How Urban Lights, one of the country's last Black-owned record stores, changed with the times

Tucked away in the Midway neighborhood in St. Paul is a community treasure many have come to love and respect.

Urban Lights is one of 35 Black-owned record stores in the country and one of the only ones left in the Twin Cities. The cultural institution has survived when other independent stores were forced to close their doors. 

Owner Timothy Wilson has seen some of the industry's giants visit the St. Paul record store in its 32 years.

"We've had everyone from Beyoncé walk through the door when she was with the original Destiny's Child," said Wilson. "The Fugees, Wyclef, Naughty by Nature, Run-DMC. The list goes on and on."

He says Urban Lights was known as a place to get your vinyl, CDss, and dive into hip hop culture.

"At one point a great percentage of music purchased across the United States came out of Minnesota because all the corporate companies — your Targets, your Best Buys all the big boxes, Musicland, everybody — had offices here. Because of that every record label had offices here so every artist at one time had to come to Minneapolis to pitch their music," said Wilson.

Changes in the industry, shifts in the Midway neighborhood and periods of uncertainty forced Wilson to change with the times.

"We fill hard drives, mp3 players, we put playlists together for events, we provide DJ services so those were the types of things that helped us ease that, "said Wilson.

And he's built the store into a community space.

"This has become a creative hub for a lot of different artists, DJs, emcees, producers, poets come through our open mics," Wilson said. "They come through, they use our turntables they use the ability to write in this area and vibe because it provides you with some kind of inspiration.

Malik Curtis, otherwise known as Juice Lord, has become a household name within the Twin Cities hip-hop scene. He calls Urban Lights his musical home.

"My first project 'Spread Luv Tape' was five years today and five years ago we had my listening party and my release here," he said.

His latest project, 'Terry's Baby,' sold out at the historic First Avenue.

"I owe a lot of Urban Lights. Tim, man, that's the OG," Curtis said.

Jared Gillespie or DJ JG says hanging out at Urban Lights is helping his young DJ career.

"Where I am now compared to where I was three years ago, it's night and day," said Gillespie. "It's like the barbershop for hip hop. There is so much that I can learn here from all the older people that have been a DJ for years, like 20 years, they just teach me a lot so there are many aspects that Urban lights benefit me."

Wilson's goal for Urban Lights keeps shining through.

"Be a light in the community and a light for the creatives, whether you are DJ-ing, you're rapping, you're singing or playing in a band we want to be that person for you as far as artists are concerned. We want to see them grow to the next level," said Wilson.

Improvements in the Midway to include the buildup of housing and businesses connected to Allianz Field has Wilson excited about the future.

And with the resurgence of vinyl records, Wilson hopes more people will discover what Urban Lights has to offer.