Born in Monroe, Louisiana, Ray Lavender moved to Atlanta GA at a young age in which he was exposed to the striving Atlanta music scene. It wasn't long before he was pursuing musical endeavors. Down the road he became the first act on Akon's Kon Live Records under Geffen Records.

In 2006, Akon began promoting Ray Lavender under the name "Earl Ray" in numerous interviews, as he promoted his labels and artists. Later his name changed to L.A Ray, then RayBlack, and finally Ray Lavender. As Earl Ray, the track "Dyoing Dyoing Dyoing" featuring Akon was put on the internet, and created buzz for Ray. The song was associated as being his first single; however that never came to fruition.

The song "My Girl Gotta Girlfriend" is the first single from his debut album 'X-Rayted.' The song has already been getting radioplay across the US, and has an enormous buzz due to its content. The track was released to iTunes on July 3rd, 2007 and its official radio impact date was July 10th. The track was produced by Akon and a video is set to be directed by Benny Boom.