Nicole Wray - Lovechild (2005)

Following the scrapping of Nicole Wray's 2001 album 'Elektric Blue', she left Goldmind Inc and Elektra Records. Over the next couple of years she kept a low profile, and her only exposure was when gospel duo Pam & Dodi released 'Don't Have To', a gospel and pop song written by Wray, in 2002. In June 2003, she released a single 'Welcome Home' with rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard, and later that year she secured a recording contract with Roc-A-Fella Records, although it wasn't until November 2004 that she issued a record for them, with 'If I Was Your Girlfriend' intended to be the lead single of her forthcoming album 'Lovechild'. The single spent twenty weeks on the R&B chart, but could never rise higher than number fifty-seven, and later that year she experienced a brief roster move from Roc-A Fella to Def Jam Records, and ultimately to the Dame Dash Music Group. 'Lovechild' was scheduled to be released in April 2005, but was shelved after the Dame Dash Music Group became defunct. Fans who have heard it reckon that it is one of Wray’s best works to date, and that you can tell she was very much hands-on with the song-writing, showing her mature side on songs such as 'If I Was Your Girlfriend', 'So Sexy', 'Can't Get Out The Game', and 'Where I'm From'. She also chose some classic soul ballads and classy pop songs to cover, with 'Saturday Love' and 'Destination' among the best of them. The album was mostly produced by 7 Aurelius at his Dream Factory studio, and the sessions were a very creative time of her life, recording at least 70 songs for the 'Lovechild' album. In 2011, Wray and 7 Aurelius released a compilation album called 'Dream Factory Sessions', which featured unreleased songs recorded in 2004, although only one track from this version of 'Lovechild' appeared on it. Other producers on the album included Toby Gad, Damon Dash, Peedi Crakk, Max B, and Boola, who each produced a portion of the album, and it was intended to be her spectacular third album, but sadly it suffered an array of setbacks as time progressed, as was the case with her 'Elektric Blue' album, with industry politics, lack of proper promotion, and lack of charting singles all being blamed for its cancellation. Once again, fans were denied the chance to hear some great music which Wray had spent a considerable amount of time working on, and so to make up for that here is the 'Lovechild' album in full. 

Track listing

01 Walk Right Up
02 If I Was Your Girlfriend
03 Destination
04 Fighting (feat. Boogie)
05 Thug Style (feat. Peedi Crakk)
06 Saturday Love (feat. Rell)
07 I Wanna Kiss You
08 So Sexy
09 Cloud Nine
10 Act A Fool
11 Where I'm From
12 Kiss Of Death
13 Gunz & Roses (feat. Maino)
14 Can’t Get Out The Game (feat. Beanie Sigel)
15 Regrets (feat. Jay Z)