Today, Rudy Love & The Encore has announced the upcoming release of their highly anticipated album 11, available exclusively on vinyl starting June 11th as part of the Buy Before You Stream initiative. This groundbreaking model redefines the artist-fan connection, giving fans the chance to own a tangible piece of music history ahead of its digital release on July 11th. The album’s lead single, “Burnin’” is out now, offering a powerful glimpse into the band’s soulful fusion of R&B, funk, and heartfelt storytelling.
Buy Before You Stream, created by Midtopia, empowers independent artists by enabling them to sell vinyl editions of their albums directly to fans before they hit streaming platforms. This direct-to-fan approach strengthens the artist-audience connection and bypasses industry middlemen—ensuring that 100% of the profits go straight to the artists and helping them reclaim ownership of their work.
Frontman Rudy Love Jr. carries forward a rich musical legacy as the son of Rudy Love Sr.—a revered soul singer, session musician, and songwriter whose work has been sampled and recorded by icons ranging from Jay-Z to Little Richard to Eric Clapton. Love Jr.’s grandfather, who originally wrote “Good Morning Little School Girl,” later covered by Clapton, is just one example of how the Love family’s contributions to American music have been widespread yet often under-credited. 11 is both a personal and artistic reckoning with that legacy—and a declaration of independence.
For Rudy, the launch of 11 as part of the initiative is both a career milestone and a deeply personal moment. “I’ll never forget the first time I saw my family’s music on sale, and we didn’t even have a copy ourselves,” he says. “It was a wake-up call about how the system works.”
“That kind of thing stays with you,” he adds. “It makes you realize how important it is to have control over your work, to own it, and to make sure you’re compensated fairly.”
11 is a bold statement about perseverance, legacy, and reclaiming creative control. The title represents both death and rebirth, a theme that threads through the album and mirrors Rudy’s own journey as an artist. “11 is about acknowledging what’s been lost but also embracing what’s to come,” he reflects. “It’s about rebirth, renewal, and moving forward.” “Burnin’,” the album’s lead single, sets the tone as a fiery anthem of resilience in the face of an industry that has often sidelined independent voices.
Rudy’s embrace of vinyl also reflects a deeper belief in music as something tangible and lasting. He recalls discovering artists as a kid by digging through records and reading liner notes. “It was such a personal, meaningful experience that’s so different from how we find music today,” he says. “When fans buy vinyl, they’re getting something real—it’s part of our history, part of our story.”
Rudy Love & The Encore is an American soul and R&B band led by Rudy Love Jr., the son of the legendary Rudy Love Sr. The band honors the Love family legacy while creating fresh, soulful music that speaks to themes of resilience, love, and social change. Their debut album 11 marks a defining moment in their musical journey and is part of the Buy Before You Stream initiative, a platform that empowers independent artists to directly engage with their fans and reclaim ownership of their music.
Midtopia seeks to establish sustainable and equitable opportunities for independent artists and music workers via concepts for contributive partnerships and alternative business models that harness the connected, collaborative power of interdependence. This alternative to current music industry models is based on a philosophy of “do it ourselves” invoking greater cohesion to strengthen and build equity among artists and music workers, regardless of geographical location or current industry status. Like an intricate network of roots beneath a tree, this multidisciplinary collaboration will enhance these concepts giving artists and workers the ability to cultivate more sustainable growth, strengthen independence, fortify community, and propagate truly unique creative identities. Learn more at midtopia.com.
Buy Before You Stream is a community-driven initiative that allows fans to purchase exclusive vinyl editions of albums directly from the artist before they hit streaming platforms. 100% of the profits go directly to the artists, ensuring they maintain control over their work and generate meaningful income. The initiative fosters direct artist-to-fan relationships, supports local record stores, and promotes sustainability in the music industry.
Third Man Pressing is a meticulously designed boutique vinyl record production facility with a unique customer experience that includes a viewing window for our visitors to witness the beauty and importance of the record making process. Third Man Pressing is an investment in Third Man Records’ hometown, a neighborhood within a city rich with musical history, creating a space that is as inspiring as it is prolific.
The release of 11 is part of a broader movement that includes Talia Keys’ From The Ashes, which was the first album released under the Buy Before You Stream initiative earlier this year. With these releases, the initiative is creating an ecosystem where artists can not only reconnect with their fans but also build sustainable careers free from the instability of the digital streaming model.
“Buy Before You Stream is about restoring the power that’s been lost over the years,” says Rudy. “It’s about returning to a time when artists could have ownership, create physical connections with their fans, and thrive in a way that wasn’t dictated by algorithms and middlemen.”
As Rudy Love & The Encore continues to push forward with 11, the album will be available for direct purchase through the Buy Before You Stream platform, with the digital release scheduled for July 11th. The initiative provides a real alternative for independent artists to foster meaningful relationships with their fans, build a sustainable income model, and maintain creative independence.
For more information about Buy Before You Stream, upcoming releases, and to purchase 11 by Rudy Love & The Encore, visit Buy Before You Stream.
