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)

Nicole Wray - Elektric Blue (2001)

In 1997, Nicole Wray appeared as a featured vocalist on the song 'Gettaway' for Missy Elliott's first album 'Supa Dupa Fly', and using that as a springboard she released her first solo single 'Make It Hot' the following year, with the record peaking in the top-five on Billboard's Hot 100. This was followed by an album of the same name, but it didn't fare as well as the single, peaking at forty-two on Billboard Top 200 Albums and ninety-one on the UK Albums Chart. Further singles from the album failed to promote sales, although in 1999 Missy Elliott once again featured Wray on her single 'All n My Grill', which achieved some 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', releasing 'I'm Lookin'' as the lead single, but despite the record's moderate performance on the R&B chart, the album was subjected to several postponements. Wray had partnered with producers outside the SuperFriends clique, and recruited composers Diane Warren, Teddy Bishop, Harold Lily, Tamara Savage, Pharrell Williams & Chad Hugo of The Neptunes/N*E*R*D during demo sessions for the album, writing songs such as 'Gonna Love You', 'Only Love', 'Dial My Heart', and 'Jump'. During the course of summer 2000, she decided to work again with collaborators Missy Elliott & Timbaland, coming up with 'Single Life', '(No Joke) Mama Used to Say', 'Club 2G', and 'Bangin' (Don't Lie)', the latter serving as one of two buzz singles for 'Elektric Blue'. Sadly, the single went nowhere due to the signing of Wary's Goldmind Inc. label-mate Torrey Carter, whose inclusion pushed her and other label-mate's projects into 2001. The event caused her to retool the album once more and choose a softer single compared to her previous selections, and the ballad 'I'm Lookin''  was chosen as the official lead single, but although it garnered minor airplay on video networks like BET's 'Midnight Love', it failed to make a bigger impression on the Billboard chart, and as a result 'Elektric Blue' was pushed back once more towards the fourth quarter of 2001, with the consequence that Wray asked to be released from her contract, and 'Elektric Blue' was consigned to the vaults. Once again, record company politics got in the way and prevented a fine album from being heard by the fans, and so, just as Lady Wary re-emerges with her new album 'Piece Of Me', here is a chance to hear that shelved recording, and to curse the record company for keeping it hidden away. 'Sweetest' was only a brief minute and a half long, so I've extended it into a more listenable three minute piece. 

Track listing

01 I'm Lookin'
02 Not My Man (Meet Me At The Spot)
03 (No Joke) Mama Used To Say (feat. Redman & Missy Elliott)
04 Wanna Cruise
05 Single Life (Interlude) (feat. Missy Elliott)

06 Sweetest
07 Bangin' (Don't Lie) (feat. Prodigy)
08 (You) Played The Game
09 Sayonara
00 U Can't Be Me
11 Gonna Love You
12 Ghetto Children (feat. Bizzy)