medium to present an artists breadth better than creating audio movies. For many artists hitting every demographic was a stretch outside of their skillset but these were all people who Eve was hitting naturally. Few MC’s of the time could be as marketable and menacing at once like Eve. The hooks compared to her first LP are bigger, the verses are simplified, the beats catchier. It was a pop-rap experiment that never lost the true soul of a rap record like many of these cross over attempts do. Despite the highs keeping that balance can bring, the misses can send songs tumbling to the net. “Be Me”, “Scream Double R”, and “That’s What It Is” hooks are solid, but tiring after the second time around, taking up as much air time as the verses. The beats can be non-distinct, fading into obscurity behind Eve and the slew of guests that at times overstay their welcome. Simplicity existed in the songwriting, but the gluttony existed at run times. Given in 2023 hit songs in hip-hop can only cross the 3-minute mark if you're already solidified, but even for the early 2000's these deep cuts were a slog. “You Had Me, You Lost Me” on the other hand is the perfect synthesis of Eve as an artist. A woman's POV (this time about dating life), a short powerful chorus, and a beat with enough intricacies to keep your mind interested for the extensive length. Never overbearing, never begging for respect, but hitting the ground running like a natural who’s been around before. On album one she sounded sure of herself in ways it takes others a decade plus, and by album two she finally sounded convinced in herself that she was as good as we told her she was. It debuted with 163,000 copies sold in its debut week, locking in a top 5 seller for the week and eventual platinum certifications from the RIAA. Later it was nominated for 2 GRAMMY awards, losing in the Best Rap Album category but winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for the chart topping "Let Me Blow Your Mind".
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