Lady Wray: The Phoenix Arises as a ‘Queen Alone’
The Phoenix arises even more brilliant and beautiful with Lady Wray aka Nicole Wray, as the embodiment of a magnificent musical creature. Singles “Do It Again” and “Guilty” are only tiny particles of what the Lady delivers!
Beginning her journey as a young signee to Missy Elliott’s Goldmine Records and featured on the platinum selling “Supa Dupa Fly”; she later signed with Dame Dash and helped deliver a gold plaque with Cam’Ron on is “Purple Haze” project. Lady Wray aka Nicole Wray declares, “This has been one hell of a journey.”
You’ve experienced so many challenges in your career path through no action of your own, i.e., label shut down, uncooperative project mate, etc., and yet here you are standing firm and delivering great music that meets listeners where they are. Would you say music kept you sane through all of this?
I would say my love ones and my love for my music has kept me sane through this all. Trust me it isn’t easy when you know you have what it takes, and things go wrong it’s like something is fighting against me. But every time God has a new route for me and he’s never let me down. He is the source that gets me through it all.
Coming from a background story that has spawned many Soul and R&B greats to now being a wizened and experienced industry professional, from the outside looking in, how do you see the artist Lady Wray?
Well, I see me as always the same strong, loving, dedicated, and inspired by natural life itself. I’m the realist and sometimes that’s not always good in the music industry. Sometimes they want people with no identity, and that has never been me. I have worked with some of the greatest of my times learned a list of things to do and not to do. I decided a long time ago who I was gonna be and that me organic.
You’ve experienced the Gold Sales Award feelings, the Billboard chart topper feelings, etc., but what does it feel like when you finally get a story out via your music and have a live audience rocking with you?
To have been on the charts to gold sales means a lot. It’s a great accomplishment to achieve at such a young age, But the feeling of a live audience rocking with me right there lets me know that this I what I have wanted with my nerves and all. To know people love me and my talent makes me unstoppable.
September 23, 2016, is an important day for you as your full-length project “Queen Alone” is scheduled to drop via Big Crown Records and already the music industry is buzzing along with music supervisors in film houses across the world. How excited are you to put out something that’s all from the Lady Wray perspective?
Wow, this has been one hell of a journey having a record deal at the age of 16, touring and meeting people all over the world; to things feeling apart, losing friends, no money, just kinda lost. [Then] being able to pick up the pieces and start over growing and learning how to survive in this industry of today your in tomorrow your out. This “Queen Alone” album is not just for today, it represents my past and also and how I overcame my struggle. I’m very excited to put something out that’s all me and have a company that’s constant. You’ll find I’ve gelled my past and future and just had fun doing that.
Early single releases “Do It Again” and “Guilty” are amazing previews as to what we can expect on “Queen Alone.” If you had to choose a song from this body of work for a first-time listener, as an introduction, what would it be?
If I had to pick a song from my body of work for a first-time listener it probably would have been “Let It Go”. I talk about just being tired of things I can’t change, a more related tune that has a really cool ending and breakdown in the middle. Don’t wanna tease but I’d choose that one. It’s cool.
What is the most fun about being Lady Wray at the moment?
The most fun about Lady Wray right now is jamming and making live music connecting with real people all around the world and getting great feedback on how people miss my voice and seeing me.
It’s the digital revolution so what are your must have tech pieces, i.e., smartphone, etc., for your professional and personal life?
Well my fiancé got me an IPad Air, and I live with that thing from day to night. It keeps me entertained from news to social media, games and even putting me to sleep at night on my Spotify app nature sounds lol.
Last but now least, The Hype Magazine wants to know what has been your craziest “Where they do that at?!” moment thus far in your career?
Wow I can say right now a “Where they do that at moment?!” would be people asking me to sing on their songs and not compensating me like I just wanna be killing it in the booth like Patti LaBelle, lol. I just don’t understand how and where they do that at…every hard worker should get paid.
About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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