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Draft:Rudy Live

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Rudy Live
Background information
Birth nameToiya Isaac
OriginSaint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
GenresSoca, reggae
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active2009–present

Rudy Live (born Toiya Isaac) is a Virgin Islands soca singer and songwriter from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.[1] She is the first and only female artist to win the Soca Monarch title twice in the U.S. Virgin Islands (in both St. Thomas and St. Croix).[1] Rudy Live has collaborated with prominent soca musicians, including a duet with Trinidadian artist Machel Montano on the single "Wip It".[2] Active since 2009, she has released multiple soca albums and singles, and performed internationally, including at the South by Southwest festival in 2017.[3] In addition to music, Isaac is an entrepreneur who launched her own skincare line, Good Ting Luxurious Skin Care, in 2022.[4]

Early life

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Toiya Isaac was born and raised in Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.[1] She was exposed to music through her father, who worked as a DJ and singer.[4] Isaac gave her first public performance as a youth at a junior talent show in St. Thomas, which sparked her interest in becoming an entertainer.[1] During her teenage years she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she began pursuing music more seriously and won several local singing competitions.[4] She recorded her first reggae song, titled "No More", which gained attention among DJs in Atlanta and back home in the Virgin Islands.[4] After a few years, Isaac returned to the Caribbean and developed a passion for soca music – inspired in part by seeing a performance by soca star Alison Hinds – leading her to write her first soca song, "Come Closer", to launch her career in the genre.[4]

Career

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2009–2014: Debut and local success

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Performing under the stage name **Rudy Live**, Isaac released her debut album, It's Rudy: Soca Edition, in 2009.[5] This was followed by a second album, It's Rudy: Socanomics, in 2010,[6] and Soca Invasion in 2011.[7] Through these releases, Rudy Live built a following in the U.S. Virgin Islands soca scene. She achieved a major milestone by winning the annual Soca Monarch competition in St. Thomas and in St. Croix in back-to-back years, becoming the first woman to ever win both titles twice consecutively.[1] Her victory and dynamic performances earned her recognition as one of the territory’s top soca artists.

In 2013, Rudy Live collaborated with Trinidadian soca king Machel Montano on the remix song "Wip It", raising her profile regionally.[2] She continued to release new music, including the album Rewind in 2012 and a series of singles in 2013–2014 such as "Heat Wave" and "Show Dem" (a collaboration with Trinidadian singer Shurwayne Winchester).[1] In 2015, she released a five-track EP titled Demolish.[8] During this period, Rudy Live became a regular performer on the Caribbean carnival circuit. She headlined the 2016 St. John Celebration Festival in the Virgin Islands (appearing alongside soca star Destra Garcia) and performed at events such as the Atlanta Caribbean Carnival and the annual St. Thomas Carnival.[1]

2015–present: International appearances and ventures

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Rudy Live’s exposure expanded beyond the Virgin Islands in the latter half of the 2010s. In March 2017, she performed in Austin, Texas, as part of the SXSW Music Festival, appearing on a showcase of African and Caribbean artists.[9] That same year, she secured a distribution partnership with Fox Fuse – a digital music label specializing in soca – for the release of her single "24".[10] The high-energy track "24" was released in time for the 2017 VI Carnival season and marked one of her first internationally distributed songs.[11]

Following 24, Rudy Live continued to produce and release new music on streaming platforms. Notable singles in this period include "Push It" (2018) and "Built for This" (2019).[12][13] In 2020, she released the soca track "Again & Again" along with an accompanying music video, further solidifying her presence in the genre.[14]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rudy Live devoted time to developing a new business venture. Drawing on her long-time interest in skincare, she founded a line of natural beauty products called **Good Ting Luxurious Skin Care**.[4] The line officially launched on February 12, 2022, at a Macy’s department store in Snellville, Georgia, where her products were showcased and sold out within two days of debut.[4] Rudy Live has described this achievement as a proud moment in her career outside of music.[4]

Even as she expanded into entrepreneurship, Rudy Live remained musically active. In 2022 and 2023 she released new songs such as "Grey Sweat Pants", and in 2024 she issued the uptempo singles "Lock & Load" and "Risk It All".[15][16] In early 2025, she released a soca single titled "Finally", which features a remix version with fellow Virgin Islands artist Mr. Benji.[17] Rudy Live continues to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands on the international soca stage through her performances and recordings.

Discography

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Albums and EPs

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  • It's Rudy: Soca Edition (2009) – Debut album, 11 tracks.[5]
  • It's Rudy: Socanomics (2010) – Second album, 11 tracks.[6]
  • Soca Invasion (2011) – Album, 9 tracks.[18]
  • Rewind (2012) – Album, 10 tracks.[19]
  • Heat Wave (2014) – Album, 10 tracks.[20]
  • Demolish (2015) – EP, 5 tracks.[21]

Singles (selected)

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  • "Wip It" (feat. Machel Montano) – 2013.[2]
  • "Show Dem" (feat. Shurwayne Winchester) – 2014.[1]
  • "Saddle Up" – 2016.[22]
  • "24" – 2017.[23]
  • "Push It" – 2018.[24]
  • "Built for This" – 2019.[25]
  • "Again & Again" – 2020.[26]
  • "Grey Sweat Pants" – 2022 (Remix released 2023).[27]
  • "Lock & Load" – 2024.[28]
  • "Risk It All" – 2024.[29]
  • "Finally" – 2025.[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "From Reggae Dancehall to Soca – Meet the Captivating Rudy Live". Caribbean Entertainment Magazine. April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Music Video Highlight: Rudy Live – Again & Again". St. Croix Entertainment Today. Retrieved April 22, 2025. She is also the only Artist from the Virgin Islands to record and release a song "Whip It" with the King of Soca Machel Montano.
  3. ^ "USVI Artist Rudy Live To Perform At South By Southwest, Drops New Soca Title". VI Consortium. March 18, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Porter, Whitley (September 1, 2021). "Conversations with Rudy Live". Voyage ATL. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "It's Rudy: Soca Edition – Rudy Live". Qobuz. April 20, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "It's Rudy: Socanomics – Rudy Live". Qobuz. April 1, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  7. ^ "Soca Invasion – Rudy Live". Qobuz. April 21, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  8. ^ "Demolish – Rudy Live". iHeartRadio. April 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  9. ^ "Soca St. Thomian Rudy Live performing at South by Southwest". The Virgin Islands Daily News. March 17, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  10. ^ "Rudy Live signs distribution deal with Fox Fuse for "24"". VI Consortium. March 18, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  11. ^ "Rudy Live – 24 (Single)". Apple Music. 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  12. ^ "Push It – Single by Rudy Live". Qobuz. March 5, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  13. ^ "Built For This – Single by Rudy Live". Apple Music. 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  14. ^ "Again and Again – Single by Rudy Live". Apple Music. 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  15. ^ "Lock & Load – Single". iHeartRadio. April 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  16. ^ "Risk It All – Single". iHeartRadio. March 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  17. ^ "Finally – Single by Rudy Live". Apple Music. March 6, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  18. ^ "Soca Invasion (2011) – Rudy Live". iHeartRadio. April 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  19. ^ "Rewind (2012) – Rudy Live". iHeartRadio. April 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  20. ^ "Heat Wave (2014) – Rudy Live". iHeartRadio. April 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  21. ^ "Demolish (2015) – Rudy Live". iHeartRadio. April 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  22. ^ "Saddle Up (2016) – Rudy Live". iHeartRadio. April 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  23. ^ "24 – Single (2017)". iHeartRadio. March 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  24. ^ "Push It – Single (2018)". iHeartRadio. 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  25. ^ "Built For This – Single (2019)". Apple Music. 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  26. ^ "Again & Again – Single (2020)". Apple Music. 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  27. ^ "Grey Sweat Pants (2023 Remix)". Qobuz. April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  28. ^ "Lock & Load – Single (2024)". iHeartRadio. April 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  29. ^ "Risk It All – Single (2024)". iHeartRadio. March 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  30. ^ "Finally – Single (2025)". iHeartRadio. March 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
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