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Revision as of 07:03, 10 January 2025 by Vigilantcosmicpenguin (talk | contribs) (Created draft)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Swap meet in Compton, California
The Compton Swap Meet (officially Compton Fashion Center) was a swap meet where a vendor called Cycadelic Records sold the music of early gangsta rap artists. Proprietor Wan Joon Kim opened the stall in 1985.
History
Wan Joon Kim was born in North Korea in 1933 or 1934. He and his wife, Boo Ja, fled the country by fishing boat in 1950. They immigrated to the United States in 1976 and joined an early wave of Korean immigrants to the Los Angeles. He began selling items at swap meets as his source of income, initially selling hair clips. Upon seeing the popularity of a vendor selling CDs of hip-hop music at the Roadium Open Air Market in Torrance, he decided to do the same.
The Compton Fashion Center was established in 1985 by a group of Korean swap meet vendors. It was located in a former Sears store in Compton, California. It was the first indoor swap meet in Southern California. Kim was the third vendor to rent a stall at the market. He rented a stall next to the building's entrance for $500 per month.
Gangsta rap was an obscure genre that few stores sold due to its references to violence and drug use. Kim was a fan of classical music and needed his daughter to help him understand the English used in gangsta rap songs, but he liked selling records of the genre. Wan Joon and Boo Ja Kim built connections with local rappers, who called them "Pops" and "Mama". As rappers distributed music within the community without record labels, Kim became the first to sell many of their releases. He made a significant profit from the business. He became known as the "godfather of gangsta rap".
The swap meet carried artists such as Ice Cube and Eazy-E, who formed the group N.W.A. It was one of the first sellers of the group's first album, Straight Outta Compton. The music video for "California Love", by 2Pac and Dr. Dre, was filmed at the Compton Swap Meet.
Despite tensions between African-Americans and Koreans during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Kim maintained his connections with the community. He recounted to the The Los Angeles Times, "Most of my customers were the gang-bangers and drug dealers, so I built a friendship with them." In the 1990s, the demographics of Compton shifted to have fewer black people, and gangsta rap gained worldwide popularity. Cycadelic Records continued to sell music to people from across Southern California.
Kim's son, Kirk, took charge of Cycadelic by 2012. He sold Chicano gangsta rap music and began selling online. The elder Kim worked at the stall once a week. Kim died on March 13, 2013, from a cancer. The Compton Fashion Center closed in January 2015 and was purchased by Walmart.
Legacy
Sveral rappers have referenced the Compton Swap Meet in their songs. Kendrick Lamar featured the Compton Swap Meet building in his 2015 music video for "King Kunta", alongside other Compton locations. The video briefly shows Lamar dancing on the roof of the building. Lamar told Complex in 2012, "I've been going to the swap meet my whole life. As a kid, that's where I used to get all my cassettes, all my CDs."
References
- ^ Quinones, Sam (28 July 2012). "Wan Joon Kim of Cycadelic Records helped gangsta rappers start". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Grigsby Bates, Karem (14 March 2013). "Gangsta Rap Swap Meet Proprietor Wan Joon Kim Has Died". NPR. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Maloney, Devon (2 April 2015). "Kendrick Lamar dances on Compton Swap Meet roof in 'King Kunta' video". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- Kreps, Daniel (15 September 2013). "Kendrick Lamar Pens Touching Tupac Shakur Tribute". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- Brunhuber, Kim (14 August 2015). "Compton no longer the stuff of gangsta-rap lore". CBC News. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- Roberts, Randall; Krishnakumar, Priya (19 January 2018). "Rap's Main Street: the music of Rosecrans Avenue". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- Scarano, Ross (26 October 2012). "Kendrick Lamar's Guide to L.A." Complex. Retrieved 9 January 2025.