Coop's Music, founded by self-proclaimed Jazzologist Ezell Cooper, and Coop's Underground, founded by his son, hip-hop aficionado Pierre Cooper, is the premier place for blues record connoisseurs. For their children, frustrated with rough cuts of Howlin' Wolf, there's also Coop's Underground, which focuses on music contemporary hip-hop and features a stage where top artists occasionally perform. P. Diddy, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and Destiny's Child have all made appearances at Coop's, so to call the place noteworthy would be a slight. And with a focus on hard-to-find CDs, vinyl, and tapes of blues, soul, jazz, R&B and hip-hop, Coop's presents the ultimate complement to Vintage Vinyl on Chicago's South Side.

Centerstage Reviewer: Jacob Knabb