VIP Records Plans Museum

In 1962, a young Cletus Anderson arrived in Southern California, planning that if he didn’t get a job in a couple of weeks, he’d move back to Mississippi. No problem. Within a week, he was painting planes at the Douglas Long Beach plant, then painting cars at a GM plant in South Gate. In 1967, Cletus Anderson began his chain of VIP Record shops at 108th and Broadway in L.A.

Having just graduated from high school in rural Brandon, Mississippi in 1972, Kelvin Anderson followed the example of older brother, Cletus, moving to the West Coast for a job at VIP Records. Arriving in L.A., he met his brother, who took him to breakfast. By 1 p.m. the same day, he was working at his brother’s record shop.

In the mid-decade, VIP Records had a dozen stores owned and operated by Cletus or Anderson family members. In 1978, Cletus opened a VIP at Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach. The need for signage was solved when Cletus realized the former tenant of the space, Whistler Liquor had left a sign of a white cartoon figure whistling notes with a record-like background. That served as the VIP logo, which Kelvin morphed into a “brown” figure after buying the store from Cletus in 1979.

That was the same year the first charting rap record, “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang on Sylvia Robinson’s New Jersey-based label hit the soul and pop charts. Their contacts with Robinson opened the floodgates. At first, VIP was the only West Coast store to stock rap records, according to Kelvin, who said radio station KDAY picked up on rap. In short order, Cletus produced the rap hit, “Gigiolo Rap” by Disco Daddy.

With a DJ on staff, Kelvin Anderson exercised influence within the burgeoning rap industry. Several major hip-hop labels like Interscope asked him to opine on upcoming releases. Kelvin professed, “I can’t write a song or play an instrument, much less dance, but I know a hit song when I hear one.”

Into the late 1980s and 1990s, rap’s reputation took a hit. “Too many young people died,” he said. Radio stations were pressured to ban so-called gangster rap. That’s when Kelvin decided to open a studio to change from “guys shooting at each other to making music together.”

It worked. In the mid-1990s, an act called 213 recorded a demo at the VIP studio and Kelvin shopped it around to labels he was consulting for. All turned it down. Interscope said “it didn’t have what it takes.” 213 were Poly High students, Warren G, Nate Dogg and his cousin Snoop Dogg. Later at a party, Dr. Dre heard the demo and took Snoop to the studio for his recorded debut in 1996.

At a March 25 media event, Kelvin Anderson announced plans for a VIP Records museum and educational center honoring the artists and music of the past six decades. Not only would it celebrate the shop’s trademark rap history, but soul, funk, gospel and other forms for which VIP is known. When he started with the store, he recalled “moving a lot of Marvin Gaye” records. As an aside, he cited his favorite artist as Aretha Franklin.

As rap caught on, Anderson created a special space for gospel buyers who did not want to be exposed to some of the most controversial examples of the genre. But as vinyl, CDs and other tangible forms gave way to streaming, VIP’s business slowed down and in 2015, Anderson closed his Pacific Coast Highway at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard location and put his World Famous VIP Records signage in storage. Later, he opened VIP in smaller space a few doors east on Pacific Coast Highway near Lewis Avenue. Plans include restoring and posting the sign with the landlord’s cooperation or at a nearby public space.

Anderson described plans for a museum area for historical artifacts, a recording studio, printing space and a radio station open to youngsters in search of a career in music.

Anderson knows his limitations. “I can raise money for you, but I can’t raise money for me. I’m just not good at fundraising and stuff.” After the presentation and a short set by rapper/poet, Philosophy, horn player Dave Williams and guitarist Ashanti for the fifty-plus invitees, Snoop Dogg appeared by video call.

“Thank you for giving us an option, giving us an avenue, and opening up your record store to us and our dreams, so you got my support when it comes to the museum. I think it should be there; that’s the birthplace of it all. Y’all up here at VIP gave us hope, y’all gave us an opportunity to actually make a dream come true, give us a platform to hear our voice for the first time on a cassette, to hear what we sounded like and what we meant to people. I think it should be there; that’s the birthplace of it all, but, like I say, if they don’t want to act right, we’ll find somewhere we can put it,” he said.

As his presentation finished, Anderson pointed out the sign is only one of two official Long Beach historic sites related to the black community. Anderson said he would like to find the original image of the Whistler Liquor sign, but whenever he checks an online source, it defaults to the “world famous” VIP logo.