The year was 2002, and Eve was still riding high on her GRAMMY win for the first-ever Best Rap/Sung Collaboration prize with No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind." Her third album, Eve-Olution, would peak at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart, thanks to the Alicia Keys-assisted, No. 2 single "Gangsta Lovin'."

Now more than a decade later, the woman once known as the "First Lady" of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop crew led by rapper DMX is back with her fourth album, Lip Lock, released last week (May 14) on her own record label, From The Rib.

"All of my decisions are tough right now, because it's me," she told Radio.com, adding that she now has the final word on everything from music videos to choosing her singles. "But I still have a huge support system. I have an amazing team of people. Not that I didn't have that at Ruff Ryders, but there were extra hangers-on. I don't have hangers-on like I used to. It is more of a business now. I love it, I think it's fun. I definitely know a lot more information than I ever thought I should know!"