Word up to Bobbito’s comments. Although I do buy CDs and, when I absolutely have no other choice, MP3s, I buy vinyl even more. And I find it sad that when I want to buy a dope new album, I can never find it on wax because it’s just not economically feasible for an artist to press it up in that format. I understand the convenience factor of MP3s but there’s nothing like seeing Herc or Bobbito or DJ Scratch cuttin’ up actual records.
Peace to Alex from ClassicRhymes.com for the write-up. link
Before Joseph Abajian opened the legendary hip-hop record store Fat Beats back in 1994, shopping for hip-hop vinyl in New York wasn’t easy. “I remember having to go to so many different stores to find records. It made no sense in a city where hip-hop was born,” recalls 39-year-old Abajian, whose frustration would push him to turn his relatively modest mom and pop shop not only into an iconic vinyl playground frequented by artists and fans alike, but a meeting place where the craft of hip-hop always took center stage. “A lot of people who made up the community we had at Fat Beats moved on to Hollywood. They stopped scratching, using vinyl, and many just fell off, so the energy has not been there in the store for some time. Indie retail is something that is needed in hip-hop. Best Buy, Target, and Wal-Mart have a dominant presence in the market, and if they decide to pass you have nowhere to sell your record,” says Abajian.
