Feature illustration: Jon Trace
You have all heard about the Bristol Sound, and the Bristol street art scene is well documented. But have you heard of the small record shop that was at the heart of it all?
Peter Hall presents this short history of Purple Penguin. A tale of community, creativity and underground culture.
This is a story about a distinct community that grew from a widely unknown establishment that was situated on Colston Street in the mid 90s. It was a hub for all things underground hip hop, funk, soul and beats, and was the only place in Bristol you could get hold of certain US imported music, video tapes of scratch DJs, graffiti magazines, clothes, spray cans etc.
Purple Penguin soon became a mecca for anyone interested in hip hop culture, sample digging, beat making, and it would later develop into a foundation for creativity.
In this podcast we hear from the people that worked at Purple Penguin, and discover how it influenced their lives, as well as the lives of countless others, who ventured through its doors.
Your Bristol Life is a new series of podcasts shining a light on underrepresented aspects of Bristol’s history. This BCfm series was made with the Bristol Cable, Bristol History Podcast and In The Dark.
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