The Rundown: Eve, Lip Lock

A track-by-track look at the femcee's long-awaited new LP.

The Rundown: Eve, Lip Lock - 11 years. It's almost hard to believe, but that's how long it's been since Eve released an album. Yes, she was mired in the same Aftermath Entertainment vaccuum that Rakim, Last Emperor and others slipped into in the early 2000s. And she did have a bit of an acting career to attend to. But it's still a shockingly long hiatus from the game, and one we've never gotten an explanation for. No matter: Her long-rumored, long-delayed new album, Lip Lock, finally dropped today and we're listening. Eve's still rocking skirts, but is she still a pitbull? Read our track-by-track review of her new album to find out. —Alex Gale (Photo: From the Rib Music)

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The Rundown: Eve, Lip Lock - 11 years. It's almost hard to believe, but that's how long it's been since Eve released an album. Yes, she was mired in the same Aftermath Entertainment vaccuum that Rakim, Last Emperor and others slipped into in the early 2000s. And she did have a bit of an acting career to attend to. But it's still a shockingly long hiatus from the game, and one we've never gotten an explanation for. No matter: Her long-rumored, long-delayed new album, Lip Lock, finally dropped today and we're listening. Eve's still rocking skirts, but is she still a pitbull? Read our track-by-track review of her new album to find out. —Alex Gale (Photo: From the Rib Music)

Eve - Eve set records and standards for female MCs with her run of early 2000s success. After she mostly disappeared from the public eye, Lip Lock, her first album in 11 years, may be her last chance at renewed relevance. (Photo:  Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)

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"EVE" feat. Miss Kitty - Eve comes out the box swinging with an updated sound, spitting over a dubstep-influenced beat. Though there's a few questionable choices — particularly the patois interlude — Eve hasn't lost a step in terms of confidence, as shown by the nimble delivery or sharp lyrics here. Maybe this pitbull still has some bite after all.(Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)

"She Bad Bad" - Eve keeps momentum going with perhaps the strongest song on the album, "She Bad Bad." Featuring an awesome African vocal sample chopped up over pounding 808s and ascending synths, the song makes Eve's 11-year comeback seem a little less improbable. (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

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"She Bad Bad" - Eve keeps momentum going with perhaps the strongest song on the album, "She Bad Bad." Featuring an awesome African vocal sample chopped up over pounding 808s and ascending synths, the song makes Eve's 11-year comeback seem a little less improbable. (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

E-V-E! - Eve, the original first lady of Ruff Ryders, has become a household name. Her first three albums have sold over 13 million copies worldwide. As an actress, Eve is known for her roles as Terri Jones in the Barbershop franchise, and as Shelley Williams on her eponymous TV sitcom.   (Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)

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"Make It Out This Town" feat. Gabe Saporta - Eve falls off track too soon on the third song, a blatantly pop crossover number featuring vocals from Cobra Starship singer Gabe Saporta. It sounds like a rejected B.o.B. single. Though the song could possibly pick up some radio love with its acoustic guitar chords and melodic hook — its obvious objective — it will also no doubt turn off many of Eve's original fans. (Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)

"All Night" feat. Claude Kelly and Propain - Eve keeps the cheese level high with "All Night," which features a hook that is shockingly derivative of Akon. Her rhymes are still impressive, but the beat underneath alternately bores or distracts. (Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images)

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"All Night" feat. Claude Kelly and Propain - Eve keeps the cheese level high with "All Night," which features a hook that is shockingly derivative of Akon. Her rhymes are still impressive, but the beat underneath alternately bores or distracts. (Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images)

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"Keep Me From You" feat. Dawn Richard - The expected, totally cliché electro-pop/dance single-to-be rears its head here. Following in the steps of Nicki Minaj, a role reversal to be sure, Eve rhymes in between big beat drops, bouncy sirens and a sung hook from Dawn Richard. Again, the song does have some commercial potential, but it could come at a steep price — the hip hop heads that have supported Eve from the beginning. (Photos from left to right: Scott Gries/PictureGroup, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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"Keep Me From You" feat. Dawn Richard - The expected, totally cliché electro-pop/dance single-to-be rears its head here. Following in the steps of Nicki Minaj, a role reversal to be sure, Eve rhymes in between big beat drops, bouncy sirens and a sung hook from Dawn Richard. Again, the song does have some commercial potential, but it could come at a steep price — the hip hop heads that have supported Eve from the beginning. (Photos from left to right: Scott Gries/PictureGroup, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

"Wanna Be" feat. Missy Elliott and Nacho - Perhaps feeling defensive after the last three songs, Eve gets a little grimy with newcomer Nacho and Missy Elliott (who's effected vocals on her verse confuse things). Unfortunately, the beat quickly diverges from a much-needed dark, dank stroll to overly frenetic dance-iness — once again derailing Eve's still sharp skills with chaotic production. (Photos from left to right: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images, Paul Morigi/Getty Images for DSquared2)

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"Wanna Be" feat. Missy Elliott and Nacho - Perhaps feeling defensive after the last three songs, Eve gets a little grimy with newcomer Nacho and Missy Elliott (who's effected vocals on her verse confuse things). Unfortunately, the beat quickly diverges from a much-needed dark, dank stroll to overly frenetic dance-iness — once again derailing Eve's still sharp skills with chaotic production. (Photos from left to right: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images, Paul Morigi/Getty Images for DSquared2)

"Mama in the Kitchen" feat. Snoop Lion - Eve regains her footing by finally reuniting with her former go-to producer Swizz Beatz and sampling Snoop for "Mama in the Kitchen." The synth horn line bears a welcome resemblance to Swizz' beat for the Ruff Ryders "Scenario 2000;" a little bit of that old formula is definitely still there, and it definitely still works. (Photos from left to right: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brian To/WENN.com)

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"Mama in the Kitchen" feat. Snoop Lion - Eve regains her footing by finally reuniting with her former go-to producer Swizz Beatz and sampling Snoop for "Mama in the Kitchen." The synth horn line bears a welcome resemblance to Swizz' beat for the Ruff Ryders "Scenario 2000;" a little bit of that old formula is definitely still there, and it definitely still works. (Photos from left to right: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brian To/WENN.com)

"Grind or Die" - The constant synths and dance-floor beats throughout Lip Lock grow a bit tiresome, but "Grind or Die" is actually a pretty listenable example of them. Eve rides the plunging 808s and swirling beeps dexterously, even if the repetitive hook quickly gets grating. (Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MAC Cosmetics)

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"Grind or Die" - The constant synths and dance-floor beats throughout Lip Lock grow a bit tiresome, but "Grind or Die" is actually a pretty listenable example of them. Eve rides the plunging 808s and swirling beeps dexterously, even if the repetitive hook quickly gets grating. (Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MAC Cosmetics)

"Zero Below" - "My heart beats zero below," the hook drones here, yet another spastic, synth-heavy dance-floor song. Unfortunately, the lyrics mainly serve to remind one of the album's biggest failures: Nowhere does Eve address her 11-year absence from the game. Why did she take such a long break? What made her launch a comeback now? Surely she's gained some new insights in her hiatus. Instead, Eve spits the expected rap boasts and toasts to the good life. (Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)

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"Zero Below" - "My heart beats zero below," the hook drones here, yet another spastic, synth-heavy dance-floor song. Unfortunately, the lyrics mainly serve to remind one of the album's biggest failures: Nowhere does Eve address her 11-year absence from the game. Why did she take such a long break? What made her launch a comeback now? Surely she's gained some new insights in her hiatus. Instead, Eve spits the expected rap boasts and toasts to the good life. (Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)

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"Forgive Me" - Eve effectively resurrects her sly, early 2000s sexiness here, the most romantic song on the album, aided by a dancehall-inflected beat and one of the record's best hooks. Hopefully she hits this errogenous zone more on her next album. (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

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"Forgive Me" - Eve effectively resurrects her sly, early 2000s sexiness here, the most romantic song on the album, aided by a dancehall-inflected beat and one of the record's best hooks. Hopefully she hits this errogenous zone more on her next album. (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

"Never Gone" feat. Chrisette Michele - "Never Gone" touches on Eve's absence from rap in only the most distant way possible, mainly stringing together platitudes about not giving up, believing in yourself, etc. The rhymes could be from Eve's last album — or anyone's album, really. It's a missed opportunity. What could've been a moment of honest confession and raw emotion (aided by a dope performance from Chrisette Michele) instead comes off as another cheesy cliché. (Photos from Left to Right: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for IMG, Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

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"Never Gone" feat. Chrisette Michele - "Never Gone" touches on Eve's absence from rap in only the most distant way possible, mainly stringing together platitudes about not giving up, believing in yourself, etc. The rhymes could be from Eve's last album — or anyone's album, really. It's a missed opportunity. What could've been a moment of honest confession and raw emotion (aided by a dope performance from Chrisette Michele) instead comes off as another cheesy cliché. (Photos from Left to Right: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for IMG, Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

"She Bad Bad (Remix)," feat. Pusha T and Juicy J - Eve smartly reups the album's best moment here, recruiting a head-scratching combination of guest rappers. Juicy J is more agile than usual, riding the kinetic beat surprisingly well, but Pusha can simply do no wrong right now. The pair help Eve overcome her long hiatus, the loss of both her Ruff Ryder and Aftermath affiliations and her album's lack of major-label backing. If indeed "She Bad Bad" still, this would be the best song to prove it.(Photos from Left to Right: Taylor Hill/Getty Images, Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

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"She Bad Bad (Remix)," feat. Pusha T and Juicy J - Eve smartly reups the album's best moment here, recruiting a head-scratching combination of guest rappers. Juicy J is more agile than usual, riding the kinetic beat surprisingly well, but Pusha can simply do no wrong right now. The pair help Eve overcome her long hiatus, the loss of both her Ruff Ryder and Aftermath affiliations and her album's lack of major-label backing. If indeed "She Bad Bad" still, this would be the best song to prove it.(Photos from Left to Right: Taylor Hill/Getty Images, Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)