One things about my city (BLAkron Ohio) that I admire the most....is the amount of people that's trying to establish businesses and commerce within our communities. Many of these new ventures are following the blue print established by local super-store 2 Live Music.
Owners Norma & Victor
2 Live Music started out as a normal "mom & pop" records, tapes, and CD shop nearly 27 years ago. After a successful beginning, 2 Live Music became so popular within the music business that the shop began reporting sales to the bible of the music industry Billboard Magazine. As a result to the shop's popularity, national recording artists from The Wutang Clan to the late great Notorious B.I.G came to the shop to sign autographs and generally hang out with local fans. Every since what I like to call the "digital divide" (which is simply the emergence of online music sharing) things hasn't quite been the same with the superstore.
Now when you enter the shop things such as
books, videos, apparel, posters,convenient store items and just about everything one would need have replaced the once music dominate sales floor. What I noticed (which I thought was soooo dope) was the amount of Afrocentric merchandise that was currently dominating the shelves. That's right, no longer do the people of our
Norma & Victor Heard
beloved city have to travel out of town to get those official imported African lotions, hair care products and apparel. 2 Live Music was once considered the "music mecca" of the Midwest. Now with a new mindset, owners Victor & Norma Heard has reinvented the shop and now we should consider it the Midwest's new Africa. Please check out my visit & vibe session with owner Norma Heard posted below. Until Next time, Have some fun and get something done.something done. -Hiram Akeem
