Lady

Lady came together in 2009 after vocalists Terri Walker and Nicole Wray crossed paths in New York City and realized their shared passion for late-'60s and early-'70s soul was compelling enough to launch a joint project. Each singer arrived with a substantial prior résumé in the industry. London-born Walker had already cut four solo albums, one of which—2003's Untitled—earned a Mercury Prize nomination, collaborated with Salaam Remi on the Champagne Flutes side project, and supplied backing vocals for both Fergie and Jennifer Hudson. Virginia-born Wray first attracted notice at seventeen by singing on Missy Elliot's 1997 album Supa Dupa Fly, issued her own solo debut, 1998's Make It Hot, under the name Nicole, and thereafter concentrated on session work, contributing to Cam'ron's Purple Haze, Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, the Black Keys' Brothers, and the Keys' related 2009 endeavor Blakroc. The pair aligned with Truth & Soul Records co-founders Leon Michels and Jeff Silverman, producers already versed in creating period-authentic soul for artists such as Lee Fields and El Michaels Affair while also handling sessions for Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. Lady's resulting style fused the classic timbres of Motown, Stax, and Atlantic with a contemporary, hip-hop-informed sensibility. Following the 2012 single "Money" and the early-2013 release "Get Ready," the self-titled Lady album appeared on Truth & Soul in March 2013. Walker departed the group on amicable terms later that year, after which Wray carried on, augmenting live performances with two additional backing vocalists.