A Win for Philly: Eve Finally Receives Long-Overdue Grammy Recognition for The Roots’ “You Got Me” [Video]

Eve just reminded the world that what is meant for you will never miss you, even if it takes 27 years. On Thursday night, the Philadelphia rapper was surprised with her second career Grammy during the Recording Academy Honors, presented by The Black Music Collective at the Fairmont Century Plaza, which was captured by Hollywood Confidential. The trophy was a formal correction for her legendary, yet uncredited, verse on The Roots’ 1999 classic “You Got Me.” When the track originally won for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2000, Eve wasn’t included in the honors because she was still an up-and-coming artist at the time.

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Recording Academy President Harvey Mason Jr. set the record straight during the ceremony, telling the crowd, “We needed to make it right, and it was a chance for us to make it right. So tonight, the Recording Academy is here to offer a much-deserved respect and recognition.”

When Eve finally took the stage to accept her hardware, the room erupted in a standing ovation. She looked back on her journey from being a young girl with a dream in Philly to becoming a global hip-hop icon.

“This is actually for little Eve from Philly, the little girl who loved to write rhymes and just wanted to be in the business,” she told the audience. The “Who’s That Girl” rapper also shared the hilarious moment she found out the Academy was fixing the 25-year-old oversight. She admitted to the room, “I remember when y’all called me — I was a little tipsy, I had a few martinis out with a friend — and I kind of was like, ‘Wow, what is yours never can miss you, even 30 years later.’ So I’m truly grateful for this.”

This massive moment of justice comes after a deep conversation in late 2024 between Eve and Questlove on his “Questlove Supreme” podcast. During that sit-down, the Roots frontman took full responsibility for the “inconsiderate” lack of communication that led to Eve being left off the credits decades ago. Questlove made it clear that there was no malice behind the move, telling her, “I never wanted you to think it was a thing where I was like, ‘Let me erase her out of history.’” He explained that the group was simply too insular at the time, but he was relieved to finally clear the air.

Now, with the trophy finally in her hands, Eve can officially call herself a multi-Grammy winner, proving that “much-deserved respect” is always worth the wait.