Lady is a soul and funk duo of American Nicole Wray and Brit Terri Walker, who found some commercial success in their home countries, but not artistic satisfaction. Their 11-track self-titled debut sounds like an ode to favourite '60s divas yet fused with contemporary production sound.
How did Lady manifest?
Terri Walker: Obviously I've known about Nicole from the Missy Elliot days, I've always been a big fan, her voice is incredible. I was in New York in 2010 working in the studio and I was introduced to Nicole, we started talking and we both realized we come from a similar story and we were both affiliated with Def Jam around the same time and after that we just started writing songs together. Before long we had 14 songs and we realized we had to give this good thing a name.
Why Lady? What does it mean?
Nicole Wray: Harmony, togetherness, adult, beautiful, successful, able: it means so many things.
Walker: Being a lady means showcasing your best self without having to show everything you've got. In this day and age there doesn't seem to be very many ladies, people are more trying to be baby mama's or jump-offs!
Being that you are women of your '30s and have created a nostalgic body of work, do you fear being written off as out dated?
Walker: I don't think so, classic, quality music can never be dated. The truth can never be dated and we are the truth.
Terri your debut album had a lot of features like Mos Def, Nicole you were introduced to the world by the hottest female rapper at that time, Missy Elliot. How does it feel to be coming out again but this time without any major backers or features?
Wray: It feels good not to have anyone leading and just to see what you have on your own. I think a lot of artists obsess over collaborations when you don't need a lot of collaborations. I think for us we do want to stand on our own two feet and see what we have. I think it's been going extremely well, especially our live shows there's no Missy there, there's no Timbaland, there's no Mos Def, no Damon Dash — just Terri and I, and it's beautiful.
How did Lady manifest?
Terri Walker: Obviously I've known about Nicole from the Missy Elliot days, I've always been a big fan, her voice is incredible. I was in New York in 2010 working in the studio and I was introduced to Nicole, we started talking and we both realized we come from a similar story and we were both affiliated with Def Jam around the same time and after that we just started writing songs together. Before long we had 14 songs and we realized we had to give this good thing a name.
Why Lady? What does it mean?
Nicole Wray: Harmony, togetherness, adult, beautiful, successful, able: it means so many things.
Walker: Being a lady means showcasing your best self without having to show everything you've got. In this day and age there doesn't seem to be very many ladies, people are more trying to be baby mama's or jump-offs!
Being that you are women of your '30s and have created a nostalgic body of work, do you fear being written off as out dated?
Walker: I don't think so, classic, quality music can never be dated. The truth can never be dated and we are the truth.
Terri your debut album had a lot of features like Mos Def, Nicole you were introduced to the world by the hottest female rapper at that time, Missy Elliot. How does it feel to be coming out again but this time without any major backers or features?
Wray: It feels good not to have anyone leading and just to see what you have on your own. I think a lot of artists obsess over collaborations when you don't need a lot of collaborations. I think for us we do want to stand on our own two feet and see what we have. I think it's been going extremely well, especially our live shows there's no Missy there, there's no Timbaland, there's no Mos Def, no Damon Dash — just Terri and I, and it's beautiful.
