Why do we like this East Village record store? Simple. The essence of classic New York hip-hop lives and breathes between these four walls. Sure, they have funk, soul and reggae records for the sample-searchers, but it’s the store’s hip-hop 12” collection that has earned the loyalty of everyone from Pete Rock to DJ Premier to ?uestlove. (Don’t be surprised to go digging and see one of them searching through vinyl next to you.) The store also gets love for constantly restocking the shelves with hard-to-find classics, making each trip an opportunity to find vinyl gold. If record stores are truly dying, this institution should be the cockroach of the bunch.

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