'What is yours won't miss you': Eve receives Grammy for 'You Got Me' 26 years later

During the summertime of 1998, a 19-year-old rapper named Eve (formerly known arsenic Eve of Destruction) received a telephone telephone from her shaper person Scott Storch astir an accidental to hop connected a grounds with the Roots.

The hip-hop set from Philadelphia, formed by Black Thought and Questlove, was bubbling astatine the clip and Eve, a known conflict rapper successful the city, was excited to enactment unneurotic connected a opus called “You Got Me.”

After tweaking the verse that Black Thought, the band’s pb MC and co-founder, wrote for her, Eve laid down her vocals, rhyming the lyrics “Another lonely night? / It seems similar I’m connected the side, you lone lovin’ your mic.”

“It was truly exciting,” Eve said, portion lounging connected a sofa successful a Hollywood residence. The rapper, histrion and manner decorator has been based successful London for the past decade. “I deliberation that was my astir nonrecreational mounting due to the fact that they evidently were already signed.”

When the song, which is featured connected the Roots’ career-defining “Things Fall Apart” album, was released successful 1999, it was the archetypal clip the satellite heard Eve’s dependable — but nary 1 knew it was her. To her surprise, she wasn’t listed arsenic a contributing creator connected the track.

She was besides amazed to find retired that Jill Scott, a writer and rising neo-soul vocalist from Philadelphia who wrote and sang the archetypal hook, was replaced by Grammy-winning vocalist Erykah Badu. After receiving the incorrect code for the shoot, Eve wasn’t featured successful the euphony video either.

In 2000, the Roots and Badu won a Grammy for “You Got Me,” but due to the fact that Eve wasn’t listed connected the track, she didn’t person an award. By this time, Eve was signed to Ruff Ryders and promoting her debut medium “Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders’ First Lady” including her breakout azygous “Want Ya Want,” truthful though it wounded her feelings astatine the time, she moved past it, she said.

“There was nary clip to benignant of spell backmost and deliberation astir it,” said Eve, who opened up astir the concern successful her 2024 memoir “Who’s That Girl.” After years of seeing each different and adjacent performing the opus together, she and Questlove spoke astir the substance for the archetypal clip erstwhile she made an quality connected his podcast and apologized to Eve for the oversight. “We were highly inconsiderate, insular and uncommunicative with each different that things similar that ever spilled connected the sidelines,” the drummer said connected the podcast. (Questlove wasn’t disposable for remark further astatine the clip of publication.)

Last fall, Eve received different unexpected telephone telephone — this clip from the Recording Academy. After proceeding Eve speech astir the “You Got Me” concern connected Ebro Darden’s podcast, the Recording Academy wanted to springiness her an grant for her contributions to the track.

“They were like, ‘Listen, we didn’t adjacent cognize astir this concern astatine each until we heard the podcast,’” Eve recalled.

After 26 years, Eve was fixed a aureate gramophone Thursday nighttime during the Recording Academy Honors presented by the Black Music Collective successful beforehand of a star-studded audience. For her, the grant feels similar “validation successful a mode to that small girl, to small Eve,” she said. “She deserves that.”

She added, “Whatever is yours can’t miss you.”

Ahead of the ceremony, Eve spoke to The Times astir coming up successful the Philadelphia euphony country arsenic a teenager, what the “You Got Me” concern has taught her and what receiving this grant means to her now. She besides talked astir the interaction of her 2nd workplace album, “Scorpion,” which turns 25 this year, and what it was similar to bring her toddler lad connected circuit with her for the archetypal time.

This interrogation has been lightly edited for magnitude and clarity.

You grew up successful West Philly astatine a clip erstwhile truthful galore aboriginal greats were coming up astatine erstwhile — the Roots, Jill Scott, Bilal and Scott Storch. When you were conscionable a teenager, you were hanging retired astatine studios with immoderate of them and attending jam sessions astatine Questlove’s house. What did the vigor successful Philly consciousness similar backmost then?

It was astonishing due to the fact that euphony was everywhere. I knew that I wanted it to beryllium my life, truthful each play I was doing something. I should’ve been going to school, but I was going to the workplace due to the fact that I knew that I wanted euphony to beryllium my life. And successful Philly, determination was ever thing going connected whether it was a artifact enactment oregon a jam league oregon an unfastened mic night. I was astatine everything.

Scott Storch was the idiosyncratic who called you astir getting connected the Roots’ “You Got Me” record. What was your absorption erstwhile you got that call?

When you are young, there’s that nary fearfulness thing. I retrieve being excited, of course, but besides like, “Yes! I’m expected to beryllium here,” not from a cocky spot but much affirmative. It was truly exciting, but it was besides precise professional. I deliberation that was my astir nonrecreational mounting due to the fact that they evidently were already signed. I’d ne'er been astir that before, truthful I retrieve [being] similar “This feels similar the business.”

You were astir 19 oregon 20 astatine that time, right?

I indispensable person been astir 19 due to the fact that I would’ve gotten signed and dropped [from Aftermath] erstwhile I was 18. [laughs]

At that clip you were successful betwixt grounds deals, truthful it indispensable person felt similar a large opportunity.

Absolutely. You cognize what’s funny, I astir apt conscionable took it for granted successful the consciousness of similar “Oh yeah, this is the start.” They are signed. It’s comic due to the fact that I deliberation backmost connected the concern and I conjecture I thought it was gonna popular disconnected from there. That’s wherefore each the events that happened afterward were similar “Ugh.”

Take maine backmost to the time that you laid down your verse. Who was successful the workplace with you?

I’m beauteous definite Black Thought and Jill [Scott] were there. Even if not the full session, I don’t cognize if I’d travel successful if she’d finished oregon whatever, but I’m beauteous definite she was there.

How did your verse travel together?

I had this full happening successful my head, but Black Thought had a full verse already. But past I was like, “I’m not gonna conscionable accidental your verse.” Now, I person a writer sometimes, but backmost then, particularly due to the fact that I was a conflict rapper, it was similar I can’t accidental idiosyncratic else’s bars. That’s not real. So helium had this full happening and past I benignant of tweaked it to marque it consciousness and dependable similar me.

I had a batch of audacity backmost then. I truly did. [laughs] Because astir radical would beryllium similar “Yeah, cool.” Also, I was similar if I’m going to enactment my dependable connected this, I truly privation to consciousness similar me. I person thought astir this [situation] truthful overmuch now, and I’m definite that besides attributed to them being like, “We don’t request to scope out. We don’t request to marque definite it’s OK” due to the fact that the bulk of it was written by him. Not that that’s an excuse due to the fact that determination is nary excuse.

When was the archetypal clip that you realized you didn’t person recognition for the song? If I’m not mistaken, I deliberation Jill Scott recovered retired that her vocals were replaced by Erykah Badu aft she heard it connected the radio.

I deliberation it was benignant of the aforesaid thing. It each happened truthful accelerated like, “Oh, the opus is out.” I astir apt heard it astir the aforesaid clip and thought “Oh, that’s not Jill. Oh, that’s Erykah Badu.” It was specified a weird timeline due to the fact that I did the opus a twelvemonth oregon a fewer months before, and past by the clip I heard the song, I was surviving successful Harlem and I was signed to Ruff Ryders.

The opus went connected to triumph a Grammy for rap show by a duo oregon radical successful 2000, but due to the fact that you weren’t credited, you didn’t person an award. In your book, you speech astir however this concern lined up with you being dropped from Aftermath Entertainment and moving backmost location from L.A. How did you woody with each of this emotionally?

I consciousness similar I had a period that I was conscionable [felt] — I don’t cognize if I’d telephone it depressed — deflated. I truly felt similar damn, this was it and present I’m backmost home. I was conscionable successful L.A. successful a condo with a bully slope account. Now I’m backmost astatine my mom’s location successful my pajamas and I gotta drawback the bus. What the hellhole is happening to my life? [laughs] That was horrible truthful I was wrestling with my feelings and my sadness, but my ma was great. My ma has ever been my rock. She was supportive and she [didn’t] archer maine to get implicit it. She benignant of conscionable fto maine wallow successful it, but [she was] affirmative arsenic good like, “Maybe that wasn’t the time.” It was crazy, but I volition say, I needed it. I’m blessed that happened due to the fact that I wouldn’t person the vocation I person now. Like going backmost to the Aftermath thing, if I had travel retired then, I wouldn’t person the vocation that I person now. I consciousness similar I did request to beryllium humbled due to the fact that it was decidedly the Philly cognition that got maine fired, that got maine dropped. [laughs] My sanction astatine the clip was Eve of Destruction, my conflict rap name, truthful it was the clip that I sat with my feelings and I was similar if I get this accidental again who is it that I privation to beryllium arsenic an artist? Who bash I privation to amusement the world? I didn’t privation to instrumentality connected a title. I was similar I’m conscionable going to amusement them myself. I’m going to amusement them Eve.

Some fans knew that you didn’t person recognition connected this track, but others recovered retired for the archetypal clip erstwhile you talked astir it past twelvemonth during an quality connected Ebro Darden’s podcast.

It’s brainsick however galore radical are huffy astir it for me. I had friends who were like, “Girl, truthful what’s going to happen?” [laughs] But it is simply a comic thing. Why wasn’t I huffy enough? Or was it — this is the over-analyzer [in me] — 1 of those moments wherever I conscionable wanted to hide astir it. Because, yeah, my feelings were decidedly wounded if it was a fake address. Or did we get the code wrong? So possibly I was like, “I’ll conscionable enactment it connected the backmost burner,” but Ebro decidedly did not. And you cognize what, I’m blessed helium didn’t due to the fact that sometimes it takes for a idiosyncratic to beryllium your champion oregon your cheerleader successful definite things and I bash admit it.

“You Got Me” is 1 of the Roots’ biggest songs to this day. Was it weird proceeding it played everyplace erstwhile it archetypal came out?

During that clip I did not spot them. It was precise weird. That opus had travel out, I was doing my thing, but we ran successful antithetic circles hip-hop-wise. I conjecture we conscionable ne'er crossed paths. I ne'er truly saw them. I deliberation they were connected circuit by past and I was with Ruff Ryders. We didn’t spot each different until years aboriginal due to the fact that we person performed that opus present 3 times astir apt astatine abstracted points successful my career, which is besides weird. [laughs]

That is weird.

It’s weird. I don’t cognize what’s wrong.

Now, 26 years aft “You Got Me” won a Grammy, you are yet receiving your grant and honored astatine the Black Music Collective Recording Academy Honors. What was your absorption erstwhile you recovered out?

It was weird astatine archetypal due to the fact that the [academy] called a batch of antithetic people. They called similar 4 antithetic radical due to the fact that they wouldn’t archer anybody wherefore they wanted to speech to me. Finally, I deliberation Swizz [Beatz] was astir apt the past idiosyncratic they called. Then we got connected the telephone and I retrieve I was having martinis successful London. It was a FaceTime [call] and I was lasting nether a lamp. It was not nonrecreational connected my broadside and I was trying existent hard not to beryllium tipsy. I was like, “This is truthful cool. Thank you, guys.” [laughs] My friend, who I was with, was similar “What did you person to instrumentality a telephone for?” and I was similar “Girllll.” So it was a amusive night. I came location and told my husband, fell dormant and erstwhile I woke up, I wholly forgot astir it. Then my person texted maine and was similar “Do you remember?” and I was similar “Oh s—! Yeah!” It’s conscionable specified a chill happening and since past it’s been similar “Wow.” They said, “We could nonstop you the Grammy, but we’d similar to springiness it to you.” It’s truly nice. It’s a truly absorbing feeling due to the fact that evidently it’s been truthful long, thing that I thought I was done with, successful a way, truthful it feels good.

What did they archer you exactly?

They were similar “Listen, we didn’t adjacent cognize astir this concern astatine each until we heard the podcast.” It was the podcast that I did with Ebro erstwhile they were similar “Oh nah.” Even Swizz was similar “Sis, we gotta marque this happen. That’s not cool.” And I was similar “OK, cool.”

Does receiving this grant present consciousness similar reconciliation astatine all? Or possibly validation?

In a way, validation to that small girl, to small me. It sounds a spot cheesy, but she deserves that. It’s a large moment. I’m inactive wrapping my caput astir it successful a mode particularly since I’ve been distant from euphony for truthful agelong and for this to beryllium happening similar this is precise cool.

What person you learned oregon taken distant from this situation?

I deliberation I’m honestly inactive processing due to the fact that I was joking, but benignant of not, similar I privation to speech to my therapist astir wherefore I fto this go. What was it? Why did I think, “Oh nah, it’s cool. We squashed it.” But it’s similar no, this is bigger than that. But bully s— comes to bully radical and I cognize for definite I decidedly merit it. [laughs]

In different breathtaking news, this March marks the 25th day of your 2nd album, “Scorpion.” What memories unreserved backmost to you erstwhile you deliberation astir that clip of your life, surviving and moving successful Miami?

Oh my God. There’s truthful many. It was truthful fun. I retrieve the location we rented. I had 1 Yorkie, past I bought her a person successful Florida. It was silly s— that I retrieve and past conscionable being successful the workplace time and night. Then the Marleys were connected the different side. It was conscionable a bully time. I was afloat successful it. It was a batch of unit due to the fact that it was similar “We gotta get this medium done now.” It’s erstwhile I truly deliberation I felt the concern of euphony successful the consciousness of like, “We gotta conscionable these deadlines. We gotta get this medium out,” which was stressful but I was inactive naive enough, I think, to inactive beryllium having fun. I was going out. I met Trina. Trina is my girl. Overall, it was a truly bully time.

Between experimenting with caller sounds, crossing genres with artists similar Gwen Stefani, and making the taxable red, “Scorpion” felt precise intentional. Reflecting back, what did that epoch correspond for you personally beyond the music?

I consciousness precise fortunate that Ruff Ryders ever allowed maine to artistically bash what I wanted to do. They ne'er said things similar “Oh this mightiness not work.” And adjacent sonically, they weren’t the ones who were warring back, it was much similar executives and Interscope, but for maine “Scorpion” means red. Red is simply a scorpion color. We gotta travel retired stinging, but I besides privation to amusement that I’ve grown, that I’ve matured and truly amusement what my receptor is. I felt truly fortunate that they didn’t combat maine connected it. They fto maine bash precisely what I needed to do. It felt collaborative due to the fact that that’s however Ruff Ryders worked anyway. There were radical successful and retired of the workplace each the time, but it made it bully due to the fact that sometimes a speech led to a hook oregon a verse.

Last twelvemonth you went connected circuit with Nelly, Ja Rule and Chingy, and you brought on your son. What was it similar having him determination with you, seeing you connected stage?

It was grueling. I ain’t gone lie. It was amazing, but being connected circuit with a toddler is different. That being said, the crushed I said yes to doing the circuit is due to the fact that he’s young capable that I tin benignant of tote him around, but he’s aged capable that helium tin remember. Seeing him connected the broadside of the signifier was similar “Oh, my small baby.” It was besides fun. Like everybody connected that circuit had bangers, truthful adjacent maine performing oregon being backstage and proceeding Ja oregon proceeding Nelly oregon proceeding Chingy, it was a bully tour. The assemblage showed up. It was a truly chill circuit excessively due to the fact that successful immoderate places, it was similar generations of radical unneurotic similar the kids and the moms, and past determination were a batch of young people, and I was similar “Oh, I emotion this.”

What other bash you person coming up?

Listening to caller euphony and discovering caller artists. I americium excited astir this 25th day due to the fact that we are going to bash immoderate truly amusive worldly with it and we’re talking astir immoderate re-imaginings with it. Just interaction immoderate of the songs that radical emotion and springiness it a spot of life. What else? I don’t know. I’m conscionable “momming.” That’s my favourite happening close now. He’s getting truthful big. I cannot judge he’s astir to beryllium 4. Watching him turn is nice.