play de record toronto

Legendary Toronto record store treated to new full-length documentary

For 25 years, a small record store took residence on Yonge Street to serve Toronto's DJ and hip-hop scene. In 2016, the shop took over a new location on Spadina, surviving through a changing cityscape. 

On October 22nd, you can watch a special documentary made in this small record store's honour, browsed by the likes of Nas, Raekwon and many more closer to home.

Play De Record, owned by Eugene Tam, will be in the limelight on October 22nd from 6:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m, as Drop The Needle premieres in the city at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

This documentary will showcase this modest record store that flourished and survived into the modern music era, where vinyl, physical record players and the like seem almost obsolete.

Watch the story of how a small business owner became a cornerstone for Toronto's DJ and music scene, with commentary from industry heavyweights like Kardinal Offishall and Maestro Fresh Wes.

Eugene and Play De Record's impact will be reviewed as it relates to Toronto and Canada as a whole, especially when it comes to dance, hip-hop and electronic music.

Director Robert Freeman and co-producer/co-writer Neil Acharya will host a live post-screening Q&A, with Mariam Zaidi, Hot Docs' moderator.

Though the premiere night looks sold out, tickets are available for another showing on November 6 as of writing. You can purchase tickets on the Hot Docs website for $15.00, while Hot Docs members can purchase theirs for $10.00.

Lead photo by

Drop The Needle


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