Choose Your Artist- Ron Isley vs Charlie Wilson

As a youth my uncle, the late Marvin Hawkins, would foster my love of reading and basketball by giving me his collection of a little known magazine named Basketball Digest. The book contained great articles, stats, and previews of NBA teams and players. My favorite segment of the magazine however was titled "One on One". The segment compared NBA players past or present against each other. It took the talks from barbershops, cookouts, and old men playing chess and provided a grading system to validate naming one player over the other. Today, we take this great concept and transfer it to the world of music. In this new segment "Choose Your Artist", artists from various eras are pitted against their peers, their new age renditions, and even themselves to determine who music stars are the best of the best! 

Throughout the 70s and 80s, The Isley Brothers and Gap Band lavished us with incredible music. Songs like "That Lady (Part 1)", "Summer Breeze", "Outstanding", and "Early in the Morning" are staples of not only a great era of the 70s, but our generation through cookouts and adult contemporary stations. At the forefront of these groups were respective lead singers Ronald Isley and Charlie Wilson. Their unique voices are timeless, evidenced by their prolonged popularity and success in today's era; Wilson has released 4 successful solo albums since 2005 with Isley just releasing his new single "Dinner and a Movie". Of the two however, who ranks as the best? Here's is a comparison of the singers stacked side by side, rated 1-10 in a number of categories:

Singing Style:

Isley's silky voice has lent itself to several quiet storm and slow jams hits like "Between the Sheets" and "For the Love of You". While singing over several dance cuts like "Shout" and "It's Your Thing", he is better known for his mellow and smooth tenor, laid just right over slow and mid tempo cuts. In his music with The Gap Band, Charlie Wilson burst on the scene as an energetic and somewhat powerful singer. This style  stood constant through his emergence as a collaborator and solo singer. While Isley's tone is synonymous with baby making music of years past, Wilson receives the slight nod for establishing his voice with multiple generations. Isley 7, Wilson 8.

Quality of Hits:

"Uncle" Charlie Wilson returned to the spotlight
as a guest on Snoop Dogg's 2005 hit "Beautiful".

Wilson and Isley both initially established themselves through group success before reinventing themselves as guest artists with modern hip-hop and R&B stars. Charlie Wilson was featured on several hits in the early 90s and 2000s such as Snoop Dogg's "Beautiful" and Pharrell's "That Girl". Ron Isley also appeared on several huge songs, including "Bigger Business" by Swizz Beatz and R.Kelly's smash, "Down Low". 

The difference, however, occurs in success as a solo artist. Through songs like "Charlie Last Name Wilson" and "There Goes My Baby",  Wilson has cemented himself as a credible solo artist following his Gap Band years.

Isley 7, Wilson 9. 

Cultural Impact:

Many know Ron Isley (c, sitting) through his
"Mr. Biggs" persona, but his early fans remember him
as the charismatic lead of The Isley Brothers.

These two singers helped revolutionize and shape music and artists as we know them today. Wilson is credited with influencing such artists as R.Kelly, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West. Snoop Dogg and West have called on Wilson for several projects, with Snoop affectionately donning Wilson "Uncle Charlie". 

In addition, Charlie's solo career is rejuvenated through the adult contemporary (AC) genre. Few older artists reclaimed glory like Wilson did with a gold album in Charlie Last Name Wilson.

Before Uncle Charlie made his return, Isley created the mold with his "Mr. Biggs" alter ego. His classic collaborations with R. Kelly made him a prominent figure in the late 1990s and introduced a younger audience to his sound. Furthermore, through the help of the Notorious B.I.G and his 1995 hit "Big Poppa" (which sampled The Isley Brothers "Between the Sheets"), Isley gained more notoriety in the Hip-Hop community.

Though Charlie Wilson's success is a direct credit to his talent and hard work, one must wonder would he gained as much popularity without Isley's issues with the IRS. His unfortunate run-in with the law brought his comeback to a halt, with Wilson assuming the reign as Urban AC superstar shortly after. Isley 9, Wilson 9.

Ron Isley	Category	Charlie Wilson
7	Singing Style	8
7	Quality Hits	9
9	Cultural Impact	9
23	Total	26 (Winner)

Though Isley is a legend and a heavyweight singer, Wilson takes the victory here. Charlie's return to the charts and consistent jams in the 2000s push him to the top of the list of Funk and Soul Legends.

Ceddy P

Do you have a battle of music artists you'd like to see? Send your suggestions! Tweet us with the hashtag #CYAceddyp or email at ceddyp@pick6time.com!