I got my first stereo the Christmas of 1989. It had a CD player, dual cassette, AM/FM radio, and a turntable. Of course this was the beginning of the CD revolution but I would still buy 12 inch singles for instrumentals and remixes. Fast forward to the present day. Vinyl has “made a comeback” but to quote Uncle L (LL), “It’s been here for years”. Some never stopped. Many of us continued to dig and spin on a regular basis.
Social media has many “uses” and I’ll leave it @that… It introduces us, entertains, us, informs and misinforms us, but mostly; it connects us. The Hip Hop Vinyl Spinners Group was started May 16, 2015 on Facebook by Dave “The Administrator” Morris (my nod to Dan “The Automator”).
Dave is the administrator for a group of roughly 2700 individuals and it’s still growing! The group is for those “who love and spin hip hop records.” “The group is for “showing off your collection”. It’s definitely a lot more! I sat down with Dave to talk about… You guessed it; Music!!!
Jay: Did you ever think that the group would “take it this far” (as Biggie quotes)?
Dave: No I didn’t really have any expectations when I started the group. I was a part of a bunch of different record groups on Facebook and hip hop was not really represented much. Lots of classic rock like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin were posted daily. Those are great artists but when you post Cool C or Super Lover Cee and Casanova Rud nobody seemed to care. I just wanted a place to show off that kind of stuff to like-minded people.
I never advertised or pushed the page anywhere. It just grew organically to numbers I didn’t think I would see. Recently we even had a member design and print shirts for the group which I think is awesome. It’s a pretty straight forward page. We don’t allow sales on the page as that usually leads to trouble and arguments. It also takes away from the overall appearance and attitude of the page. People will come to just sell and not actually be part of the group.
Hip hop records are the only thing allowed except for on Friday. We have “F It Friday”. On Friday it’s kind of a free for all. It’s fun to see what other cats are turned on to besides hip hop. We also have a strict rule of not coming to the page to self-promote. I want young aspiring hip hop artists to have an outlet for their art but this page is not it. Once again they take away from the overall subject of the page
Jay: Are there days where you feel like this is becoming too much?
Dave: I have had days where it was a little more work then I cared for. It’s fairly easy to keep things going but we have days where you get the internet arguments. People can certainly be opinionated on things they love and sometimes they take it personally for whatever reason. I have to step in and try to cool the situation as I hope to keep the group as drama free as possible. There was a time recently when I wanted to abandon social media all together for a while but I can’t do that to the group. I have a responsibility now. The arguments and drama is pretty minimal in the scheme of things which I am thankful for. I have a regular job as well as a wife and son so I can’t spend all day dealing with adults disputing over dumb stuff.
Jay: I’m noticing more of an international presence; how Dope is that? I even notice native languages requiring translation. But we recognize the records. Roughly, how many different countries are in the group?
Dave: I knew that we were worldwide as I am the one that gives the OK for people to join the group but I didn’t know how much until you asked. In the admin section on the app it says that 99 countries are represented. I find that rad as hell. I see people post in different languages and get into discussions with others in that very same language and it makes me smile. Hip Hop bringing all corners of the globe together is pretty awesome. I am pretty proud of that number. People in Belgium interacting with somebody in Philadelphia because they both love Wu tang is Dope!
Jay: Is your collection strictly Hip Hop?
Dave: My collection has just about everything in it accept for classical. I have been a fan of music since I was a baby. I was born in 1976. I remember the first album I loved as a kid in about 79 was The Blues Brothers Briefcase Full OF blues. I fell in love with the band Kiss at an early age as well. I had an 8 track collection that consisted of Gladys Knight, The Four Tops and The Temptations and many others. My collection today has your typical classic rock selections but I love Jazz, Punk, Soul, Metal, Reggae and of course Hip hop. I like to collect records that have something to do with wrestling as well as 80’s movie soundtracks.
Jay: Your collection consists of how many records? From _________ to ____________?
Dave: I would say the collection is about 10000 records including 45’s. I have records and turntable setups in almost every room of my house. It can become overwhelming at times as they are heavy and take up a lot of real estate in a house. I had a small shop for a while some years back and I would pick up massive collections fairly cheap and always kept what I wanted.
Jay: Do your wife and son have the same appreciation and love of music as you do?
Dave: Yes and no. It’s hard to rival my addiction and need of music but they certainly share in my love of music. My wife and I spend a majority of our vacation time every year going to concerts all over the Virginia, Pennsylvania, D.C, New York, Delaware, Maryland area. It’s what we love to do. We have started bringing our son along in the last year or two and he has seen quite a few legendary bands at the young age of 12.
Last Christmas he asked for quite a few records. He Likes Hobo Johnson, Marilyn Manson, Mac Miller, Rob Zombie and most of what we listen to as his parents. He’s an old soul. Our house is covered in art from gigs we have seen all over so music is a huge part of our household. I have played a CD or some form of music for the boy to go to sleep to every night since he was brought home from the hospital. He is being brought up and exposed to everything,
Jay: Gimme your 5 Favorite DJ’s
Dave: All respect to the legends like Kool Herc, Grand Wizard Theodore, Red Alert, Mr Magic, Afrika Bambaataa and the others that paved the way. I can say the guys that I loved as a kid and help mold my love for hip hop was. Jazzy Jeff, Jam Master Jay, Scratch, Marley Marl, Terminator X and Scott La Rock. It’s so hard to narrow down. Of course DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Muggs, RZA, are some of my favorites. I also enjoy turntablist like QBert and Skratch Bastid. I always envy what they do with 2 records!
Jay: Are you into the newer releases or are you one to dig for originals? I know I’ve said on many occasions “once I get certain records; I’m done”. I know this isn’t the case but I’m trying to stay within my means (LOL)
Dave: I always want the OG copy if I can get it and it’s a reasonable price. Today they put out a different version every year of classic records. They will have different covers or a bonus 45 that appeals to the over the top collectors and completists. 12 different colors from different retail establishments. It’s a little too gimmicky sometimes. I fall for it sometimes if I really love the record or I give up thinking I will find one in the wild for a reasonable price. Being a collector can certainly put a hurt on your wallet. At least that’s what my wife tells me. . I always have a handful of records on my radar that I am trying to acquire.
One record that has eluded me in all my days collecting that I want to own is the Beatles Butcher cover. It’s not hip hop but I have bought and sold so many records over the years and never come across one of those and it irritates me that it has eluded me all these years. I just want to hold it. I have a bootleg of it. Right now my hip hop wants are O.C. Word Life, Low Profile Were in This Together, Ugly Duckling Journey To Anywhere, People Under The Stairs O.S.T. to name a few.
Jay: Last question: Although I know we could talk about this all day, what’s one record that you want but have yet to get your hands on?
Dave: I always have a handful of records on my radar that I am trying to acquire. One record that has eluded me in all my days collecting that I want to own is the Beatles Butcher cover. It’s not hip hop but I have bought and sold so many records over the years and never come across one of those and it irritates me that it has eluded me all these years. I just want to hold it. I have a bootleg of it. Right now my hip hop wants are O.C. Word Life, Low Profile Were in This Together, Ugly Duckling Journey To Anywhere, People Under The Stairs O.S.T. to name a few.
Jay: I wish you and the group continued success. When are you coming into the shop, Man?
Dave: Thanks for the interview. There is nothing I like more than talking about music. It can heal anything. I need to make a point to get to the shop on a day I know you are there. As many times as I have been we keep missing each other. Stay safe and healthy!
Jay Ellerbe is a recent addition to the SwitchFlip Media Family. Mental Health Professional. Real Life Documentarian. Father. Lover of Music. You can catch him @Extended Play Records 204 Rehoboth Ave Rehoboth Beach, DE. 19971 diggin’ in the crates…
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