Ray Lavender

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Ray Lavender: Ray Lavender is sexy, straight to the point and what I bring to the table is reality music. I have studied the greatest like Marvin Gaye, R.Kelly, Sam Cooke, and Stevie Wonder. I'm an R&B guy at heart and what you see is what you get. I cut no shorts on my album and you'll hear exactly what I mean.

24: In today's industry they are rappers and singers coming and going all the time so tell what will keep you around for years to come?

Ray Lavender: How creative and weird I am with my music. I say things that the average artist won't or are too afraid to say, I say what people think. Like the record my girlfriend has a girlfriend who is honest to tell you that and walk in on that and join in. This is how I'm coming I have an edge with my music, reality music.

24: Tell me about your album X-Rated and how this year you have an album coming out on Geffen and Akon's KonLive Records?

Ray Lavender: The reason why I went with the title is because the content gets a little heavy and I got straight to it and I'm a sexual guy and what ever I wanted to say I said. This album targets when and I'm going right at them.

24: How did you meet Akon and eventually sign to KonLive Records?

Ray Lavender: I met Akon back in 1996 and I met him through a mutual friend and he told me he know this guy who has a studio and it's for free so once he said for free I was there. So I get over their and this African guy answer the door and the African guy turned out to be Akon. He did not look like he did beats but these beats were the best beats that I heard to date. Then he played some of his songs for me and it did not sound as good, his voice was a little cutty because you know when you first heard Akon you did not know how to feel but when you get it you got it. We started working together right away, then he got locked up and went to jail but soon as he got out we went right back to work.

24: Who are some singers and songwriters that inspire you?

Ray Lavender: Smokey Robinson, Sam Cooke like I mentioned before, Marvin Gaye he's one of my favorite but the one that inspire me the most is R.Kelly.

24: Let's talk about your hot single "My Girl's Gotta Girlfriend" who produced that track and how did you come up with the concept?

Ray Lavender: This was a true story, I walked into my house walked up the stairs and seen my girl with a girl and made it do what it do. My producer Jason Scott produced the beat he is out of Columbus, Georgia.

24: I hear the version with Fabolous and Red Café a lot so that the official remix and will you do that version for the video or the original with just yourself?

Ray Lavender: We did both videos but the one with Fabolous is the official look that we're coming out with though.

24: Has this year's low record sales worried you at all or did you just focused on doing the best music possible?

Ray Lavender: I focused on making the best music possible, I wasn't worried about anything else because a hit song is a hit song and will bring good numbers.

24: Other then music is there anything you have a passion for?

Ray Lavender: Acting. I want to act so bad, I sit back and watch Will Smith and all of these actors and I like the fact that they get to do all of these different roles and characters so acting is my next passion.

24: When can the fans expect to see the album in stores?

Ray Lavender: I'm shooting for the middle of September because I'm following up with a Christmas album.

24: Anything else you would like to promote or say to the readers checking out this interview?

Ray Lavender: I'm coming Konvict Music we did it again, my next single "Donkey Kong" and be on the look out for the new Akon movie "Cocaine Cowboys" I will be doing a little acting in that.