On the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 170th Street in New York City’s Jamaica, Queens neighbourhood lies a record store with a humble, retro blue and yellow frontage. “VP Records: Miles Ahead in Reggae,” it reads. Named after its founders Vincent “Randy” Chin and Patricia “Miss Pat” Chin, the store was first opened by the pair in the Jamaica area in 1979 after they relocated from their home country of Jamaica.
Inside, reggae, dub, soca and dancehall records fill crates lined across the walls, sitting alongside flags featuring the Rastafarian red, green and yellow colours, t‑shirts, books on reggae and Jamaica (the country), and music photography. Yet the old school signage and relatively small interior belies a rich history, and continuing influence on the music industry. Today, VP Records is the world’s largest distributor of reggae and Caribbean music, as well as featuring a long running record label arm, with offices in several cities across the world including London, Miami, Tokyo, Johannesburg and of course, Kingston, Jamaica.
The Jamaica Avenue shop one of the oldest record stores featured in Vinyl NYC, a new book by husband-and-wife photography duo James T. and Karla L. Murray, with its text penned by music journalist Hattie Lindert. “When you think of Jamaica, Queens, you might actually think more of hip hop – it’s always been a melting pot,” says Karla. “VP Records is run by Miss Pat, who is a legend in that world, and it’s gorgeous. It’s a community centre – she holds record store events, block parties and has a foundation for kids that are interested in becoming musicians.”