A Hip-Hop Hero Keeps It Local

Now that he’s produced chart-topping, critically acclaimed rap music, DJ U-Neek is betting that he can sell it too--in his own independent record store.

Recently, he opened a shop called Music Zone and is optimistically billing it “the Hottest Record Store in South-Central.”

Located on the northeast corner of Vermont Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard in a small strip mall that includes a gift shop and soul-food restaurant, Music Zone features hard-to-find, independent, underground hip-hop, reggae, Latin albums and singles, as well as vintage soul music by everyone from the Isley Brothers to Johnnie Taylor.

Although successful artists are more likely to branch into record and film companies or clothing lines, U-Neek said he has wanted to open a store for years but just hasn’t had time. (If there is a precedent for U-Neek’s venture, it is perhaps the Richmond, Calif., record store opened in 1990 by rap mogul Master P--although that was well before Master P became one of rap’s most prolific and successful artist-businessmen.)

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U-Neek is hoping Music Zone store will attract hip-hop consumers, including students from nearby Manual Arts High School. The store makes custom CDs and mix tapes, and will start carrying vinyl later this year to cater to hip-hop DJs. It also hosts live DJ performances on Saturday afternoons.

For Music Zone’s grand opening in February, members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, for whom U-Neek produced the 1996 Grammy-winning single “Tha Crossroads,” signed autographs for fans and shoppers.

The store is managed by U-Neek’s mother, Roberta Jackson, who brings a maternal perspective to the venture:

“The kids come in and ask him for advice,” Jackson said. “People look at us in a positive way because we have high standards for the store. It’s a safe place to come. The parents respect us for this.”

U-Neek, 30, is the store’s sole owner and investor. “I want to inspire people to get into different things,” he said. “I’m trying to show that we don’t always have to look to the stage.”

But for those who do dream of success on stage, the store could have a substantial local impact, say some observers.

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“It’s opening the doors to a lot of the artists and producers to see the big picture of selling records in L.A.,” said Arnold White, owner of Underworld CDs & Tapes, an independent record store in Compton. “U-Neek is coming in real strong. He’s proving that it can be done.”

Hip-hop music, which relies heavily on word of mouth and underground respect for sales, has enjoyed tremendous success in other local independent stores such as Martin’s and Fat Beats. Local acts without major record deals, for example, have been able to sell as many as 50,000 records without being carried in larger chains such as Tower or Wherehouse.

“The mom-and-pop stores are quick to pick up independent projects,” U-Neek said. “We support the artists while they’re ‘nobodies.’ We’re always a couple of steps ahead. We play a big part in helping these cats get discovered and keeping the people on the cutting edge of what’s about to break.”

U-Neek (born Tim Middleton), who graduated from Valley Alternative Magnet School in Van Nuys, witnessed the destructive nature of the streets firsthand when he was growing up, but his love for music demanded his full attention and pulled him away from street life. In his teens, while his friends were buying cars and jewelry, U-Neek was booking studio time.

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He earned his producing moniker from his “unique” mix tapes, which included vocals from such rappers as Chuck D and Biz Markie over the instrumentation of songs from Audio 2 and Whodini.

In 1993, two years before he died, Compton rap pioneer Eazy-E took notice of an unsolicited tape of instrumental music U-Neek had sent him. Producer Dr. Dre had recently left Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records label, and U-Neek began working with many of the label’s acts, including Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Although he enjoys making music, U-Neek said he is already looking for a second location and hopes to start a chain of stores.

Even as he works on establishing Music Zone as a premier independent shop, DJ U-Neek has his eye on other music-related business ventures.

“I’m trying to touch every aspect of the game,” he said. “I just love this. I’m trying to build an empire.”