Legendary R&B Group The Isley Brothers Teams up with Rapper Snoop Dogg for Family and Friends Song
By DJ Tyrone “T-Bone” Jennings II
July 13, 2021
Fans of the popular R&B group The Isley Brothers have been waiting four years to hear some new music from the group. The covid-19 pandemic brought “Live” music performances and recording sessions to a sudden halt as most states were forced to implement stay-at-home orders and drastic restrictions on mass gatherings. The lead singer for The Isley Brothers Ronald Isley, 80, better known as Mr. Biggs had to come up with a highly creative way to bring new music to Isley Brothers fans.
Here is what Mr. Biggs came up with.
The Pandemic made the R&B singer reflect and realize the significant role that family and friends have played in his professional and personal life over the years. Hence, the title of the new song “Family and Friends.” There have always been some tough times just like there is today,but the support of family and friends is what gets you through it.
” Although we didn’t have much we still had each other,”he explained,”And what we went through,we went through together/We stick together through thick or thin/ I thank God for family and all my day one friends!”
Here is how it all came together.
Isley decided to throw an Old School style house party that was also a recording session at his home recording studio that was definitely much smaller than it would have normally been. It included some of his close family members while others joined the party virtually proving that families can still get together and have a fun time with the help of today’s technology.
The very talented smooth-voiced rapper Snoop Dogg was not physically at the party and recording session, so his vocals were added virtually through the meeting platform Zoom. In the song Snoop Dogg actually sings you through how to ballroom and step dance. He even raps you through the basic two-step dance moves, and the electric slide. These are groovy dance moves that are commonly done in the urban mature adult night club scene where dancers twist and turn the night away, or they form a number of straight lines to dance in a group in cities like Detroit, MI, Chicago, IL, Cleveland, OH and Atlanta, GA just to name a few.
Ron Isley brings it all home when he sings about enjoying the classic staple dish that includes the green leafy vegetable often referred to as “Greens” which are either collard greens, or a mixture of mustard and turnip greens well-seasoned with a ham hock, salt pork, or a smoked turkey wing (the healthier option today) that is enjoyed at many African American dinner tables along with a fresh hot out of the oven piece of cornbread along with some good old fashion macaroni and cheese. Enough to make your mouth water instantly.
The music video for “Family and Friends” is very cool too!
Erik White directed the house party style recording session at Ron Isleys home recording studio. The special guest included Actress Vivica A. Fox, Syleena Johnson, LisaRAye McCoy, Kim Whitley, and Sherri Shephard who all attended virtually through Zoom.
Ronald Isley will be performing “live” once again in the motor city on August 21, 2021 at 7:30 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) at The Aretha Franklin Amphitheater(Formerly Chene Park). Tickets start at $91.00.
You can watch the “Family and Friends” music video below.
Please feel free to like, comment and share,but please remember to keep comments respectful.
