Following the release of Eve‘s new memoir, Who’s That Girl, it was revealed that filming with Nicki Minaj allowed her to “earn respect” for her. Despite she and Minaj being “fine on set,” for 2016’s Barbershop: The Next Cut, she says, women often “project their own insecurities onto other women,” and she feared doing the same. Female rappers are often put against one another, leading to conflated egos, and lack of community. The Philly native credits therapy for teaching her how to confront her self-esteem issues.
“It happened at the start of my career and continued in waves as my fame grew,” she begins. “I wasn’t going to be that woman to someone else, but in order to do that, I had to physically and mentally prepare myself…” She adds, “We got along well and shot our of scenes together with no problems. It was nothing like what I had expected, but again, I am thankful that I prepared myself for it.”
‘Instead of feeling insecure around Nicki, I started to sympathize with her,’ Eve Says
Eve’s respect really blossomed for the Pink Friday rapper after observing her dedication to her artistry while balancing her personal life: “I’d see her writing songs on her bus in between takes, hurrying off set to go hit some show dates over the weekend and then come right back on set for these twelve-to-sixteen-hour shoots, all while trying to hold together her personal life and her relationship.”
The “Let Me Blow Your Mind” hitmaker revealed her envy instantly faded away, turning into compassion. “It was at that moment that I didn’t envy her, and I kind of wanted to give her a hug. I thought I was going to resent her, and really all I felt was compassion. I remembered being that person, the girl who felt like she had to do it all. The girl who was pressured to do it all, because it was all eyes on her. Instead of feeling insecure around Nicki, I started to sympathize with her.” Who’s That Girl was released earlier this week on Sept.17 and is currently available on Amazon for $20.99.