Where
do you go to get the hottest wax? Well one place you
can pick up some of the best hits is Street Elements
run by Terry Smith.
PW:
Where are sitting here in your record store, Street
Elements. We understand that this store has some history
behind it, give us an idea about the background of this
store.
T:
Basically the store started off in the 60’s, 70’s
as Cranes Records. It was a family owned business, and
I’ve been coming here since I was 13 as a customer.
In 1992 it was bought by Walter Martin, and it became
Martin’s Record’s. It was Martin’s
for about 10 years. I began working here myself, when
it was still Martin’s about 3 years ago. A couple
of month’s ago, Walter came to a point where he
did not feel like running the shop. In light of this,
me and my business associate got together and bought
the store. We renamed it Street Elements Records, and
here we are now.
PW:
That’s cool, tell us a little bit about some of
the well known artists, that have stopped by to show
some love over the years
T: Everybody who is anybody in hip hop,
has been to this shop. Notorious Big has come through
here. We have had in-stores for De La Soul. This has
been one of the Alcoholiks hang-out spots through the
years. We’ve had Ol’ Dirty Bastard from
the Wu Tang Clan in here. Organized Confusion has had
an in-store here, man…Erick Sermon did a DJ set
up in here. We’ve had everybody in here man.
Tash
from The Alcoholiks
PW:
You as an owner of a store, I’m pretty sure that
you have a deep history with hip-hop. Publicity Whore
realizes that hip hop is a culture that transcends race,
age, and class now. What is it that makes hip-hop so
desirable?
T:
In all honesty I think for the American youth movement,
black youth have been the “Pied Pipers”.
Throughout history you’ve them starting trends
whether it be Blues, moving on into Jazz, Soul music,
even Rock. Those movements we started in large parts
by the black youth, and then it becomes popular in the
mainstream.
The
ducklings were never heard from again..
PW:
So what’s hot right now, what are you top 5 selling
CD’s presently?
T: Honestly,
it varies from week to week. Back in the days, you could
have singled out records that you definately sell, now
it seems to be whatever is new out that particular week…as
far as the mainstream goes. You can pretty much look
at Billboard, and see what the hottest music is.
#1
In really awful award shows!!
PW:
Ok so what goes Big Texas have in his rotation right
now?
T: A number of things. As far as mainstream
music, I’ve got that Jazzy Jeff instrumentals
LP bumpin’, as well as 50 Cent’s “Guess
Who’s Back, and some more of his older stuff.
As well as a group called, “Little Brother”,
that’s one of the best records out now.
PW:
What inspired you to assume ownership, and start running
the store?
T:
Man, I’ve been working here since I was a youth.
The epiphany came when, Martin call me and ask me, Do
you want the shop? I’m glad that I’ve been
given the opportunity, because I don’t want to
ever be someone that’s gone through “ I
wish I hadn’t” in life. So I think that
it would have been foolish for me to pass on this.
PW:
Were you a former musician, or rapper? Was that something
that you did while growing up?
T: I did
all of the above. Music has always been the main thing
in my life. In all honesty women have always come second
to me, right behind music. In junior high and high school,
I played saxophone. Everyone in grew up rhyming, beating
on tables. Now I just collect records.
PW:
What advice would you give someone that wants to start
their own business?
T:
Keep your integrity in tact. In the end you’ll
have a lot of people who are quick to bend over, grab
ankles, and do whatever they can to get ahead. Though
they might achieve something in a short period of time,
but in the long run, it’s going to be that person
that walks with their head up, and doesn’t have
an excuse, who is going to be the respected person.
On top of that cut as much of the fat that you can away
from your life. If there are people that are draining
away your energy, put a pause on it. That doesn’t
mean don’t have them as your homies, there are
people tat are always going to be your homies, but put
things in their proper perspective.
PW:
If you were trapped on a deserted Island, what records
would you want with you?
T:
Ah shit, why do you have to ask that question?!!!
I would have Organized Confusion “Stress the Extinction
Agenda” and damn near any Pearl Jam record.
PW:
Do consumers gravitate toward female or male artists?
T:
It doesn’t matter, it’s basically whatever
is new that week. We are in such a fast food era for
music and art, it’s really like whatever is new
on the menu.
PW:
Describe hip-hop’s evolution since its beginning.
Where did it come from, where is it now, and where do
you see it going?
T:
It started off as something fresh, something new, that
was limitless. 10 years ago, you could have gone with
it, all the while being creative and at the same time
pushing boundaries. As hip-hop started making money,
you had more corporations getting into it. Theses corporations
are so busy concentrating on money, that the music is
not artfully driven anymore. It’s gotten to the
point that it’s so watered down, that I don’t
feel a true connection with a lot of the music. As far
as the future, I think that it’s about that time
for something new to come along. There’s always
going to be good new music to come along, we just have
to be willing to let that happen.
PW:
What can people expect from Street Elements in the near
future?
T: Yeah, check out the web-site, we’re
doing the marketing and promotions, we got the record
shop, man…we’re just growing. Oh yeah, be
on the look out for my new album called “Buy This
Muthafuckin’ Album” due in store Nebruary
2nd 2028…
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