Terrible news was announced today for all vinyl collectors. After 16 years, Fat Beats NY & LA will be closing shop in September. I have bought many records from Fat Beats NY and will continue to support the company by purchasing from their website. Hopefully a new store will open in the near future.

(August 18, 2010 – Brooklyn, NY) After 16 years, Fat Beats has announced the closing of the legendary label’s two remaining retail locations in New York and Los Angeles. Fat Beats will celebrate the legacies of the stores, which are scheduled to close in early September (New York: September 4th, Los Angeles: September 18th) by throwing a series of blow-out sales and tribute parties open to the public during their last weeks. Fans can check www.FatBeats.com for updates.

Fat Beats’ longest running and most famed location is at 406 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan. Since the 1994 opening of Fat Beats’ flagship retail location, hip-hop fans have traveled far and wide to visit the iconic store. With locations soon following in Los Angeles (7600 Melrose Ave.), Atlanta, Amsterdam, and Tokyo, the record stores were a place to experience hip-hop culture and its legacy, which became a global phenomenon. “The closing of Fat Beats is just like one of my friends passing away. They promoted vinyl at its highest degree for the culture of good music and that makes it more difficult to say goodbye,” says DJ Premier.

The announcement of the closings is a reflection of the woes that have been plaguing the industry for years. Global chain HMV closed their last US location in 2004. Tower Records shuttered in 2006. Last year saw the close of the last Virgin Megastore, and the story is no different in 2010. For Fat Beats, maintaining two stores well into 2010 is a testament to the stores’ importance to the music and to fans and consumers continuing to support independent hip-hop.

While news of the stores’ closing marks the end of an era, the future is not doom and gloom. Digital sales continue to increase industry-wide; for Fat Beats, currently operating a profitable and growing online retail store, this has provided a boon to business as fans continue to order mp3s, vinyl, and CDs from FatBeats.com. Although digital sales continue to grow, executives at Fat Beats understand the importance of independent retail stores and are planning to re-open a brick and mortar hip-hop lifestyle location sometime in the near future.

The future looks just as bright for Fat Beats Distribution and the label. Fat Beats Distribution, which has been renamed FB Distribution, continues to strike noteworthy distribution deals with independent and major labels worldwide and is now working with different genres of alternative music. Fat Beats Records will continue to release notable albums from their own impressive roster of artists including ILL BILL, TruMaster/KRS-One, Black Milk, Trinity, Sha Stimuli, Q-Unique, and more. Fat Beats owner and President Joe Abajian says, “This is the start of a new era for Fat Beats. We’re adapting to meet the needs of our demographic by revamping and improving our existing systems. While our website, which stocks everything available in our retail stores, continues to do very well, we’re still exploring our options for alternate retail locations in the future. We’re proud of our legacy and will continue to re-invent ourselves. For now, we’ll see you online at FatBeats.com”

Via: Audible Treats

The homie DJ Casper shot this over to me to post up.  Here’s his mix for the “So You Think You Can DJ” competition in Tampa recently.  Give it a listen and tell us if you think he should’ve been the victor.

Video directed by el-iqaa
Produced by EMERGENCE
Buy the “Detroit Summer” 7″: tinyurl.com/detroitsummer7

It’s no longer a secret that two of Detroit’s most respected hip-hop figures, Invincible + Waajeed, are in the process of releasing a collaborative album together in 2011. The leak of their brand new single, “Detroit Summer,” has gotten lots of love on music blogs all month as tastemakers continue to appreciate the duo’s blend of vivid lyricism and soul-stirring production.

The two-song “Detroit Summer” single will drop digitally and as a 7” vinyl, August 10 on Invincible’s EMERGENCE imprint. Invincible + Waajeed toured the legendary Archer Record Pressing plant in Detroit where the vinyl is being pressed and made short video of the tour. Watch as Invincible and Waajeed get a lesson in how vinyl records are made.

Both artists were adamant that in terms of manufacturing, the project should be 100% local to Detroit. Archer has pressed up some of the most noteworthy underground vinyl in Detroit’s storied music history including records from Jay Dee, Proof, Moodyman, Waajeed, Underground Resistance, The Funk Brothers, and many more.

When asked if independent artists have a responsibility to indie record stores and vinyl pressing plants, Waajeed + Invincible responded affirmatively: “We’re part of an interdependent network of people who still care about making quality music in direct relationship with listeners.”

Stay plugged in to EMERGENCEmedia.org for updates and to pre-order the 7″.

Props to Wax Poetics.

I can’t get enough of these great record collecting documentaries as you learn so much from them. Seeing all this vinyl shows you how much music is really out there, and not even the internet can keep up with all of it.

If anyone has any recommendations for documentaries like this, please email me at: Hevehitta@TheDiggersUnion.com

The digging will never stop.

See Also: Red Beans & Rice (Record Collecting Documentary)

“A collection of perspectives!” RED BEANS AND RICE is a film which tells of the world of record collecting as seen through the eyes of the collectors themselves. Listen as they share there thoughts on the subject of vinyl digging as you enter the realm of the last true culture where music is key and collecting is a part of life.

Thank you to Doc Miaz & Chicken Shack Productions for sending the DVD and giving The Diggers Union Local 1200 the permission to upload the full movie.

Previous: Red Beans & Rice (6 Minute Preview)

Today I am sorting through part of my vinyl collection and thought I would share some pictures with all of you. I will continue to be adding pictures through the sorting of my collection. If any of you fellow diggers would like to share your vinyl collection, please e-mail Hevehitta@TheDiggersUnion.com with your pictures and I will glady post them up!

Lets start this off.. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is the first 6 minutes of a great documentary titled “Red Beans & Rice.” Filmed in Chicago, Milwaukee, Phoenix and California, Red Beans and Rice gives you the stories of various vinyl collectors and the collections they have acquired over their vinyl digging years. If you are a true vinyl digger, you should definitely check this out. Enjoy and be educated.

I like to thank Doc Miaz for sending me a copy of this DVD. Well appreciated family.

Berlin digger, Zoltan Vezdenyi, captured his vinyl digging experience when visiting the birthplace of Hip-Hop – New York City.

Stores visited:

A-1 Records
The Vortex
The Thing
Bleecker Street Records

If you have never been to New York to go vinyl digging, I would recommend going to the places I just listed. Make sure you bring a good amount of money with ya as well!

Thanks again to Zoltan for sending this video over. Enjoy your vinyl pick-ups!

Previously: Digging in Chicago

Serato and Stones Throw have teamed with the J Dilla Estate for the official J Dilla Serato release, Donut Shop. This is 2 discs with six J Dilla tracks, 2 sides with Serato Control Tone (for use with Serato Scratch Live DJ software), and 2 donut slipmats in a package designed by Studio No.1. This will be released May 10th (the day after Mother’s day–what’s up Ma Dukes?). Pre-order is available now.

The J Dilla tracks consist of three previously unreleased instrumentals selected by J.Rocc from the Dilla archives – “Safety Dance”, “Sycamore”, “Bars & Twists” – and three unreleased instrumental versions of Dilla’s production for Mos Def, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes, each remastered by Elysian Masters who mixed and mastered J Dilla’s Donuts, The Shining and Ruff Draft albums.

After the jump, I have included more pictures from the package, and a previous unreleased instrumental from J. Dilla titled “Safety Dance.”

UPDATE: After a few delays, Stones Throw has finally released this great piece. If you would like to purchase, click here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Today marks another segment of “Wax Wednesday’s” brought to you by The Diggers Union. Another four vinyls to add to your growing Hip-Hop collection. Here are today’s four:

Infamous Mobb ft. Prodigy – Mobb Niggaz Pt.1 (2001): Don’t know much about this song or it’s origin, but I remember hearing it on many mixtapes back in the day. Song has a nice grimy sound to it, usually what you come to expect from these guys. Vinyl includes the clean, dirty and instrumental.

Gang Starr ft. Jadakiss – Rite Where U Stand (2003): One of four singles that was released by Gang Starr off their final album, The Ownerz. One of my personal favorites off the album, I still believe The Ownerz didn’t get the props it should have received. Vinyl includes the clean, dirty and instrumental.

*fixed link Jay Z ft. Freeway – 8 Miles and Runnin (2002): This song was featured on the 8 Mile soundtrack. For a joint with Jay Z on it, I don’t remember it getting much attention and/or praise from critics. I can’t lie, it wasn’t that great of a song to begin with. Vinyl includes the dirty and instrumental.

Obie Trice – Some Teeth b/w Shit Hits The Fan (2003): “Got Some Teeth” was the first single off Obie’s debut album, Cheers. I always thought the song was goofy as hell and never could get into it. On the b-side you have the street single “Shit Hits The Fan” with Eminem and Dr. Dre. Vinyl includes the clean, dirty, instrumental and acapella for both songs. Blend DJ’s don’t sleep!

Previously: Wax Wednesday’s (Week 1) | Week 2 | Week 3