Billy Lawrence
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Billy Lawrence (born 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri) is a trans-raced female R&B/soul singer-songwriter, record producer and arranger. She has had a career that has spread through 15 years. Though not as well known as other musicians; she has impacted many other artists. She’s worked with everyone from Jennifer Lopez, Mandy Moore, Mary J. Blige, TLC, Aaliyah, Blaque, and Mase just to name a few.
Billy cites Deniece Williams, Stacy Lattisaw, Sade, and Jennifer Holliday as her favorite female singers who have influenced her career.
In 1992, Billy made her start in the music industry as a background singer for Jamacian singer Jimmy Cliff. Not long after she was signed to Eastwest Records when she recorded her debut One Might Say in 1994, in which she wrote, produced, and arranged along with her brother Kyra Lawrence. The album spawned two big hit singles and music videos for "Happiness" and "Boyfriend". It was a diverse mixture of r&b, soul, rock, contemporary jazz, and newjack-hiphop. She was also featured along the most elite R&B singers at that time (Aaliyah, Felicia Adams, May May Ali, Amel, Az-Iz, Blackgirl, Mary J. Blige, Tanya Blount, Brownstone, Casserine, Changing Faces, Tyler Collins, N’Dea Davenport, Da 5 Footaz, E.V.E., Emage, En Vogue, Eshe & Laurena, Female, For Real, Penny Ford, Lalah Hathaway, Jade, Jamecia, Jazzyfatnastees, Joi, Brigett McWilliams, Milira, Miss Jones, Cindy Mizelle, Monica, Me’schell N’degeocello, Natasha, Nefertiti, Patra, Pebbles, Pure Soul, Raja-Nee, Brenda Russell, SWV, Chantay Savage, Sonja Marie, Tracie Spencer, Sweet Sable, TLC, Terri & Monica, Vybe, Crystal Waters, Caron Wheeler, Karyn White, Vanessa Williams, Xscape, Y?N-Vee and Zhané) for the song "Freedom" off of Spike Lee's Panther soundtrack in 1995.
After the success of her debut album, Billy became the “IT” girl that most producers and artists wanted to write or be featured on their songs. She has written or sang background on tracks from Mary J. Blige, Shades, En Vogue, Ray J, DeeDee O'Neil, Shanice, Chubb Rock, and Nas. Billy would find even more successful being behind the scenes then she would as a solo artist.
In 1997, Billy Lawrence had the first single and music video from the platinum soundtrack to the film “Set It Off” with the song that would become her biggest hit to date “Come On” that featured female rapper MC Lyte. Elektra Entertainment released her sophomore album “Paradise” right on the heals as record company was at their peak with the releases of Missy Elliott, Alana Davis, Gina Thompson, and Busta Rhymes. Billy also had a big hit being featured on fellow label-mate Rampage’s (from the Flipmode Squad) debut single “Take It to the Streets”. Soon after back to back hits on the radio and on the charts she would go on to tour with Busta Rhymes, Rampage and the Flipmode Squad. And latter made a cameo on Rampage’s video for his second single "We Getz Down" with 702. She also released a non-album track as a maxi-single called “Up & Down” which sampled the disco song “The Glow of Love” by Change featuring Luther Vandross as a second single.
After the success of the sophomore album, Billy was featured on the debut album of rapper Mase, “Harlem World” which had multi-platinum success. She along with her brother Kyra Lawrence wrote and sang background on Jennifer Lopez’s debut album “On The Six”. She also wrote and sang background for Mariah Carey’s group that she formed, Allure. Charli Baltimore recruited Billy to be on her debut album “Cold as Ice” on the song called “Pull the Alarm”, but the album was never released, but circulated on the internet quickly. Billy Lawrence also was at the helm of the album from Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez’s group that she had formed; Blaque. Billy wrote and sung background on 3 of the album’s songs; “Leny”, “Bring It All to Me”, “Release Me”. “Bring It All to Me” featured NSync singer JC Chasez and became Blaque’s biggest hit to date. The chorus was sung completely by Billy Lawrence herself although on the album’s inner notes, she never received any credit for it. In 1999, international pop singer Hinda Hicks covered Billy Lawrence’s “Truly” that was on her debut album “One Might Say”, and released it as a single from her album “Hinda”.
In 1999, Billy Lawrence worked with R&B super-group TLC on their junior studio album “Fanmail” along side of Dallas Austin. She had written 4 songs for TLC out of 40 that were actually recorded by TLC during the album making phase. None of Billy’s songs made the final cut of the album, but still may be used in any future TLC compilations. Billy was also recording for her junior album “Too Many Times” for Elektra Entertainment during this time, and on this album she was going to redeem all the favors from some of the artists she had worked closely with. "Too Many Times” featured producers Poke & Tone, Trackmasters, Darrell "Delite” Allamby, Dallas Austin, SoulShock and Organized Noise. In addition Billy wrote or co-wrote 8 out of the 11 songs. She also produced or co-produced 5 songs. The first single was going to be the title track which featured TLC. A remix of the title track was also recorded with Left Eye & Busta Rhymes. She had also remade Anita Baker’s “Fairy Tales”. The album was set for a November release date, but was pushed back until eventually Elektra Entertainment was bought out by new owners WMG and was shelved inevitably.
After leaving the label, she latter signed with Epic Records, in which she wrote and sung background on two songs for label mate, Mandy Moore on her debut. Mandy was a fan of Billy’s before they had worked together. Her debut single “Candy” had Billy on background vocals. The domain for billylawrence.com was purchased by Epic Records for 3 years and underconstruction without any news or releases from her (the domain is now owned by not opened by Manila Industries, Inc.
In 2002, she joined Jennifer Lopez on her junior studio album “This Is Me... Then” on two songs which she wrote and sung background on. Billy also was featured on two songs by Orlando rap group Smilez & Southstar. “Tell Me” was the group’s biggest hit to date.
As of 2005, not much has been heard of her besides a song called “Oh Boy” feauturing up and coming rapper TJ Hooker that has been featured on a few mixtapes. It’s been said that she has started a family and gives vocal training to students on the side.
