Cletus Anderson, the founder of the famous V.I.P. Records in Long Beach and a pivotal figure in West Coast rap, died at the age of 82 on Sunday, Jan. 28 according to his younger brother, Kelvin Anderson.
“He was my oldest brother, but he was a real father figure for me and the rest of the family and so many others,” said Kelvin Anderson Sr., who bought the Long Beach store from his brother in 1979.
The family first made the announcement on V.I.P. Records’ official Instagram page, stating that he died surrounded by his family in his native Mississippi.
From left to right, Mayor Robert Garcia, VIP Records owner Kelvin Anderson, V.I.P. Records founder Cletus Anderson and Long Beach Sixth District Long Beach City Councilman Dee Andrews, as Mayor Robert Garcia presented a proclamation to the brothers in 2017. Cletus, who founded VIP Records died at the age of 82 on Jan. 28. (Photo by Stephen Carr, Daily Breeze/SCNG )
“Under his guidance, V.I.P. Records became a beacon for music enthusiasts, celebrities, up and coming music artists and record labels, and a cultural hub that celebrated the diversity of musical expression,” the post read.
According to his younger brother, Anderson was diagnosed with aggressive gallbladder cancer less than two months ago.
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Anderson, who moved to the area in 1962 from Mississippi, owned a chain of V.I.P. stores across the Southland. But the Long Beach location, which he opened in 1978, is by far the most famous thanks to its ties to Snoop Dogg, Warren G and other local artists who got their start recording their first demos in a small recording studio in the back of the shop.
The store’s rooftop sign became an iconic symbol of gangsta rap in 1993 when Snoop Dogg featured it sign in the video “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?” from his debut album “Doggystyle.” Though the original location is now a 7-Eleven store, and V.I.P. Records moved to a new location in a strip mall in Long Beach, the sign was designated as a historic landmark in 2017.
“The V.I.P. brand is stamped all over the beginning rap on the West Coast without a doubt,” Anderson Sr. said. “He changed the game of how a record store should be run and operated and he helped countless people get into the records business.”
The family is planning a private memorial in his home state, but Anderson Sr. said there will likely be a public memorial in Long Beach sometime in the future.
