I made a hip-hop record store/bar in a former church surrounded by urban clothing stores right in the youth neighborhood of Antwerp. The idea for the church as a location came from the bad comments on hip-hop, saying it died along with his pioneers like 2pac and Notorious BIG. So for those who actually thought it was dead we delivered a rebirth and where other place to do this than in a church. First of all "Off the record" stands for the confidential confessions you did back in the day with your preacher and second of course the record part because it's a record store. We opened with a ceremony praising hip hop and to get attention we did some guerrilla advertising, staging a church choir singing famous hip-hop lyrics with their angel voices on the shopping street in Antwerp, The Meir. Also we made invitations based on death prayer cards with real living artists who when you assume that hip-hop is dead also would be dead.       

Off The Record is situated in and around the baroque St. Augustine Church, located in the centre of Antwerp. 

 

At the store you can find folders that unfold to posters with different iconic hip hop lyrics on.

 

We did some guerrilla advertising, staging a church choir singing famous hip-hop lyrics with their angel voices on the shopping street in Antwerp, The Meir.