Long Beach V.I.P. Records Threatens Store Closing

[The_Ripper]

LONG BEACH — For more than three decades, Long Beach's World Famous VIP Records has been a very important place for very important people.

But after 32 years and nine months VIP is closing its doors, Kelvin Anderson, the store owner, said Tuesday.

Anderson said VIP will fold by the end of October if an alternative business plan can't be developed. Either way the era of physical music-retail sales is over.

Anderson said he held on as long as he could while other music businesses crumbled around him.

"I knew this day was coming, as far as the physical part of the music business, but you walk around in denial — in a daze. I'm in a daze right not. But hopefully God's got another plan — a better plan," he said. "It's been real tough for the last few years, maintaining, but we are way too far behind financially now to come back selling CDs."

VIP spawned a number of artists during its 30-year history. Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg, known as 213, teamed there to record their first album.

"Back in the day I put together a makeshift studio here and I invested in some deejay equipment," Anderson said. "I set this equipment up and a lot of times I wouldn't even know who was back there. I believe it was a safe haven for a lot of these kids because at that time you didn't have anywhere to hang out except VIP or King Park."

Although the store is closing, plans are in the works to keep the property active.

"The physical part of the music business is definitely over, but I still feel we could have a future in this location if we are able to restructure the business," Anderson said.
To make that work they would have to provide things people need and want but can't easily get from the Internet, Anderson said.

"If we are able to raise enough money we can bring in digital downloads or something where we can still service the community," he said. "A large number of people come in and want something downloaded on their I-pod, their phone or their drive and there is still money to be made in that area."
The specter of closing has been looming for months but the reality has just set in. It was, Anderson said, something like the warning on a car's rearview mirror — "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

"I just didn't know it was this close," he said. "But we've got to get out of debt. We have a debt situations that is one of the big problems right not."

Throughout its existence VIP fended off large chains but the Internet became their toughest competitor, Anderson said.

"Over my years in the business we always had to deal with chain stores like Warehouse and Tower (Records) and had to compete with big box stores like Target and Walmart. They were always able to sell things a little cheaper than we could," he said. "But, we were able to make it up with knowledge of the music and customer service ... That's why Warehouse and Tower are not here."

But each passing year's tech advances undercut the store's sales, Anderson said. Physical sales changed, then gave way to the onslaught of the digital world.

"In the three decades I've been a part of this business we've had a lot of ups and downs and we've have a lot of changes," said Anderson. "People stopped buying eight-track, and bought the cassette. People stopped buying the cassette to buy the CD. But after the CD there's nothing else for people to buy."

At one point Anderson and his brother Cletus had a chain of 12 stores. VIP in Long Beach is the last remaining open. Another, owned by a brother-in-law, closed last week in Compton.

Anderson has accepted the fact that he can no longer run a viable business under the umbrella of physical music-retail sales, he said.

"I doubt there is anything in this store you can't download from the Internet, but to top that, there's nothing in this store you can't download for free."

Fans, friends stunned

Many in Central Long Beach are in shock. Frequent VIP friend and customer Tang Watson is among them.

"I'm going to be sad to see Kelvin go. He's a good man and the community is going to miss him because this store has meant a lot to a lot of people," he said. "One thing about this place is it's always been about the people, the community folks. If you were ever looking for somebody, you could probably find them here."

It's a sad day in the Sixth District, said Councilman Dee Andrews.

"I think its saddening to have a famous icon leaving the community, because he did so many good things," Andrews said. "Unfortunately, there comes a time when we all have to either leave or things just change. I don't know what his plans are in future, but he's really been an icon in the Sixth District."

Life is going to be hard in the neighborhood without VIP, said Michael Baker, owner of Mr. Baker Style Center next door to VIP.

"It's going to be a real hardship for the community because he has been around for over 30 years," he said. "The symbol up there, (he points to the sign atop the store) VIP is like the grandfather here. I'm still in disbelief he's leaving."

But, Baker is still hoping for a miracle.

"I wish that all the people Kelvin helped throughout the years, like Snoop Dogg and all the entertainment people, would try to do something for him, because he has done a lot of things for a lot of music people," Baker said. "Maybe a miracle will happen, but he's going to be missed. I hope it don't happen."

Sign bound for eBay?

Where will the famous sign atop the store wind up?

"Most likely the sign will be sold on eBay," Anderson said. "I could never leave here and leave it here. Once I go the sign has to go. I can't imagine seeing words like "smoke shop" on my sign."

Originally from Brandon, Mississippi, Anderson said he might return home.

"If I don't get things turned around here, I would more than likely move back to Mississippi. I've always wanted to move back home," he said. "I've got a couple of business opportunities available to me there so if I don" get things turned around by the end of the year, I'm pretty sure I'll start the new year off in Mississippi."

Time is short for the iconic store made famous by Snoop Dogg, who recorded three music videos on its roof.

"I figure we will probably have another month here, but VIP plans to live on for a long time on the Internet," he said. "It's tough. Anytime you've dedicated this much time an energy into a business, you just never see yourself going out backwards."

In all his years, Anderson has only one regret.

"Even though we are a close-knit family, for 30 years I was almost a seven-day-a-week and 10-hours-a-day worker. I look back and realized I should have spent more time with my family," he said. "I look back now and see how I was addicted to this store. I think that even if the store was doing good or OK , I don't think this is a business I would want to leave to my son, The years, the days, the hours I spent here, I kind of cheated them out of something. That I regret."

But there are several good memories to recall from the store on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., he said.

"God has been good to me over the years and I have no complaints," he said. "A lot of times a bad thing turns out to be a good thing. I'm just waited to see the good in all this and I think it"s coming."

For more information or to share your thoughts visit World Famous VIP Record Store on Facebook or call 562-591-2349.

[doggfather]

sad news.

[Okka]

It's a shame that nobody is buyin' CD's these days. Fuck buyin' MP3's.

[G-Bee]

It's a shame that nobody is buyin' CD's these days. Fuck buyin' MP3's.

The problem is not people buying mp3's, it's downloading for free. The thing is, I want to buy mp3's if they are CD quality (or near-cd, like 320 kbps mp3's), but for most rap albums that is not possible. They expect you to pay 10 bucks for an mp3 album ripped at 192 kbps. I'm not buying that.

[Okka]

It's a shame that nobody is buyin' CD's these days. Fuck buyin' MP3's.

The problem is not people buying mp3's, it's downloading for free. The thing is, I want to buy mp3's if they are CD quality (or near-cd, like 320 kbps mp3's), but for most rap albums that is not possible. They expect you to pay 10 bucks for an mp3 album ripped at 192 kbps. I'm not buying that.

Yeah, but people are buyin' also a lot of music from iTunes these days.

[doggfather]

It's a shame that nobody is buyin' CD's these days. Fuck buyin' MP3's.

[The_Ripper]

Yeah, but people are buyin' also a lot of music from iTunes these days.

not me

[G-Bee]

Yeah, but people are buyin' also a lot of music from iTunes these days.

Sure, but at least the artists get paid that way. As far as cd's go, it's a shame record stores will cease to exist in their current form. I don't care about the format itself though, because even vinyl was better than cd's in many ways.

[doggfather]

Yeah, but people are buyin' also a lot of music from iTunes these days.

not me

or me.

[Okka]

Yeah, but people are buyin' also a lot of music from iTunes these days.

not me

Neither am i, but a lot people are these days. I don't wanna support that shit though, i collect CD's.

[Will_B]

Sad news..I bought a few CDs direct from their amazon shop.

[KrazySumwhat]

 Yep sighn of the times. My younger brother and sister and young people at work etc, none have a cd collection except maybe the odd cd.
 I am a cd collector, still buy them(much much less than i used to though) i have a real big collection but i must admit iam starting to see the good side of digital. I buy alot of video games digital now, no longer buy dvds at all , i love buying cds and will continue but they take up so much space, you mis place them and loose them and they get scratched, etc i mean i download albums i own on cd cos i cant be fucked looking for the hard copy i own lol...
 But yeah i still cannot accept buying digital albums full price and if quality is shit then fuck that.

[Si-Chiggedy]

It's a shame that nobody is buyin' CD's these days. Fuck buyin' MP3's.

The problem is not people buying mp3's, it's downloading for free. The thing is, I want to buy mp3's if they are CD quality (or near-cd, like 320 kbps mp3's), but for most rap albums that is not possible. They expect you to pay 10 bucks for an mp3 album ripped at 192 kbps. I'm not buying that.

exactly. I don't get why they don't at least offer the higher qualities. But a teenth is way to much for 192kbps mp3 files without artwork and shit.

[Smackdog]

if he is waiting on snoop to help, then good luck with that

[papa-smurf]

Yea I still buy cds.but it a be cool if snopp helped.after all that is where snoop use 2 record his music at b4 he became famous.