![\"VIPsign\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/VIPsign.jpg\")
Kelvin Anderson and rap artist Domino pose in front of the World Famous VIP Records sign before it was removed from the roof of the building that once housed the store. Photo by Tromaine Ellis.<\/p>\nKelvin Anderson and rap artist Domino pose in front of the World Famous VIP Records sign before it was removed from the roof of the building that once housed the store. Photo by Tromaine Ellis.<\/p>\n
The World Famous VIP Records sign will soon return to the public eye, following approval by the Long Beach City Council to refurbish and reinstall it at a small park planned to be named for the historic landmark.<\/p>\n
Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to spend up to $235,00 to repair the sign, which has deteriorated since it was put in storage in 2018.<\/p>\n
Before then, the sign had been a bucket-list destination for hip-hop and rap fans. But when VIP Records was forced to move, the sign was removed from the shop\u2019s original Anaheim Street location \u2014 now a 7-Eleven.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear how soon the sign could be seen at the park, which is just across the street, at the southwest corner of Anaheim Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.<\/p>\n
Another vote must go before a city committee to designate the city-owned, vacant lot as \u201cThe VIP Records Park.\u201d A budget detailing the project\u2019s scope will then go out to bid for a potential contractor before coming back to the City Council for a final vote.<\/p>\n Long Beach will also pay VIP Records $170,000 in licensing fees to display its sign on city property for the next 5 years. Regular maintenance will be paid for by the city, while profits from agreements to sublicense the name and logo will be split 50-50 between both parties.<\/p>\n Kelvin Anderson, the longtime owner of VIP Records, noted the timing at Tuesday\u2019s meeting, saying it comes days before the store\u2019s 47th birthday on Jan. 15.<\/p>\n He and others shared personal stories about growing up driving past the sign and attending the store regularly. Many characterized it as their earliest introduction to hip-hop, and one of their proudest examples of Long Beach\u2019s enduring effect on global culture.<\/p>\n Even as the sign sits in storage, tourists have come from across the world to visit VIP Records at its new location, just around the corner from its original store.<\/p>\n The shop was always a community gathering place that nurtured young creatives, helping launch artists like Snoop Dogg, Warren G and the late Nate Dogg. Its notoriety only grew in the \u201880s and \u201890s, when the sign was prominently featured in Snoop\u2019s \u201cWho Am I? (What\u2019s My Name)\u201d video<\/a> on the store\u2019s roof.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/06194812\/img-8775-1-942272-zwx7peqa-899619-xPgk0uzs-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a>The vacant city-owned lot that Long Beach plans to turn into the a park that includes the VIP Records sign at the southwest corner of Anaheim Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Photo by John Donegan.<\/p>\n<\/a>Kelvin Anderson of VIP Records talks about his plan to turn the store into a museum of hip-hop. Photo by John Donegan.<\/p>\n