This wasn’t the kind of news I expected to wake up to…
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.
Damn. More down bottom.
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.
1st to comment, such a legendary store that had so many moments…… HIp Hop is Dead
RIP to a Hip Hop Landmark. Fatbeats will definitely be missed.
all bad
I went to a lot of in-stores and did lots of shopping at Fat Beats (LA). My Sunday recorded shopping isn’t going to be the same. well i guess i still have the online store to check out.
I’m literally crying behind my computer screen…*sniff*
Holy sh**, the gentrification of Hip Hop continues.
A blog post mourning the demise of a record store is like reading an article on Google news eulogizing over the fall of print media…the epitome of irony.
GUESS SOUL KHAN DONT HAE A JOB ANYMORE
Not to say that 2DB doesn’t do it’s part in promoting sales. I guess the best way to put it is that I’m not hatin the player. I’m hatin the game.
That’s mad saddening to see that happening…
neva been…and now ill never get the chance..
i doubt many ppl who come to this site will actually care or even have heard of fat beats.
This is all bad
wow. I was just there on monday…dam.
NOOOOOOOOOOO! FUCK!!!
i dont think anyone is to blame… thats how it is now… hard for local record stores to stay im business
I shouldn’t even be surprised. Fat Beats have been on its deathbed for years. It’s sad, but this was bound to happen. So R.I.P. Fat Beats; I will definitely be down in Los Angeles commemorating this legendary record store (and cop me some blow-out sale vinyl records while I’m at it).
Pssssst < that is soooo racist fuk you. hope ur grandmom dies falling down the stairs
“GUESS SOUL KHAN DONT HAE A JOB ANYMORE”
^^
Lol.
but for serious, Rip…smh.
I’m Dead
R.I.P. Fat Beats
Ya’ll need to start buying music again, for real!
R.I.P Fat Beats indeed. http://tinyurl.com/2d2gp75
Glad I got to visit the classic NYC store before this happened.
All our mom and pops stores are leaivng. Thanks to early leaks and downloaded music. Well I still have Record Surplus!…West LA STAND UP!!
Fat Beats was kool and what not but just because their closing it is by no means the death of “HIP HOP” . If you really have that type of mindset then just go cop Lady Gaga’s CD @ target and take a dirt nap. . . fo’rel .
Believe it or not there was such a called HIP HOP waaaay before FatBeats . Stop acttin brand new and start thinkin with your head and not your heart .
RIP. You will be missed but never forgotten.
bbopnonstop hip hop has died
Damn man, that place has been my spot for years. I’m kinda crushed by this news, but can’t say that I’m terribly surprised. It’s been a great run and I hope things manage to take a turn for the better and one day they can re-open. Ouch baby, very ouch..
i had the good fortune to visit both stores, the nyc store just this june.
it isn’t the end. there will be another fat beats: “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.”
hip hop is alive and very well. its just changing and adapting, and will continue to do so, with the support of fans of the culture, that BUY music! LONG LIVE FAT BEATS and we look forward to your return.
A-Mafia – Children Of The Corn.mp3
http://usershare.net/f5v5z6olacl8
dope
chill people
@ MaxB: I’ve been DJin and writing Graffiti long before there ever was a FatBeats and just because the store is closing do you I’m going to stop ? HELL NAH.
HIP HOP is in me homie just as much as it’s in you . close your eyes and open your mind and see what’s real . If that aint working for you then holla @ cause I sell records, cd’s videos. online. th1st2002@yahoo.com
and BTW i used to do bizness with F.B. years ago .
Damn, I arrive in NYC on the night of the 3rd, any word if the store will still be open the day of the 4th? Would love to grab some merch
fuck , im gonna miss going record shopping at Fat Beats in NY ….
:(
sad day for dj, sad day for artists, sad day for hip hop music…..and sad news that fall exactly the same I received the 250 copies of my 12″ feat MASTA ACE…..SHITTTTT
i demand to hear percee p’s take on this!
now where the fuck is he gonna sell his 6th edition of his “Now & Then” LP?
SMH
@ Jean Maron – “matter of fact, fuck Fat Beats for pressing the wax” (c) Masta Ace.. lol
Place where I was first introduced to Dilla…rip
Word @ FT.. haha.. when I was in college I would hit Fat Beats about 2-3 times a week. I think I saw Percee P selling CDs out front at for like 2 years straight, never failed.
Damn sorry see Fat Beats Go.Copped a lot of classic ish from there. First Beat Street in Brooklyn now this. Hip Hop just ain’t the same no more,,,
most people commenting here are lamenting end of an era, but when was the last time you bought vinyl? ha!
nice to remember percee outside the place. met both jdilla & madlib in there, among some others.
have to say, there was a lot of crap on the walls too. music fans have gone digital, single-based, and everything’s disposable. love my records, but i dont buy many new ones.
idk about Fat Beats since i’ve never been to NYC or LA, but i’ve been to Virgin in Chicago and Tower Records (i think) in San Francisco…Virgin was dope (well…really just HUGE and u could literally stand there all day and listen to music on headphones) and i can appreciate Tower Records for what it was, but come…its 2010…we are literally in THE FUTURE (that’s obviously a statement that could never be true, but u get what i mean)…i give CDs 5 years…vinyl, though significantly older, will probably stick around a lil’ longer just because of what you can do with it…but seriously…think of the technologial advancements in the last 10 years…ridiculous…u can be nostalgic about places like Fat Beats, but c’mon DJ Premier, ur being a BIT over-dramatic…hip-hop will never die as long as music is alive…so don’t worry about that…but be prepared for shit you couldn’t dream of now thats sure to be coming in the next 5-10 years…and embrace it…it, the imaginary, Jetsons, Back To The Future 2-like world is coming…artists don’t even have the words to describe or rap about whats coming in that not-so-distant future…cuz those words haven’t even been invented yet…record stores don’t make good music, artists do…i’m done
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Where’s Percee P gonna chill and sell cd’s now?
“A blog post mourning the demise of a record store is like reading an article on Google news eulogizing over the fall of print media…the epitome of irony.”
word.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Tnolz9c4w
Damn! A very sad day indeed. Fat Beats LA was a must for me when I did my monthly record shopping. I guess all I have now is Amoeba Records.
smh. what a damn shame…
so much for getting my job back there when i go back to nyc in a week
:( DAMN NAS WAS RIGHT INDEED HIP-HOP IS DEAD OR DYING WTF MAN **SIGH**
shouts to Brown Bag AllStars for holdin that spot down!
Definitely copping me some vinyls in the L.A. spot then…
damn, didn’t even know the owner of Fat Beats was Armenian. That’s whassup… that’s a good look.
damnnn RIP
bout to make a pilgramage back home to NYC to cop some vinyl and give respects. First Gramophone (chi) Beat Street (bklyn) now Fat Beats… Shoot, I wonder if Rock and Soul (money-makin’) is still doing their thing. All my diggin in the crates spots are closing. I have spent thousands of dollars at these places over the years easy. I have to admit I am as much to blame as well, Serato got me. I line the walls of my spot with shelves and shelves of vinyl, but when you are doing a set, a lappie with thousands of songs vs breaking your back with a couple hundred is a no-brainer. As sad as it is, it is just a sign-o-the-times. R.I.P. Fat Beats. My only real issue is where is the Hip Hop culture going. “It seems that once that man got to her, he altered her native…. And she did it like a dummy”.
-DJ Cue
Damn.
Dam you internets!!! Another thing your responsible for fucking up!!!
PEOPLE..FAT BEATS WAS THE ESSENCE OF WHAT TRUE HIP HOP CULTURE WAS
AND THAT HAS BEEN SNATCHED FROM US LONG BEFORE THE INTERNET, SO DON’T CONFUSE PROGRESS WITH PROCESS, WE AS INDEPENDENTS NEED THE INTERNET, BECAUSE IT LEVELED THE PLAYING FIELD…LETS NOT FORGET
WHERE WE STAND AS INDEPENDENTS….I TOO WILL MISS FAT BEATS, BECUSE THEY WERE THE LAST OF THE REAL DEAL, WHEN IT CAME TO WAX, BUT Y’ALL STILL BETTER CHECK EM ONLINE, THEY STILL GOT WAX !!!!
titanic tally you’ve carry
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