Make It Hot

(Redirected from I Can't See)

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. Some editions of the release credit Nicole as Nicole Ray, a name she only used here and on her single "I Can't See".

Make It Hot
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 25, 1998 (1998-08-25)
GenreR&B[1]
Length58:30
Label
Producer
Nicole Wray chronology
Make It Hot
(1998)
Queen Alone
(2016)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Robert Christgau [2]
Entertainment WeeklyB[3]
Rolling Stone     [4]

Michael Gallucci from AllMusic wrote that Make It Hot "is virtually a textbook primer on Elliott's stylistic touch and influence on end-of-the-millennium hip-hop (she raps on, writes songs for, produces, and executive produces Make It Hot – and it's on her custom label). Along with pal Timbaland, Elliott transforms young Nicole's somewhat standard bow into a stuttering slab of post-rap R&B that's as sleekly modern as it is customarily cold."[1] Entertainment Weekly journalist Rob Brunner gave the album a B rating and concluded: "Even if the distinctive Missy-Timbaland sound is getting a little old, Hot proves the formula hasn’t gone cold just yet."[3]

Chart performance

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Make It Hot reached number forty-two on the US Billboard 200 and number nineteen on the R&B album chart.[5][6] The first single, "Make It Hot", reached number five on the Hot 100 chart,[7] number two on the R&B singles chart,[8] and was certified gold.[9] The second single, "I Can't See", reached number thirty-six on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart.[10] In 1999, the third and final single from the album, "Eyes Better Not Wander", reached number seventy-one on the R&B singles chart.[11]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Time Is Now (Intro)" (featuring Missy Elliott)Missy ElliottAnthony Dent1:39
2."Seventeen"Elliott
  • Elliott
  • Gerard "Soundman" Thomas
  • Donald "Lenny" Holmes
4:53
3."In da Street" (featuring Mocha & Missy Elliott)
  • Elliott
  • Nicole Wray
  • Elliott
  • Thomas
  • Holmes
4:02
4."Traffic Jam (Interlude)"WrayDent1:22
5."Curiosity" (featuring Lil' Mo & Dent)
  • Dent
  • Kevin Hicks
4:12
6."Make It Hot" (featuring Mocha & Missy Elliott)
Timbaland4:27
7."Prelude (I Can't See)"
  • Morgan
  • Loving
Brian Alexander Morgan0:44
8."I Can't See"
  • Morgan
  • Loving
Morgan4:46
9."Nervous" (featuring Lil' Mo)
  • Elliott
  • Wray
  • Elliott
  • Thomas
  • Holmes
3:34
10."Pressure (Interlude)"Wray
  • Dent
  • Hicks
1:14
11."Boy You Should Listen"
  • Elliott
  • Wray
  • Elliott
  • Thomas
  • Holmes
4:47
12."Eyes Better Not Wander"
Smokey4:33
13."Radio DJ (Interlude)"
  • Darryl McClary
  • Michael Allen
  • Big Baby
  • Suga Mike
1:04
14."Silly Love Song"
  • Loving
  • McClary
  • Allen
  • Big Baby
  • Suga Mike
4:39
15."Raise Your Frown"
  • Garrett
  • Peacock
  • B. Bush
Smokey4:10
16."Borrowed Time"
  • Loving
  • McClary
  • Allen
  • Big Baby
  • Suga Mike
5:01
17."Testing Our Love (Suga)"
  • Garrett
  • Peacock
Smokey3:36

Limited Edition bonus disc

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  1. Clipse - "We Get Money (Got Caught, Pt. 2)"
  2. Flipmode Squad - "Everything"
  3. Yo Yo - "Do You Wanna Ride?"
  4. Missy Elliott - "Get Contact" 1
  5. Coko - "He Be Back" 1
  6. En Vogue - "No Fool No More"

1 Denotes demo version

Personnel

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Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.[12]

Instruments and performances
Technical and production
  • Executive producers: Missy Elliott, Merlin Bobb, Sylvia Rhone
  • Producers: Big Baby, Merlin Bobb, Missy Elliott, Kevin Hicks, Donald Holmes, Brian Alexander Morgan, Tim Mosley, Sylvia Rhone, Smokey, Suga Mike, Timbaland
  • Vocal producer: Nicole Wray
  • Vocal assistance: Missy Elliott
  • Engineers: Claude "Swifty" Achille, Jimmy Douglas, Paul Falcone, Nat Foster, Eddie Hudson, Ted Reiger, Jon Smeltz, Stevie Sola
  • Assistant engineers: Chuck Bailey, Steve Macauley, Rob Murphy, Jason Rea
  • Mixing: Claude "Swifty" Achille, Kevin Davis, Jimmy Douglas, Paul Falcone, Nat Foster, Senator Jimmy D
  • Programming: Timbaland
  • Mastering: Herb Powers
  • Arranger: Missy Elliott, Nat Foster, Larry Gold, Brian Morgan,

Charts

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Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[13] 42
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] 19

Release history

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List of release dates, showing region and label
Region Date Label
Japan August 20, 1998
United Kingdom August 24, 1998
United States August 25, 1998
Germany September 14, 1998

References

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  1. ^ a b c AllMusic review
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Nicole".
  3. ^ a b Rob (4 September 1998). "Brunner". Entertainment Weekly.
  4. ^ Rolling Stone review Archived February 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Make It Hot (The Billboard 200 chart), Billboard,[November 7, 1998.
  6. ^ Make It Hot (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart), Billboard, December 5, 1998.
  7. ^ "Make It Hot" (Hot 100 chart), Billboard, November 28, 1998.
  8. ^ "Make It Hot" (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart), Billboard, December 26, 1998.
  9. ^ RIAA database (search "nicole" under "artist")
  10. ^ "I Can't See" (Rhythmic Top 40 chart), Billboard, November 21, 1998.
  11. ^ "Eyes Better Not Wander" (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart), Billboard, June 19, 1999.
  12. ^ Make It Hot (CD liner). Nicole Wray. Elektra Records. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ "Nicole Wray Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  14. ^ "Nicole Wray Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2020.