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Access Music
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Music & DVDs Music & DVDs [Edit]
1537 Garnet Ave(between Haines St & Ingraham St)
San Diego, CA 92109
Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
(858) 270-3987
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 8 pm
Sat 11 am - 7 pm
Sun 12 pm - 7 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
49 reviews for Access Music
Review Highlights
"awesome place for "underground or independent" hip hop."
(in 35 reviews)
"i saw living legends here and they were off the chain."
(in 5 reviews)
"...they also have in-store performances and signings which is..."
(in 3 reviews)
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49 reviews in English
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Review from divinity d.
San Diego, CA
1/16/2012
Nothin' but love for the local hip hop record store!!
find LifeSucksDie magazine here - thanks to me!
-Divinity -
Review from Greg E.
Poway, CA
1/30/2012
Access Hip Hop has always been a favorite store ever since I started going there in 2001. They sell all your favorite underground hip hop artists local and worldwide! Customer Service is excellent and they have great selections of Vinyl and Cd's. Thanks again Access! One love!
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Review from Andrea O.
San Diego, CA
12/21/2011
The reviews say it all! I love my hip hop music and wouldn't go anywhere else. Access Hip Hop I LOVE YOU!
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Review from Jerime V.
San Diego, CA
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent selection, and well stocked. Hit this place up first for all your hip hop needs. Picked up some good local stuff there.
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Review from Carlos S.
Northridge, CA
10/8/2011
With the internet taking over the music industry, it's a good feeling to see a place like this doing well!
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Review from Jeffrey Q.
San Diego, CA
1/5/2011
WARNING: If you run into some guy named, Norm Rocwell, he'll probably try to oversell you any album done by Little Dragon or some other artist he's obsessed with at the moment. Don't worry tho'. He has good taste. Which overrides the warning.
Ever tripped and fell into a gold mine real good? If you dig deep for hip-hop, and even for music in general, then this is your stop. Vinyls, CDs, DVDs, promos, shirts, live performances and tasteful suggestions. Right here. I still hit this place up every so often for new releases and hidden gems. Knowledgeable staff and the quality of stock is superb (if you're quick on the uptake of course). Recommended.
NOTE: Affiliated with Living Legends. You can find a section dedicated to them in their shelves. -
Review from Daniel N.
San Diego, CA
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
NICE found what I needed!
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Review from Laurie V.
12/7/2010
Staff is super friendly and EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE about their archives, music, and hip hop itself.
For any music lover, that already says a lot about the shop.
Go see Norm, he will talk your ear off on all things music and hip hop =) -
Review from Terry M.
San Diego, CA
11/13/2010
Their staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. I went to Access to pick up some new hip hop. I knew the kind of mood I was in, but not what I wanted in particular. I told Norm the sort of stuff i'm into and he was able to suggest several artists and albums.
As far as underground hip hop goes, they have the best selection around. A lot of times they won't have a specific album, but if they don't they'll most likely be able to find it for you.
This is the sort of place people go to find some early collaboration with J Dilla, not the latest Pitbull single. -
Review from Leo I.
10/4/2010
The staff is helpful and very personable. I will be back!
Daygo's finest right here. -
Review from Matthieu M.
San Diego, CA
9/9/2009
Defenders of the Underground/TrueSkool Sound.
Any local Hip Hop Lover will tell you, this is THE place for your Hip Hop fix in SD.
Go Here and appreciate what they have to offer...
A Nice selection of Vinyl, mixtapes, shirts, dvds, etc.
The employees here know their shit, so don't be affraid to ask for fresh recommendations. -
Review from Mellow F.
San Diego, CA
5/20/2008
Do you know the show "Thunder from Down Under"? If you don't, google it. But this place is synonymous to that. First of all, all the best looking guys (aka Princes of San Diego) work here in their speedos and spartan outfits. Every time you tip them they all get up on the tables and start dancing and singing with thrusting hip moves which makes me faint over and over again. They have a 2008 "Men of Access" calendar for sale, but it is always sold out...well i buy them in bulk.
Other than that they are all music geniuses. I love this place. -
Review from Soleil Moonshine S.
San Diego, CA
6/26/2008
Underground hip hop meets Disneyland (minus about a gazillion square feet). Yes, yes, ya'll!
It's a must-stop!Listed in: The Dom Abides, Dom Does Venues
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Review from Adam V.
San Diego, CA
12/16/2006
Living Legends pretty much sponsor this place, their signed posters are all over the walls. Apparently the owner of Access Music used to be their merch guy. That makes sense -- the fact that this place has such an esteemed background -- because Access is the best undergound hip hop store I have ever seen. They have an amazing collection of albums, comps and mixtapes that you simply cannot find anywhere else (I found a Freestyle Fellowship album here that I'd been looking for for years).
AV -
Review from Candace A.
San Diego, CA
5/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Access Music is a great place to find the hard to find Cd's. Even if you can't find the CD your looking for the employees there will help and suggest similar music for you, and they will play any CD for you so you can make sure you'll like it. The staff is always real helpful and knowledgeable. It's a small store but it's stocked with good music! I like to look around on the walls too because they have awesome posters up all over the walls from different artists. We have been coming here for years and we will continue to.
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Review from andrew m.
San Jose, CA
1/3/2009
When I first moved to San Diego from the bay area I was shocked as to how scarce the hip hop culture was compared to back at home.
Access changed my mind because they have a full selection of independent hip hop and equally as many records. The free shows are well worth checking out. Additionally, the online website is one of the best I've ever seen and they always stay stocked with merchandise. Great selection of clothing as well. -
Review from Heero Y.
San Diego, CA
5/18/2009
Best (and most likely ONLY) Hip Hop music store in San Diego. Very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Occasionally have artists stop by to perform.
However because it's in PB which is SOOOO not Hip Hop, I don't go down there as much as I like to.... unless I'm mentally prepared to be around sandal wearing wannabe's who feel the need to branch out from Eminem, Paul Wall, and Soulja Boy. -
Review from Nick H.
Oceanside, CA
2/22/2010
As all the other reviews have already told you, Access is the best Hip Hop store in San Diego. In addition, their website has THE best customer service in the world. Sometimes it's hard for me to drive from North County because I can order off the website and get it in my mailbox the next day!
They keep a great selection of Hip Hop staples and always have the new releases, no matter how hard to find. They also keep a healthy supply of reggae on hand as well as a good supply of vinyl.
You won't get any snobbery that tends to occupy some specialty shops either. All the guys know their stuff and are more than willing to help you out and answer any questions.
Check out an in-store performance or just go in and browse for some shirts, cd's, vinyl, or flyers for local events and support an independent shop that gives back to it's local scene and takes care of their customers. -
Review from Alexis D.
11/24/2009
I've been coming to Access for over Six years and its the only store where I buy my UGHH shit at.
It's San Diego's BEST Hip Hop store. Hands down!
The employees are always cool to talk to and get the latest updates.
They have a great selection of CD's, a separate section for all the Living Legends music, Cool Hip Hop shirts, dope magazines(whatever happened to "The Fourth Cycle?" , vinyls and tons of flyers with the latest shows around SD.
And, on occasion they have free in-store shows, which is pretty dope to hear a few songs and get to meet the artist(s).....for free!
The prices are reasonable and were hear to support UGHH artist.
Much respect and love to Access. -
Review from Brandon Z.
San Diego, CA
5/11/2008
Best hip hop shop in San Diego! They carry all the hottest hip hop and instrumental hip hop.
The staff definately knows their shit, and a few of the staff actually dj in san diego as well. Make sure you check this place out and when you go in tell them "holleration station" sent you!
Pick up DJ Collagey's Proper Chillage mix cd at Access!!!!!
Holla! -
Review from Jesselle Jayleen B.
San Diego, CA
11/1/2010
As times get hard sometimes I like to pass by here to gain some motivation. Not only is this place housing melodic beats for the soul but remixes by profound djeeya's. Hard to find artists from japan, France etc.. All sold here at access. If you Like nujabes, de la soul, nu jazz hip hop then you need to come check this place out. Parking kinda sucks but there's usually one or 2 infront of papa johns if you go early enough. They have live performances by Zion I, the grouch etc. Just check em out! Dj norm rocwell is a walking pandora radio. He knows your streeze, and can offer some sick cd's to add to your collection. Just picked up the change up and escape (ism) from this store yesterday and life is already getting brighter! Thanks norm!! :)
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Review from Christie R.
San Diego, CA
4/30/2009
I stop by every so often.
I like it. -
Review from Nick C.
Surprise, AZ
7/15/2009
They have everything under the stars to quench your indie hip hop thirst... rows upon rows of cds and records... tapes, dvds, shirts... live performances... Access is a one of the most, if not THE most, reliable record stores in the country. And the customer service is through the roof. Huge online selection, very well maintained, with fast and cheap shipping. Access is far superior to Fat Beats & Amoeba.
Show some support for the underdog still runnin strong after all these years.
http://www.bantcess.com -
Review from Erin M.
San Diego, CA
5/19/2008
Simply put, Access is the best underground hip hop shop I've found in SD. It's just a small spot with a ton of awesome vinyl. They have the info on everything going down in the hip hop scene, and they often have in-store performances. If you're looking for vinyl and a nice day of digging by the beach, go check them out. You won't be disappointed.
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Review from Barney M.
San Diego, CA
1/9/2011
If you are into hip hop then this is definitely the store for you. The staff at Access Music is extremely knowledgeable and they are able to suggest a number of artists for you if you give them an idea of what you like. They are super friendly and very helpful as well. I will definitely return to them soon. They have a wonderful selection of hip hop and they always have new releases available as well. You don't need to shop any further than them. If you need something that they don't have in stock they will make an effort of getting it for you as soon as possible. Great customer service. Apart from the DVD's they have a great selection of tapes, vinyl's and even t-shirts. A hip hop lover's paradise. They also have a wide variety of books if you are into reading. They have impressed me from the beginning and they have excellent customer reviews to prove it. I am definitely a customer for life and they deserve a thumbs up from me!
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Review from JP H.
La Jolla, CA
7/9/2010 4 Check-ins Here
Not too many places like this anymore since most music is being downloaded. Great place for hard to find music.
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Review from dates w.
San Francisco, CA
2/28/2008
"Pretty much this is the only place you want to go in SD to find good hip hop music...they always have a real good selection of underground gems but they also carry other genres as well. The in-store performances that they set up are always dope too, u can catch in-store appearences from anyone like dwele to little brother to of course any of the legends...some of the staff are djs as well and damn good djs too...these guys gig around town as well............real recognize real..isnt that what yelp is about?"
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Review from Christiane A.
San Diego, CA
1/20/2010
Whenever I'm down in the area, I always have an itch to visit this place! The employees are knowledgeable about the newest drops and are really chill to talk to. If you love hip hop, I suggest you come by this place to even just browse around... I'm sure the employees will be able to recommend you something that you've never heard before.
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Review from Benjamin F.
San Diego, CA
6/20/2010
"i'm not run of the mill cause for the mill i don't run!"
this is the only place in san diego that anyone should go to buy hip hop. their customer service is great, they're quick to make DOPE suggestions and their prices are really good too.
they have in store appearances that are really impressive too. saw murs a few years ago and he just did a Q&A followed by a small set of requested tracks. it was great! -
Review from Theo B.
11/7/2008
You know that feeling you get when you decide you have had enough of the radio and would rather listen to silence. Go here instead. I can never just look around without buying something. Hip hop is good.
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Review from John S.
Los Angeles, CA
3/21/2010
Dopest hip hop store in SD... freshest selection of music... live appearances/performances by up coming emcees (last time I was there Braile was performing). Helpful staff, with an exception of this guy named Norm... he's a jerk... j/p. I'd have to say... Access Music provides for all your hip hop needs in SD. If you're in the area, or if you live in SD, be sure to check them out, and if you happen to see Norm, be sure to say what's up to him.
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Review from Paige E.
San Diego, CA
10/23/2008
Just like everyone else has said, the guys are way friendly, they always have what Im looking for or can recommend something if Im just there on a whim...I started coming here a few years ago with my then-boyfriend and as far as I know its the go-to place for underground hip hop. Ive also bought some cool shirts for my ex and cousins there, and they always have flyers for upcoming shows, events. I love how its just a tiny place, like its a secret that only a few people know about...Its cool to see they have so many fans writing good stuff about em.
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Review from Michelle W.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/21/2009
I was ecstatic to find Access! It's no Amoeba, but it definitely compares well to Amoeba's hip hop section. Too bad it's in Sorority-Greek-ville (PB) but it still earns 4 stars. It's far enough from the lame bars that there aren't too many bros wandering around. Helpful, friendly and cute staff are an added bonus-- I couldn't find a specific album and the dude working searched and searched until he found it.
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Review from Kyle W.
8/2/2008
I'm not too much into hip-hop anymore these days, but if you're ever looking for an "underground" record that you can't find anywhere, chances are that Access has it. The employees are really helpful & friendly too. Every now and then they also have in-store performances and signings which is pretty cool.
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Review from Al N.
Honolulu, HI
1/18/2010
One of the best Hip Hop stores period. Great selection, helpful staff and great mail order (seriously no other mail order site can touch them as far as service and turn around time). Keep up the fine work.
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Review from drew s.
San Jose, CA
11/27/2006
Solid selection of your underground favs and super friendly workers. There's this one guy that'll talk your ear off if given the chance. It's all good though, because its usually about music. This place is perfect for anyone who is a fan of underground music. They also have frequent in-stores of your favorite underground artist. Just about anyone who rolls through SD rolls through access!!!
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Review from Nick S.
Costa Mesa, CA
9/16/2009
as a true underground/indie hip hop fan i love this place!!! i saw living legends here and they were off the chain..murs was so funny and always puts on a great show...too bad slug and ant wernt there they could have done some FELT. I always stop by here when i am in san diego. big ups
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Review from K H.
San Diego, CA
6/11/2010
True Hip-Hop lovers ONLY!
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Review from Chris W.
Spring Valley, CA
10/25/2006
Access Music has pretty much whatever your looking for in terms of Underground Hip Hop Music. Also they have some cool DVD's, Magazines, and Group Shirts. Anyone into Underground Hip Hop has to go to Access for sure...
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Review from Frank S.
Oakland, CA
9/24/2009
I am very fond of music. It brings me joy. This place has given me all kinds of joy. The people here help me find the propellerhead album I was looking for quickly. It was like a robbery in and out quick. Or like my sex game. Thanks dudes you r to the o and c to the kay.
