Urban Lights Music fights to stay open as Minnesota’s last Black‑owned record store

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Urban Lights Music is fighting to stay open as financial pressures mount in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood.

The owner has created a GoFundMe campaign to help keep the 32‑year‑old record store operating.

Supporters are now rallying behind the cultural landmark as it works to survive.

About Urban Lights Music

Urban Lights Music opened in 1993, joining a once‑thriving lineup of record shops along University Avenue.

According to Fox 9 KSMP, owner Timothy Wilson built the store into a hub for hip‑hop, R&B, gospel, jazz, blues and pop‑rock, drawing local DJs, national artists and generations of music lovers.

“We carry everything… If it’s cool, we have it,” Wilson said to FOX 9.

Today, the shop stands as one of fewer than 50 Black‑owned record stores left in the United States.

Pandemic, Unrest and Construction Cut Deep Into Business

Wilson says Urban Lights has weathered years of setbacks. The pandemic, the unrest following the murder of George Floyd, and long‑term road construction. All of which Wilson says drastically reduced foot traffic along University Avenue.

“The Midway used to be a destination. It’s a pass‑through now,” Wilson told the local outlet.

A Community Space, Not Just a Record Store

Wilson remembers when several Black‑owned record shops thrived in Minnesota. Urban Lights is the only one that survived.

“It’s humbling… we’ve been the only one to make it to the next level,” he said.

Beyond selling music, Urban Lights hosts youth programs, DJ lessons, production workshops and weekly live DJ sets, creating a space for emerging artists and neighborhood creatives.

“It’s become more than just a record store; now it’s a community space,” Wilson told The Minnesota Daily in April.

GoFundMe Launched To Help Save Urban Lights Music

Wilson launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the store stay open. As of this reporting, the fundraiser has raised 13,000. Wilson’s business partner, Roberta Ryan, told FOX 9 convincing him to start the GoFundMe took months, but community members quickly stepped up once they learned the store was struggling.

Wilson believes Urban Lights survives because it offers something big‑box stores cannot.

“It has to be another reason why people come… I think it’s knowledge and customer service,” he said.

To learn more about the fundraiser, visit the verified GoFundMe page.