Hello, this is Shabazz, owner and founder of The Bassment,
I would like to take this time to send out a personal message to you.
I am sorry to say but The Bassment will be closing its doors once and for all.
After ten years of business I’m ready to move on to new and exciting ventures in my life.
It seems like just yesterday when I first opened my doors back in 2002.
I was a 20 year old DJ, and all I had was a credit card and a dream. I had a hunger for music and being involved in the Chicago Hip Hop scene. I wanted to do my part as a supporter of the culture, but also as an entrepreneur. From hosting MC battles, putting out mixtapes, to selling peoples music on my shelves, my store become a national staple for Chicago music. I would get flown out to cities like LA and New York by record executives giving them my opinion on the music. I’ve been extremely blessed and looking back to those days it was an honor to have played such a critical roll in the industry.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped me made it this far. I feel a decade in business is a great run and outlasted many other retail outlets. I am lucky to have been the only store in the country that truly represented Hip Hop culture.
Thank you for the wonderful years you have given me.
Nothing lasts forever, and all great things must come to an end…until next time,
and as always
PEACE LOVE AND HIP HOP
SHABAZZ
Owner and Founder
The Bassment EST.
2002 -2012
A special thanks to all those who came through and supported (in no order) The Bassment at one point:
BIG UPS TO THE TEAM: THE MOST HI, ALLAH (GOD) GABRIEL REYES ROBERT OCHOA RELS CMK CLUE GUF CREW HELL BOY PAC DJ SKOR DJ TRILOGY GEORGE HERRERA SHO SHOT NAME LUCIANO LUNGZ OZONE FRECKLES SEAN A MONICA RODRIGUEZ WES AT THE BANK PAPA DOC STEVE MANNING DREW CHRIS ILL DANNY THE GOOD GUY GQ FAT JOE STEPHEN RUBEN AND DEMO CROOKS AND CASTLES ALL THE PAKIS ON DEVON JOM AT THE WICKER WASH ZACK AT YM DJ RUDE ONE OMAR AND MOE ABBASI KRABBY JEDI MIND TRICKS MOUSY DNA ALL CHICAGO GRAFFITI WRITERS THE BEATNUTS MOMENTUM AND TEEL C3PO BRIBE ALL MOM AND POP CD SHOPS THAT WENT OUTTA BUSINESS CHRIS CHANDLER CHRIS AND JORI AT SUB T CRAZY LEGS AND ROCKSTEADY CREW SIVEL SICK JACKEN KEL TRACK CAB CREW BIG L KWT POLAK DJ BOY WONDER 606 BK MIDWEST STEREO IVAN RAMOS DDOUBLE OP CACHE 22 MONTANA PAINT DON FROM INTEGRITY ALL THE HIPSTERS IN WICKER 50 CENT G UNIT PITBULL EARSNOT IRAK FATS 10DEEP XMEN MOM NED J4F WERE SEIKO FIDGET CWT BAD CREW DOPE COUTURE IM KING YOUNG JEEZY MR WIGGLES CIARA TOBY LOVE TEGO CALDERON ACHOO SLICK FROM DISSIZIT LOONY RSIX PHELO 1-UP VIC LOYD DJ TWENTYS NECRO ALL THE NORTHSIDE AND EVANSTON PAT COLDGRUMS IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE GRIND TIME BATTLES REBEL DIAZ BRAVEMONK MICHEAL DAVID AT ROCKSMITH TERREL AND JOE AND THE LEADERS CREW LARRY MONDRAGON DON C YP LEP BOYZ TRIBAL GEAR CALLE 13 TREATED CREW SEAN MAC DJ WORD ONE OFF ENTERTAINMENT HAPPY KING LOUIE JOHN MONOPOLY BUSH AND EM SKAPE CUZO EVERYONE AT ATLANTIC RECORDS TURNTABLE ASSASINS J LOVE DJ RONDEVU DJ THORO STACEY AT THE METRO SMOOTH DENALI ANDREW AT FAKE SHORE MOLEMEN SCHEME LADY T VERGIL AND ALEX AT RUBY HORNET DJ 33 1/3 JESSIE DE LA PENA LUIS AND LEON AT AUDIO ONE THE ELOTE MAN ACROSS THE STREET DJ PNS RAEKWON THE DUDES THAT BROKE IN THE STORE AND HELPED US GET INSURANCE MONEY :0) BIG SEAN 3 6 MAFIA DAVE JEFF METHOD MAN HUGO NSH WICKER PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CUBAN LINK SAVE MONEY CAPADONNA THE GZA ALL OF WUTANG PSALM ONE JUICE DJ RABOO JATMIE MASS HYSTERIA RHYMEFEST KONEE ROK FAMILY JEWELS VISUAL MIDNIGHT ROCKERS DJ WREK DJ GEE CUE DJ SKYLER ALL THE BUSINESS BOOKS I STOLE WHEN I WAS BROKE 108 RECORDS THE MONEY TEAM BIG EZ FRANK MYU MISS ANGIE ALL THE BRANDS PINK DOLPHINSEEL FRESH LUCKY G EBONIX REAP TETRIS ALL CHICAGO LATINOS TEMPLE OF HIP HOP IMAN ECILLA AND ILL STATE ASSASINS SAMBO QORTEZ DAD CREW CHI ROCK NATION ZULU NATIONDARE NEMO SEVEAR VIRU AND MAP POST DJ MUGGS JOEL ORTIZ MITCHELL AND NESS LUPE FIASCO ROYCE DA 5 9 THE BASSMENT MUSIC STORE ON WHEELS THE BEATNUTS NO LUV CITY THE ENTIRE HIP HOP CULTURE FACT JMC JAM ONE DJ TONY TOUCH DJ GREEN LANTERN T.I. DJ DRAMA 8 BALL N MJG BALL DJ REAL ONE RAWL TWISTA NANDO OUR FIRST EMPLOYEE EVER MIC TERROR DJ MANO LL MANNY HOLLYWOOD HOLT DIRTY MF ROPER EVES ALL OUR INTERNS PEZ KIDZ IN THE HALL DJ NON STOP THE ALL CITY EMCEE BATTLES DJ BOOGIE BOY INFAMIS MISSY PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS MOBB DEEP MICKEY ROCKS ALCHEMIST LADY SOL OLIVER FUENTES ROB FROM DEF JAM KRINK DARRYL FROM UNIVERSAL RECORDS PAL DJ VLAD GRAFFITI.ORG VTC ALL OF OUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS WHO SHOPPED WITH US POWER 92 WGCI ALL THE RAPPIN ASS RAPPERZ MOONDAWG CPD THE HOT BOYZ ALDERMAN MORENO GANGSTA BOOGIE STAX KRS ONE MOM AND PA DUKES NAS ECOBAR STATIK SELEKTAH FAT BEATS DJ MUGGS SANCHEZ FAMILY TIA ELSA ASIM AND THE SHABAZZ FAMILY MY MENTOR BOBBY SHABAZZ RIP ACE CYNTHIA SOTO COMMON MATLOCK HIPHOP PROJECT CTA RADIO VISUAL GALAPAGOS 4 QWEL TYPICAL CATS DJ DAH VEE OPTIMUS PRIME CHI TOWNS FINEST BREAKERS PAUL WALL JOE FROM THE SHRINE UNI UAC SAUSAGE HIP HOP TAMPER ALL OF MATHER HIGH SCHOOL CLINTON ELEMENTARY BBOY RAY FLASH ABC CREW THE POPE FOOTWORK KINGZ GIRAFFE NUTS BONE THUGS DMX GANG BANG CITY 9TH WONDER ALL CHICAGO BBOYS BRICK HEADZ SELF X OPEN MICS PUGZ CHICAGO TRIBE MAINO KONEE ROK SHON ROKA NAS FROM THE MIX SHOP LADY CHAMP DUKE DA GOD AND THE WHOLE DIPSET LINCOLNWOD MALL GANT MAN SWISS BEATZ ALL THE MIXTAPE KIOSKS IN ALL THE MALLS ERNY FROM ARANDAS HARLEM AND IRVING PLAZA ROGERZ PARK GRAMAPHONE RECORDS CHRIS N JONN 3 DEEP FRENCH MONTANA TEMPLE OF HIP HOP TCK JOSK STEFAN PONCE ASTONISH J DOTT HI SPEED ALL NATURAL TONE B NIMBLE TWILITE TONE FAMILY TREE SKILLZ RICK ROSS THE BASSMENT BOYZ CLUB PHAROAH MONCH CASSIDY HENNY B ALL OF OUR HATERS PERLITA DAS EFX AKBAR FABOLOUS LORD JAMAR AND BRAND NUBIAN O.C. SHOWBIZ AND AG RAS KASS ALL CHICAGO DJS PRODUCERS JIM JONES JUELZ SANTANA RIP SOLE RIP KISER RIP AERO RIP ROPE 30 RIP GURU RIP KEP RIP REGGIE TANGO RIP POLO RIP
AND TO EVERYONE ELSE WE FORGOT THAT ALWAYS SHOWED US LOVE WE LOVE YOU AND THANKS FOR OVER TEN YEARS OF LOVE YOU GAVE US