Eve‘s music catalog is out of her hands, and she got a pretty penny for it.
According to Billboard, Iconoclast — an artist and brand development company founded by Olivier Chastan — acquired the “Who’s That Girl?” rapper’s catalog. This deal included her shares of hit singles such as “Gangsta Lovin’,” “Love Is Blind,” “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” and more. Eve received an undisclosed amount, reportedly ranging from $25 million to $50 million.
Chastan said in a statement, “Eve’s contributions to Hip-Hop and popular culture are unparalleled. She’s not only a great artist but a true pioneer for women in the genre. We are honored to help preserve and elevate her incredible legacy, ensuring that her influence continues to inspire future generations of artists and fans alike.”
Eve catapulted into mainstream success with the release of her debut album, Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady in 1999. The LP went double platinum and topped the Billboard 200, making Eve the third female rapper to accomplish such a feat.
She recently released her long-awaited memoir, Who’s That Girl?. In the book, she details her ascent, addresses naysayers who doubted female rappers like herself, and opens up about pivotal moments that helped shape the woman, wife, and mom she is today including the time she was a stripper for two months before Ma$e intervened.
“In my head, I was thinking, ‘I need to be grown now, and it’s the quickest way I can get out of the house,’ but I was so bad at it. I was lazy,” Eve reflected in an excerpt. She ran into Ma$e at the club one night and he urged her to focus on rapping. “When MA$E became a pastor, I was like, ‘Yeah, that makes sense,’” she noted. “He was my prophet that day. I needed that extra push.”
This latest acquisition supports Iconoclast’s “commitment to curating and expanding the legacies of influential artists across diverse entertainment platforms using the very latest in technology” and comes two years after Murder Inc. founder Irv Gotti sold a stake in his master recordings to Iconoclast in a $300 million deal.
