Arts & Culture Local Landmark: VIP RECORDS
April 13, 2023
By Betti Halsell
Assistant Managing Editor
VIP Records has been a starting line for many music artists, rappers like Snoop Dogg and DJ Quik acknowledge the world-famous record store in Long Beach, CA., as a place of inspiration for many of their earlier projects.
Cletus Anderson came to California first from Mississippi and in 1967 he was able to purchase a space to start a record store. In 1970, they moved VIP Records to a bigger shop. Business was good, and his brothers — David, Glen and Kelvin — followed him to grow the company.
The L.A. Watts Times had an exclusive interview with Kelvin and he shared the current waves of operating a niche market as a Black business owner.
“A lot of our clientele were celebrities and athletes…people like Barry White and Stevie Wonder. Jamie Foxx would shop there,” explained Kelvin, who noted that the best VIP Records location was on 28th Street and Crenshaw.
Kelvin is currently holding down the fort. He’s been considering the future of the family-owned business. He explained the complexities of keeping a Black-owned business open.
Emphasizing the importance of supporting Black businesses, Kelvin said that he’s been observing less people from the collective community coming into the store. He mentioned that most of his customers are White, Latin and Asian.
VIP Records has been a beginning point for numerous musicians and a source of inspiration for their early efforts.
Artists like Warren G, Nate Dog, Ab-Sol, and many more worked out of VIP Records. To commemorate the legacy, recording artist Giveon donated a studio to VIP Records last year. Snoop Dogg has paid tribute to VIP Records a number of times, creating buzz around the store with the collaboration in hosting his 25th anniversary of the “Doggystyle” Album.
According to the Long Beach Post, the world-famous VIP Record sign was removed from the renowned record store on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in January 2018. The Long Beach City Council voted unanimously to recognize the sign as a historic landmark.
“For someone like me who’s been on this block for 44 years, there was Black businesses around here. I saw the demise of Black businesses. Why? Because we don’t stick together. We don’t support each other,” Kelvin said.
Kelvin is held in high regard because continues to be a father figure to many. Since the inception of VIP, he has maintained relationships with young artists that have evolved and been passed down through each generation.
Kelvin's generosity quickly became imprinted on the soul of Long Beach. His kind nature provided a space that withstood the violence and frustrations that routinely eclipsed the community's working-class atmosphere. Kelvin has over 51 years of experience and imparts that to anyone interested in listening.
He is known for helping the community. Kelvin would often be the person that would find a solution to people that would come to him troubled.
“People still come to me with problems and situations and if I can’t help them, but if I know someone that could, not only am I going to send you there—I’m going to call and let them know that you are coming,” he said.