Tucked away in the heart of Germantown, SOOK Vinyl & Vintage is more than just a record shop—it’s a cultural hub dedicated to preserving and celebrating Black music, art, and history. Located at 7169 Germantown Ave, SOOK is Philadelphia’s only Black-owned record store, offering a space where vinyl collectors, music lovers, and culture enthusiasts can gather, discover, and engage with Black artistry in its most tangible form.
Founded by Rashied Amon, SOOK Vinyl & Vintage is the culmination of years of passion, persistence, and community engagement. The store’s roots trace back to 2021 when Amon launched the Black Culture Museum, an annual pop-up event showcasing vintage Black music, apparel, and memorabilia.
“I’m a son of a DJ. I came across my father’s collection in my grandmother’s attic maybe 10 to 15 years after he passed,” Amon shared during an interview with The Quintessential Gentleman. “That drove me to go and collect vintage Black music, tangible media, wherever I came across it. And that’s how this shop came to be.”
His first event was held at Thee Imaginarium, a Germantown-based collaborative art studio founded by Jae Martin and Kariem Young. The one-day pop-up primarily focused on vintage fashion but had undeniable cultural significance. Encouraged by its success, Amon expanded the initiative with a two-day Black History Month collaboration with The Philadelphia Sunday Sun, the region’s second-largest African American newspaper.
Following a 30-day residency at Our House Cultural Center in Fall 2023, where SOOK hosted various artists and creatives, Amon took the leap to open a permanent brick-and-mortar location in December 2023.
SOOK Vinyl & Vintage isn’t just a store—it’s a movement. Inspired by Amon’s father, a nightclub DJ whose forgotten vinyl collection ignited his passion for preserving Black music, SOOK is built on the belief that tangible artifacts—music, books, fashion, and ephemera—must be reclaimed, preserved, and redistributed for future generations.
“I’m a son of a DJ. I came across my father’s collection in my grandmother’s attic maybe 10 to 15 years after he passed,” Amon shared during an interview with The Quintessential Gentleman. “That drove me to go and collect vintage Black music, tangible media, wherever I came across it. And that’s how this shop came to be.”
“We’ve probably gone about two to three decades where everything was being digitized. There’s a void and a need for the tangible,” Amon explains. “And we’re here to fill that void.”
SOOK is more than a business; it’s a beacon for the community. Amon describes the importance of having a physical space where people can find, engage, and connect with culture in a way that digital platforms cannot replicate.
Beyond selling records and vintage goods, SOOK actively engages with the Philadelphia arts and cultural scene. Recently, the store partnered with Kabila Events to sponsor Love Jones, a cultural experience celebrating Black creativity and artistry, which served as the setting for our interview.
“This is the second time that we’ve collaborated with Kabila, and we’re here to support anything Sunny and Kabila have going on,” says Amon. Events like Culture Fest and Love Jones reinforce SOOK’s commitment to building a thriving, interconnected cultural community.
As SOOK Vinyl & Vintage moves forward, Amon envisions expansion—whether at its current location or a bigger and better space. The goal remains the same: to be a home for Black culture, history, and artistic expression.
For vinyl collectors, music lovers, and cultural enthusiasts, SOOK Vinyl & Vintage is more than a record shop—it’s a movement, a mission, and a must-visit destination in Philadelphia.
Make sure to follow Sook Vinyl & Vintage on Instagram. To donate to their Gofundme click here.
