RAY @ WORK...!
AKON BIRTHDAY PARTY @ VELVET ROOM
Watch the new video for "Stay"
Over the years, Atlanta, Georgia has introduced its fair share of music superstars to the world. And with the introduction of Ray Lavender a.k.a. Ray-L, that tradition will undoubtedly continue. Coming to Atlanta by way of Monroe, Louisiana, Kon Live Records / Konvict Musik artist, Ray is poised & on the path to becoming one of music’s brightest stars with his sensual yet hard-edged brand of R&B. Growing up, Ray admired a wide array of artist: Fred Hammond, Shirley Murdock, and Prince, just to name a few. But it was R. Kelly who truly inspired Ray to pursue his passion. “His tribulations sounded like my tribulations. He inspired me to write, sing, and become a hard working young man.” This work ethic has stayed with Ray to this day and has only grown as he is equally passionate about songwriting as he is about singing. It all started with businessman Andrew Bryant a.k.a Drew 10 years ago. Drew met a group called Collabo at a studio in Atlanta, and was blown away by the lead singer, which happened to be Ray. Drew then signed and further developed the group under his production company. It was only a matter of time before Ray stood out as a solo artist and the music industry heavyweights would begin to take notice. After performing on Soul Train, his tireless pursuit of success gained him the respect of the industry's top of producers including Jazze Pha, Dallas Austin, Teddy Riley and Tricky Stewart. It also gave the world the first peek at his work as he wrote the song “Knock, Knock, Knock” for Gerald Levert's “A Stroke of Genius” album. In addition, Ray has already worked on upcoming projects with LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes. Although Drew had other options on the table for Ray, he decided to take his superstar artist to his long time friend Akon. There was an instant chemistry between the two, and Ray was immediately signed as the first act to Akon's Kon Live Distribution joint venture with Geffen/Interscope. Ray-L recorded his album under the creative mastery of the multi-platinum selling producer/artist Akon. Though his peers in the industry serve as a major motivator, it is from his life that Ray draws his greatest inspiration. Coming from a large family of music lovers, Ray was destined for the stage, and the untimely loss of his father motivated him to make a difference, not only for himself but his family. The other inspirations for this handsome young man were the ladies of course. Handsome looks, along with a sweet Southern drawl have made him a ladies man for, many years now. “I do know I have always been good with the ladies...Just kidding, but I can be a handsome fellow at times”, Ray says with a smile and a laugh. Highly controversial composition of reality is expressed in his big debut single “My Girl Gotta Girlfriend” that caught attention to every ear it passed through. Followed by a smooth blend of melody with hit collaboration “Put It Down” featuring T-Pain, which left lasting impressions on those fortunate enough to catch that hit performance ..shia Cole featuring J. Holliday, & Lyfe Jennings’ tours. Ray shows his true artistry with “Stay” that expresses classic R&B within a ballad, & unconsciously has enough character to be a classic itself. Ray’s LP promises to be nothing shy of the man's national anthem consisting of everything that they've always wanted to say but couldn't find the words. Whatever it is, Ray has delivered that and more with his masterpiece song collection that makes up his highly anticipated self-titled album, “RAY LAVENDER”, due to release mid 2009.
Happy Happy Bday my dude. Looking real good and I see you got the ladis screaming still. Nothing new for you. Soon the world will understand what they have been missing for years in your music. And when it hits its gonna hit crazy. So stay up and be blessed.
Online Now!
