Make It Hot
# Make It Hot

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

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Entertainment Weekly | B |
| Robert Christgau | |
| Rolling Stone | |

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." 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."

## Chart performance

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

## Track listing

### Limited Edition bonus disc

* Clipse - "We Get Money (Got Caught, Pt. 2)"
* Flipmode Squad - "Everything"
* Yo Yo - "Do You Wanna Ride?"
* Missy Elliott - "Get Contact" $^1$
* Coko - "He Be Back" $^1$
* En Vogue - "No Fool No More"

$^1$ Denotes demo version

## Personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.

### 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 | 42 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 19 |

## Release history

List of release dates, showing region and label :

| Region | Date | Label |
| - | - | - |
| Japan | August 20, 1998 | The GoldmindElektra |
| United Kingdom | August 24, 1998 | The GoldmindElektra |
| United States | August 25, 1998 | The GoldmindElektra |
| Germany | September 14, 1998 | The GoldmindElektra |
