Play De Record 'Inspire through music' Located at 357a Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, PLAY DE RECORD, for the past 22 years, has been THE MAD CRAZY HOT SPOT for the latest in underground music - hip-hop, funk, soul, drum n' bass, dubstep, house, jazz & ROCK.
Play De Record hardly needs any introduction. Even if you’re not into the Toronto club scene, it’s the kind of place that sounds familiar. That’s because since it opened on Yonge Street in 1990, it’s become something of an icon in the Toronto music scene. Drake has bought gear here and comedian Russell Peters used to frequent the store in its early days. Other luminaries who’ve dropped in include Jude Law, Wesley Snipes and underground music stars Deadmaus and DJ Neil Armstrong. “Our break came back in the 90s when dance music guru, Chris Shepherd, plugged us on his radio show,” recalls co-owner Eugene Tam. “DJs from all the clubs started to come to us. They used to need new records every week and that was our stock and trade.”
Vinyl is still a major part of the business, especially since it has experienced a resurgence in mainstream popularity, but Play De Record has also branched out into studio equipment sales and an exciting range of production and DJing classes.
Otherwise known as the store where rapper Drake bought his first turntables, this Yonge Street shop has all the gadgets a music aficionado could ever want. They’ve got bags, stands, controllers and mixers for DJs, as well as rack gear, sound cards, wireless light remotes and fog to really put a party over the edge. If you’re just starting out, take advantage of the rental program to see how the gadgets and accessories fit into your life.