From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Make It Hot
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 25, 1998 (1998-08-25)
Genre R&B [1]
Length58:30
Label
Producer
Nicole Wray chronology
Make It Hot
(1998)
Queen Alone
(2016)

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, [2] an artist name she only used here and on her single "I Can't See".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
Entertainment WeeklyB [3]
Robert Christgau (neither) [4]
Rolling Stone [5]

Michael Gallucci from AllMusic gave 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

Make It Hot reached number forty-two on the US Billboard 200 and number nineteen on the R&B album chart. [6] [7] The first single, " Make It Hot", reached number five on the Hot 100 chart, [8] number two on the R&B singles chart, [9] and was certified gold. [10] The second single, " I Can't See", reached number thirty-six on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. [11] In 1999, the third and final single from the album, " Eyes Better Not Wander", reached number seventy-one on the R&B singles chart. [12]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Time Is Now (Intro)" (featuring Missy Elliott) Missy Elliott Anthony 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

  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

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes. [13]

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

Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [14] 42
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ( Billboard) [15] 19

Release history

List of release dates, showing region and label
Region Date Label
Japan August 20, 1998 [16]
United Kingdom August 24, 1998
United States August 25, 1998
Germany September 14, 1998

References

  1. ^ a b c Allmusic review
  2. ^ https://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Hot-Nicole-Ray/dp/B000009NV1 Nicole credited as Nicole Ray
  3. ^ a b Rob (4 September 1998). "Brunner". Entertainment Weekly.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Nicole".
  5. ^ Rolling Stone review Archived February 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Make It Hot (The Billboard 200 chart), Billboard,[November 7, 1998.
  7. ^ Make It Hot (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart), Billboard, December 5, 1998.
  8. ^ "Make It Hot" (Hot 100 chart), Billboard, November 28, 1998.
  9. ^ "Make It Hot" (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart), Billboard, December 26, 1998.
  10. ^ RIAA database (search "nicole" under "artist")
  11. ^ "I Can't See" (Rhythmic Top 40 chart), Billboard, November 21, 1998.
  12. ^ "Eyes Better Not Wander" (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart), Billboard, June 19, 1999.
  13. ^ Make It Hot (CD liner). Nicole Wray. Elektra Records. 1998.{{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link)
  14. ^ "Nicole Wray Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  15. ^ "Nicole Wray Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  16. ^ Amazon.co.jp: Make It Hot: Nicole: 音楽