Martin Brewer of @blackstarvinylbk (fka Halsey & Lewis) for @westelm. I frequented Brewer’s original brick and mortar often during my meditation walks around the neighborhood when I lived in Bed-Stuy. I distinctly remember one hot, summer afternoon being invited into the vinyl shop by the sound of a funky bass line and rhythmic African melody. In awe I asked, “Who is this!?” “You don’t know Cymande,” he replied while holding up their self-titled debut record. I didn’t know, but I quickly learned. What I also came to know was Martin’s deep love for music and passion for collecting records. Late last year I was saddened to hear that he was being pushed out of the beloved space by his landlord. I thought, ‘There goes another Brooklyn staple to add to my memory’s past’. I was wrong. During the store closing block party I remember how positive and reassured Brewer remained that something bigger and better was on the horizon for him. He wasn’t wrong. Brewer now occupies a beautiful space on the block of Marcus Garvey Blvd. & Madison St. Daily you can catch a vibe from the mellow jazz sounds and sweet scent of incense drifting from the open door across from Raymond Bush Playground (watch the ‘Soul in the Hole’ documentary on YouTube... you won’t be disappointed).