Iconic NYC record store where Biggie Smalls, MC Hammer got their start celebrates 50 years in business

This shop is still spinning.

Rock and Soul, the Midtown-based record store credited with nurturing the early careers of Mark Ronson, Wu Tang Clan and Grandmaster Flash, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Record Store Day on Saturday – and attributes its survival to being able to “evolve” over the years.

The Manhattan store was first a humble electronics shop on Seventh Avenue before turning into a vinyl paradise in the early 1980s and, later, a gear haven for Big Apple DJs – and its transformation act may not be over yet.

“The most important thing is you have to not be afraid to evolve – we keep changing,” said CEO Sharone Bechor, whose parents Joseph and Shirley opened the business in 1975 after emigrating from Israel. Read More