Nicole Monique Wray (born May 2, 1979), also known as Lady Wray, is an American singer and songwriter. Her 1998 debut single "

Make It Hot ''Make It Hot'' is the debut studio album by American singer Nicole Wray. The album was released in August 1998 through Missy Elliott's Elektra-distributed vanity label, The Goldmind. The album was produced by Missy Elliott and Timbaland. S ...

" was certified gold.

Early life

Nicole Monique Wray was born on May 2, 1979, in

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area l ...

, to Debra Wray (née Murphy) and Kenneth Wray. Her older brother Kenny Wray is also a singer and she has younger sister Myrtis Wray. At a young age, Wray relocated to

Portsmouth, Virginia Portsmouth is an independent city in southeast Virginia and across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval M ...

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

. She became one of her church's star choir members and also participated in local fashion shows. During her teenage years, Wray was introduced to then-upcoming rapper

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

, who was looking for a female singer to sign to her own recording label

The Goldmind Inc. The Goldmind, Inc. is an American record label founded in 1997 by rapper Missy Elliott. Elliott was once distributed through Elektra Entertainment Group, and more recently by Atlantic Records before starting her own record label. The Goldmind, ...

Wray impressed Elliott by performing SWV's song "

Weak Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear t ...

" and became the first recording artist on Elliott's label as well as securing a distribution deal with

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

Career

1997–2002: ''Make It Hot'' and split from The Goldmind Inc./Elektra

In 1997, Wray appeared as a featured vocalist on the song "Gettaway" for Missy Elliott's first album '' Supa Dupa Fly''. In June 1998, Wray released her first single "

". The single peaked in the top-five on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, and received certified gold-status within six weeks of its release for a total of over 700,000 copies sold. On August 25, 1998, Wray released her first album ''

''. The album only achieved moderated success, peaking at forty-two on ''Billboard'' Top 200 Albums and ninety-one on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

. Following the issue of the album, Wray toured as the opening act and background vocalist for Elliott's concert tour. The album's follow-up singles "I Can't See" and "Eyes Better Not Wander" failed to

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

with the latter only peaking at seventy-one on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart in 1999. In September 1999, Missy Elliott released her single "

All n My Grill "All n My Grill" is the second single from Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's 1999 album, '' Da Real World''. The song featured Big Boi of Outkast and vocal ad-libs from her former protégé, Nicole Wray. The song had more success than the first ...

", which featured Wray,

Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 300 ...

, and

MC Solaar Claude M'Barali, professionally known as MC Solaar (; born 5 March 1969), is a French rapper of Senegalese and Chadian origin. He is one of France's most famous and influential hip hop artists. Some consider him the best French rapper of all ...

. The single achieved success in European markets and even garnered a gold-status certification by the SNEP. In 2000, Wray began recording her original second album titled ''Elektric Blue''. In July 2001, she released the single "I'm Lookin'" which was planned to be the lead single. Following the single's moderate performance on the

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

, the album ''Elektric Blue'' was subjected to several postponed dates and was ultimately shelved when Wray decided to leave The Goldmind Inc and Elektra Records in 2001. In 2002, gospel duo Pam & Dodi released "Don't Have To", a gospel and pop song written by Wray. The song was featured as the lead single of the duo's self-titled album.

2003–2011: ''Lovechild''

In June 2003, Wray released a single "Welcome Home" with rapper

Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), better known by his stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily fr ...

. Later that year, Wray secured a recording contract with

Roc-A-Fella Records Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994. History 1994–2000: Formation ...

. In November 2004, Wray issued a single "If I Was Your Girlfriend", originally planned to be the lead single of her forthcoming album ''Lovechild''. The single spent twenty weeks on R&B chart but ultimately peaked at fifty-seven. Later that year, Wray experienced a brief roster move from Roc-A Fella to

Def Jam Records Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

to ultimately the Dame Dash Music Group.You Might Not See Her, But Nicole Wray Continues To “Make It Hot” (Exclusive Interview)
YouKnowIGotSoul. Retrieved: December 11, 2021. The album ''Lovechild'' was scheduled to be released in April 2005 but was shelved after the Dame Dash Music Group became defunct. During her time on the Dame Dash Music Group, Wray made a cameo appearance in movie ''

State Property 2 ''State Property 2'' is a 2005 American crime film directed by Damon Dash and produced and distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment. A sequel to 2002's '' State Property'', the film stars rap artists and other musicians such as Cam'ron, The Diplo ...

''. In July 2005, Wray and Mike Jones released " Still Tippin' (It's a Man's World) (Remix)" on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...

of American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

Hustle & Flow ''Hustle & Flow'' is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain. It stars Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper. It ...

. Still maintaining her work relationship with Damon Dash, Wray performed on

The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their ...

rock and hip-hop fusion album titled

Blakroc ''Blakroc'' (stylized as ''BlakRoc'') is a studio album by American rock band The Black Keys, in collaboration with Damon Dash, co-founder and former co-owner of Roc-A-Fella Records, who oversaw the project. The album features guest appearances fr ...

, released in November 2009. Wray was then enlisted to add her background vocals on The Black Keys' album, ''

Brothers A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

'', which was published in May 2010. In June 2010, Wray released ''Boss Chick'' which featured unreleased music from years prior. A single titled "I Like It" was issued from the album. In 2011, Wray and

7 Aurelius Marcus Vest, known by his stage names Channel 7 and 7 Aurelius, is an American record producer, rapper and songwriter. Awards * Grammy Best Contemporary R&B Album - Ashanti - Producer/ Engineer *ASCAP Pop Music Awards ** Songwriter of the Year ...

released a compilation album ''Dream Factory Sessions'' which featured unreleased songs recorded in 2004.7 AURELIUS & NICOLE WRAY: DREAM FACTORY SESSIONS
junodownload. Retrieved: December 11, 2021.

2012–2014: ''Lady'' and Truth & Soul Records

In 2012, Wray formed a retro-soul duo called Lady with

Terri Walker Terri Walker (born Chanelle Gstettenbauer, 14 April 1979) is an English R&B and soul singer-songwriter. Walker has released four albums in the United Kingdom, ''Untitled'', '' L.O.V.E'', ''I Am'' and ''Entitled''. She also provided the majority ...

, a singer she met in 2009. Lady became the background vocalists for American

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

singer Lee Fields during his ''Lee Fields and The Expressions Tour'' in 2012. During the tour, Lady recorded their self-titled album and released it in March 2013 on Truth and Soul Records. The album spawned three singles: "Money", "Get Ready", and "Good Lovin'". Heavily influenced by 1960/70s soul music, the album was a success and allowed the duo headline their own concert tour. During their tour, Walker departed from the music act to pursue her solo career. Wray renamed the music act as "Lady, the Band" and continued on with the addition of two background singers for the conclusion of the tour. After the roster move from Truth and Soul Records to Big Crown Records, Wray adopted the stage name Lady Wray.

2016–present: ''Queen Alone'' and ''Piece of Me''

In June 2016, Wray released "Do It Again", the lead single of her second album ''Queen Alone''. In July 2016, she released the second single "Guilty", a song inspired by her brother's incarceration. In September 2016, Wray issued her second album ''Queen Alone'' on Big Crown Records. The album retained a similar retro-soul sound as her earlier project with Lady. Wray continued to promote the album with the issue of the singles "Smiling" and "Underneath My Feet". In 2019, Wray released two singles: "Piece of Me" and "Come On In". The following year, she issued another single "Storms". In mid-2021, she released another single "Games People Play". Later that year, she issued two more singles: "Under the Sun" and "Through It All". Her third solo album ''

Piece of Me "Piece of Me" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, '' Blackout'' (2007). It was released on November 27, 2007, by Jive Records as the second single from the album, but was actually the last song recorded. It ...

'' was released on January 28, 2022.

Personal life

In June 2018, Wray gave birth to her daughter Melody Bacote. In April 2020, Wray married musician Dante Bacote.

Discography

* ''

'' (1998) * ''

Queen Alone ''Queen Alone'' is the second studio album by American singer Nicole Wray, released on September 23, 2016, by Big Crown Records. This is her first solo album in 18 years since her last album ''Make It Hot'' and her first under a new name, Lady Wra ...

'' (2016) * ''

'' (2022)

Filmography

;Films * ''

'' (2005) ;Television * '' The Wayans Bros.'' (1998)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wray, Nicole 1979 births 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers African-American actresses African-American women singers African-American women singer-songwriters American child singers American contemporary R&B singers American dance musicians American female hip hop singers American women pop singers American women singer-songwriters American film actresses Living people Musicians from Portsmouth, Virginia People from Salinas, California Roc-A-Fella Records artists Singer-songwriters from California Singer-songwriters from Virginia