Billy Lawrence
Encyclopedia
Billy Lawrence is an American
R&B/soul
singer-songwriter, record producer and arranger.
n singer Jimmy Cliff
. Not long after she was signed to Eastwest Records when she recorded her debut One Might Say in 1994.
The album was a mixture of R&B, soul, rock, contemporary jazz, and newjack-hiphop. She was also featured on the song "Freedom" on Mario Van Peebles
' Panther soundtrack in 1995.
In 1997, Lawrence had the first single and music video from the platinum soundtrack to the film Set It Off with the song "Come On" that featured female rapper MC Lyte
. Elektra Entertainment released Lawrence's second album Paradise
. She was then featured on label-mate Rampage
’s debut single "Take It to the Streets". She went on to tour with Busta Rhymes
, Rampage and the Flipmode Squad
. She made a cameo on Rampage’s video for his second single "We Getz Down" with 702
. She also released a non-album track as a maxi-single called "Up & Down" which sampled the disco song "The Glow of Love" by Change
featuring Luther Vandross
as a second single.
After Paradise, Lawrence was featured on the debut album of rapper Mase
, Harlem World which had multi-platinum success. Along with her brother Kyra Lawrence she wrote and sang background on Jennifer Lopez
's debut album On the 6
. She also wrote and sang background for Mariah Carey
’s group Allure
. Charli Baltimore
recruited Lawrence to be on her debut album Cold as Ice on the song "Pull the Alarm". The album was never released. Lawrence also was at the helm of the album from Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez's group Blaque
. In 1999 Hinda Hicks
covered Lawrence’s "Truly" from her debut album One Might Say, and released it as a single from her album Hinda.
In 1999, Lawrence worked with R&B band TLC
on their studio album FanMail
alongside Dallas Austin
. She wrote four songs for TLC out of 40 that were recorded during the album making phase. None of Lawrence's songs made the final cut of the album. Lawrence was also recording for her next album Too Many Times for Elektra Entertainment during this time. Too Many Times featured producers Poke & Tone, Trackmasters
, Darrell "Delite” Allamby, Dallas Austin, SoulShock
and Organized Noise. Lawrence wrote or co-wrote eight out of the 11 songs. She also produced or co-produced five songs. The first single was going to be the title track which featured TLC. A remix of the title track was also recorded with Left Eye (Lisa Lopez) and Busta Rhymes. Lawrence also remade Anita Baker
's "Fairy Tales". The album was set for a November release date, but was pushed back until eventually Elektra Entertainment was bought out by new owners Warner Music Group
and the album was shelved.
After leaving the label, Lawrence signed with Epic Records
, and she wrote and sung background on two songs for label mate, Mandy Moore
on her debut album. Moore's debut single "Candy" had Lawrence on background vocals.
The domain billylawrence.com was purchased by Epic Records but is not in use by Lawrence.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer-songwriter, record producer and arranger.
Biography
In 1992, Lawrence made her start in the music industry as a background singer for JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n singer Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
. Not long after she was signed to Eastwest Records when she recorded her debut One Might Say in 1994.
The album was a mixture of R&B, soul, rock, contemporary jazz, and newjack-hiphop. She was also featured on the song "Freedom" on Mario Van Peebles
Mario Van Peebles
Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:...
' Panther soundtrack in 1995.
In 1997, Lawrence had the first single and music video from the platinum soundtrack to the film Set It Off with the song "Come On" that featured female rapper MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
. Elektra Entertainment released Lawrence's second album Paradise
Paradise (Billy Lawrence album)
-Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*art direction – Kiku*assistant engineering – Rawle Gittens, Storm Jefferson, Kenny Stallworth, Mike Wilson*assistant mixing – Ricco Lumpkins*bass – Preston Crump*design – Kiku...
. She was then featured on label-mate Rampage
Rampage (rapper)
Rampage, is an American rapper who is a member of the Flipmode Squad. He was born as Roger McNair in Brooklyn, New York City to Katherine McNair and Roger Williams...
’s debut single "Take It to the Streets". She went on to tour with Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Rampage and the Flipmode Squad
Flipmode Squad
The Flipmode Squad is a production crew and musical group, founded and fronted by rapper Busta Rhymes. The first Flipmode album debuted in 1998 with The Imperial, Rampage and Rah Digga went on to record solo efforts...
. She made a cameo on Rampage’s video for his second single "We Getz Down" with 702
702 (band)
702 , named after the area code of their hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, is an American platinum-selling R&B trio. Originally a quartet, the group became a trio, which includes sisters Irish , and LeMisha 'Misha' Grinstead, and lead singer Kameelah 'Meelah' Williams...
. She also released a non-album track as a maxi-single called "Up & Down" which sampled the disco song "The Glow of Love" by Change
Change (band)
Change was an Italian-American post-disco group formed in Bologna, Italy in 1979 by businessman and executive producer Jacques Fred Petrus and Mauro Malavasi...
featuring Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
as a second single.
After Paradise, Lawrence was featured on the debut album of rapper Mase
Mase
Mason Durell Betha , better known by stage name Mase who was previously known as Murda Ma$e, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and inspirational speaker...
, Harlem World which had multi-platinum success. Along with her brother Kyra Lawrence she wrote and sang background on Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
's debut album On the 6
On the 6
On the 6 is the debut studio album by American recording artist Jennifer Lopez, released on June 1, 1999 by Work Records. It debuted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 the week of June 19, 1999, with first-week sales of 112,000 copies, remaining in the top 20 for 11 weeks and on the chart...
. She also wrote and sang background for Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
’s group Allure
Allure (group)
Allure is a New York-based R&B girl group that formed in the early 1990s as a quartet, now a trio. Original members were Alia Davis, Linnie Belcher, Lalisha McClean and Akissa Mendez.-Career:...
. Charli Baltimore
Charli Baltimore
Tiffany "Charli Baltimore" Lane is an American Grammy Award nominated female rapper. Her stage name is taken from Geena Davis's character in the film The Long Kiss Goodnight.-Musical career:...
recruited Lawrence to be on her debut album Cold as Ice on the song "Pull the Alarm". The album was never released. Lawrence also was at the helm of the album from Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez's group Blaque
Blaque
Blaque is an American Urban-R&B group that had a string of hits in the late 90’s. The group's name stands for Believing, Life, Achieving, Quest, Unity, Everything. Their debut album sold more than 1.5 million copies and was certified Platinum...
. In 1999 Hinda Hicks
Hinda Hicks
Hinda Hicks is a Tunisian born singer, with British nationality having moved to West Sussex as a child.-Introduction:Hicks originally sang with an R&B band called the Fabulous Fug Band and at one time sent a demo of her vocals alongside Aretha Franklin's "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" to Phil...
covered Lawrence’s "Truly" from her debut album One Might Say, and released it as a single from her album Hinda.
In 1999, Lawrence worked with R&B band TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
on their studio album FanMail
FanMail
FanMail is the third studio album by American girl group trio TLC, released on February 23, 1999. As with previous album CrazySexyCool , the group re-teamed with Dallas Austin, Babyface, and Jermaine Dupri on the album's production and the album features the computer voice female named Vic-E .The...
alongside Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...
. She wrote four songs for TLC out of 40 that were recorded during the album making phase. None of Lawrence's songs made the final cut of the album. Lawrence was also recording for her next album Too Many Times for Elektra Entertainment during this time. Too Many Times featured producers Poke & Tone, Trackmasters
Trackmasters
The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke and Tone , sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, best known for their commercial hit records in the late 90s and early 2000s. Throughout their career they have worked with various hip-hop and R&B artists including R...
, Darrell "Delite” Allamby, Dallas Austin, SoulShock
Soulshock
Carsten Schack and better known by his stage name Soulshock is a Danish record producer and songwriter-Beginnings:...
and Organized Noise. Lawrence wrote or co-wrote eight out of the 11 songs. She also produced or co-produced five songs. The first single was going to be the title track which featured TLC. A remix of the title track was also recorded with Left Eye (Lisa Lopez) and Busta Rhymes. Lawrence also remade Anita Baker
Anita Baker
Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....
's "Fairy Tales". The album was set for a November release date, but was pushed back until eventually Elektra Entertainment was bought out by new owners Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
and the album was shelved.
After leaving the label, Lawrence signed with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, and she wrote and sung background on two songs for label mate, Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
on her debut album. Moore's debut single "Candy" had Lawrence on background vocals.
The domain billylawrence.com was purchased by Epic Records but is not in use by Lawrence.
Albums
| Year | Album | Label | Peak Position | ||
| Billboard Hot 200 | Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
Billboard Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
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| 8/16/1994 | One Might Say | EastWest East West Records East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:... |
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| 6/24/1997 | Paradise Paradise (Billy Lawrence album) -Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*art direction – Kiku*assistant engineering – Rawle Gittens, Storm Jefferson, Kenny Stallworth, Mike Wilson*assistant mixing – Ricco Lumpkins*bass – Preston Crump*design – Kiku... |
EastWest | 57 | ||
| 11/??/1999 (Unreleased) | Too Many Times | EastWest | |||
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak Position | |
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop | ||
| 1994 | "Happiness" | 87 | 61 |
| "Boyfriend" | |||
| 1997 | "Come On" (feat. MC Lyte MC Lyte MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:... ) |
44 | 19 |
| "Up & Down" | 92 | 47 | |
| "Paradise" |