Isley Brothers

Rudolph Isley, A Founding Member Of The Isley Brothers, Is Reportedly Dead At 84

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Rudolph Isley brothers 1969
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Rudolph Isley, a founding member of The Isley Brothers, is dead at 84 years old, TMZ reports. The publication says he passed away in Illinois on Wednesday, October 11. The cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Isley was born on April 1, 1939, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Alongside brothers O’Kelly “Kelly” Isley Jr. and Ronald Isley, he co-founded the musical trio The Isley Brothers in the late-1950s, with the group later expanding to include additional Isleys. The group reached its commercial peak in the ’70s and had its first No. 1 album with 1975’s The Heat Is On. The band is known for songs like “Twist And Shout” (which was famously later covered by The Beatles), “This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You),” and “It’s Your Thing.”

Isley left the group in 1989 to become a Christian minister. In 1992, The Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

Rudolph was in the news earlier this year when it was reported he had sued his brother Ronald over a trademark issue. Rudolph claimed Ronald improperly registered the “The Isley Brothers” trademark as a sole individual, which legally excluded Rudolph from equal ownership over the asset. Rudolph claimed he was “unaware of the degree to which Ronald exploited the Mark, the licenses and/or other transactions that Ronald entered into.”

Beyoncé Joins Ronald Isley On ‘Make Me Say It Again, Girl,’ A Modern Rework Of An Isley Brothers Classic

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Beyoncé’s Renaissance came after a long break between projects, as it was her first solo album since 2016’s Lemonade (although she did drop The Lion King: The Gift in 2019 and her and Jay-Z’s Everything Is Love the year before). Now that she’s back in the swing of things, though, the music isn’t stopping. Along with Renaissance, Beyoncé shared a surprise “Break My Soul” remix EP followed by a standalone “Queens Remix” version of the song with Madonna.

Today, she returns with even more new material: Beyoncé joined Ronald Isley for a new duet rendition of “Make Me Say It Again Girl, Pts. 1 & 2,” originally from the 1975 Isley Brothers album The Heat Is On. The new version is titled “Make Me Say It Again, Girl” and will appear on a new Isley Brothers album that’s set to drop later this year.

On the Renaissance front, the era has been going swimmingly for Beyoncé. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, while “Break My Soul” rose to the top of the Hot 100 following the album’s release. It hasn’t been stumble-free, though, as she’s changed the album due to issues with samples and lyrics.

Listen to “Make Me Say It Again, Girl” above.

Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Method Man, And Redman Are Among The Next ‘Verzuz’ Contestants

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On Saturday, Verzuz made its return with a hip-hop focused battle between Wu-Tang Clan members, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. The matchup saw fans head on a trip down memory lane through the artists’ respective catalogs, both as solo acts and with their Wu-Tang cohorts.

From Ghostface’s Supreme Clientele and Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx to Wu Tang’s 36 Chambers, viewers enjoyed the battle, which proved to be more of a collaborative affair if anything. Once the night came to an end, Verzuz returned with exciting announcements for the future.

Shortly after Raekwon and Ghostface Killah’s battle concluded, Verzuz announced a string of matchups folks can expect to see over the next couple of months. First, the platform will welcome The Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire for an exciting Easter Sunday competition on April 4.

“Time to SHOUT for the #IsleyBrothers!” Verzuz said on Instagram, referencing their 1959 debut album, Shout! Less than three weeks later, the Timbaland and Swizz Beatz-led platform will return with a battle between Redman and Method Man for a “How High” special on April 20.

As if the pair of announcements weren’t enough, Verzuz also confirmed an untitled battle on May 8, a “Mother’s Day Special” on May 9, and a “Rematch” during Memorial Day weekend. A “Ladies Night” and two additional untitled battles were also revealed, but their dates were not shared. Participants for these matchups were also withheld in the announcement.

You can read the flyer for the upcoming Verzuz nights above.