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 | ||||
| Released | August 25, 1998 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 58:30 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Nicole Wray chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Robert Christgau |  [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[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
editMake 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
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Time Is Now (Intro)" (featuring Missy Elliott) | Missy Elliott | Anthony Dent | 1:39 |
| 2. | "Seventeen" | Elliott |
| 4:53 |
| 3. | "In da Street" (featuring Mocha & Missy Elliott) |
|
| 4:02 |
| 4. | "Traffic Jam (Interlude)" | Wray | Dent | 1:22 |
| 5. | "Curiosity" (featuring Lil' Mo & Dent) |
|
| 4:12 |
| 6. | "Make It Hot" (featuring Mocha & Missy Elliott) |
| Timbaland | 4:27 |
| 7. | "Prelude (I Can't See)" |
| Brian Alexander Morgan | 0:44 |
| 8. | "I Can't See" |
| Morgan | 4:46 |
| 9. | "Nervous" (featuring Lil' Mo) |
|
| 3:34 |
| 10. | "Pressure (Interlude)" | Wray |
| 1:14 |
| 11. | "Boy You Should Listen" |
|
| 4:47 |
| 12. | "Eyes Better Not Wander" |
| Smokey | 4:33 |
| 13. | "Radio DJ (Interlude)" |
|
| 1:04 |
| 14. | "Silly Love Song" |
|
| 4:39 |
| 15. | "Raise Your Frown" |
| Smokey | 4:10 |
| 16. | "Borrowed Time" |
|
| 5:01 |
| 17. | "Testing Our Love (Suga)" |
| Smokey | 3:36 |
Limited Edition bonus disc
edit- Clipse - "We Get Money (Got Caught, Pt. 2)"
- Flipmode Squad - "Everything"
- Yo Yo - "Do You Wanna Ride?"
- Missy Elliott - "Get Contact" 1
- Coko - "He Be Back" 1
- En Vogue - "No Fool No More"
1 Denotes demo version
Personnel
editCredits 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
edit| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[13] | 42 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] | 19 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | August 20, 1998 | |
| United Kingdom | August 24, 1998 | |
| United States | August 25, 1998 | |
| Germany | September 14, 1998 |
References
edit- ^ a b c AllMusic review
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Nicole".
- ^ a b Rob (4 September 1998). "Brunner". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Rolling Stone review Archived February 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Make It Hot (The Billboard 200 chart), Billboard,[November 7, 1998.
- ^ Make It Hot (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart), Billboard, December 5, 1998.
- ^ "Make It Hot" (Hot 100 chart), Billboard, November 28, 1998.
- ^ "Make It Hot" (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart), Billboard, December 26, 1998.
- ^ RIAA database (search "nicole" under "artist")
- ^ "I Can't See" (Rhythmic Top 40 chart), Billboard, November 21, 1998.
- ^ "Eyes Better Not Wander" (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart), Billboard, June 19, 1999.
- ^ Make It Hot (CD liner). Nicole Wray. Elektra Records. 1998.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Nicole Wray Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "Nicole Wray Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2020.