Rapper 'Eve-Olves' as an artist

With her follow-up to last year's Scorpion, Eve Jeffers brings style and grace to the rap genre with witty lyrics and hot collaborations, proving once again she is a force to be reckoned with. In Eve-Olution, Eve speaks her mind in a blunt, yet tasteful, manner, proving that controversy isn't necessary in order to sell rap.\nLike most rap albums, Eve's starts out with an "Intro," transitioning into the first of the album's four collaborations. "What" is a hard-edged track featuring Truth Hurts (of "Addictive" fame). Eve, who shares writing credits, raps hard, while Truth Hurts adds light melody.\n"Gangsta Lovin'," Eve-Olution's first single, flows smoothly with a little help from R&B chanteuse Alicia Keys. I like the lazy-river pace of this track. Keys' subtle yet full sound complements Eve's lyrics perfectly.\nEve is an "Irresistible Chick" when she speeds things up on the fourth track. Her vocals are softer here, letting the drum track create the necessary backbeat. The chorus verses are a little too sing-songy for me, but overall they are enjoyable.\nFrequent Eve collaborator Mashonda joins Eve on "Party in the Rain," with subpar results. Mashonda's distracting vocals seem whiney and strained, taking away from Eve's flow. In "Let This Go," Eve redeems herself, combining her rap skills with a catchy chorus.\nOne of the better tracks on the album is "Hey Ya'll," featuring Snoop Dogg, joined by Nate Dogg. Eve jumps in over a minute later, adding a lady's touch to the track and stealing the spotlight once again.\nThe chorus for "Figure You Out" takes the male and female perspectives of a relationship. Eve's writing skills come through, giving substance and a beat to the otherwise worn-out love song.\nThe rest of the disc is good enough, reuniting Eve with some of her Ruff Ryder crew, Jadakiss and Styles of the Lox. \nAs a musician, Eve knows that radio listeners like some kind of collaboration with a big-name artist, her last one being the Grammy-winning "Blow Ya Mind," which featured No Doubt's Gwen Stefani. \nThis last summer, Eve flexed her acting muscles with a small role in "XXX" and with a larger role in the newly-released "Barbershop." With Eve-Olution reinforcing her already solid music career, I wish her luck in Hollywood. She's a tough, irresistible chick.