Sharone Bechor is the CEO of Rock and Soul, one of the oldest indie record stores in New York City, carrying forward a legacy built by her parents that began in 1975. Raised in the shop, she absorbed not just a love for records, but the ethos of her community. Under her leadership, Rock and Soul continues to balance its history with the ever evolving landscape of music and vinyl collectors.

Originally opened as an electronics shop by Joseph Bechor, Sharone's father, it evolved into the record store it is today under both he and Shirley Bechor, Sharone's mother. Rock and Soul became a record store that focused on artists and DJ needs in the heart of Manhattan. For fifty years, it has served not only as a storefront but as a creative incubator—offering listening stations, DJ classes, equipment repair and rentals, and a platform for local DJs to introduce themselves to the public. The store’s walls have witnessed the rise of foundational hip-hop artists like Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, and Red Alert, and even accepted early consignment from the Wu-Tang Clan. Today, Rock and Soul remains a point of pilgrimage for DJs, vinyl collectors, and music fans seeking a welcoming, dependable neighborhood-centered shop with so much history.

When not at the shop Sharone loves exploring new places, sometimes checking out the cheap eats of a particular neighborhood of NYC. "I can sit and people watch forever. I guess exploring the city as a tourist is one of my favorite activities."

How did you get into your industry / What motivated you?

My parents started Rock and Soul fifty years ago. My family came to America to try to start a new life. Initially, my father came alone. After his startup electronics shop saw early success, my mother moved to America to join him.

We used to sell anything that we could– incense, pipes, Ray Bans, you name it. And it was an electronics store, like many others on 7th avenue in Midtown, selling speakers, receivers, TVs, watches, cameras, but the music section made up about half of the store. Once it was lucrative enough and my father, Joseph, saw that he could stay afloat, he brought the family over. My sisters and mom were still there. When my mom, Shirley came in, she was really smart about buying music. She made sure we had everything people were asking for, and made sure we had enough of it. Small labels came in that no one knew, and she would wallpaper the walls with their label, test it out, and they were so grateful for the increased business, they would make sure she had the best price so she could keep selling it and keep it out on display. New artists emerged and they just wanted to be on the wall. She would keep it on consignment, have the DJs that worked there play it, and then, before you knew it, it was a hit. One of the artists was the infamous Wu-Tang Clan. It all started from them bringing their records on consignment. Same with DJ Premier of Gangstar, Mobb Deep, Black Moon, and so many more artists.

Truth be told, my parents didn’t have a lot of experience with electronics or music. They were just trying to make a living. But by listening to our customers and treating people with integrity, they evolved and expanded. They began selling records in the back of the store. My father ran the electronics, and my mom the records.

Years later, when records were becoming obsolete, their lower-income clientele continued to buy records. They couldn't afford CDs. Over time our store became one of the only places to buy records, earning us word of mouth from the DJ community. Because DJs need two records to mix, record sales doubled. My parents shifted their electronics focus from cameras and watches to mixers, turntables, and pro audio. 

I began helping out at the store from an early age. Music was all around me. My mom was working in the store, until the day before I was born. My sisters and I spent afternoons after school and school breaks working here.  I acquired a sense for business, and an appreciation for dance, hip-hop, and all types of music. 

We have constantly needed to evolve over the years and now is no different. And ever since our goal has remained the same: to promote the growth of the industry and to help DJs, producers, and music lovers all over the world pursue their passion. Everything in the community that we do, revolves around being a part of the NY culture. It's who we are.

What is a day in the life like?

A day in the life, is that every day is different! Meeting people from all walks of life, but in the end, all types love music. It isn’t just a store for musicians or DJs. It’s a store for anyone who loves music. And with music lovers, this comes with some crazy characters!

Favorite sale / relationship made from behind the counter?

Around / during the birth of hip hop, we are where Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, and Red Alert started their musical careers. There was a time where no one wanted to support local artists, but our store allowed these artists to play their records. In fact the famous Wu-Tang Clan sold their first box of records to our store in the early 80s. We strive to continue to be a DJ playground and worldwide destination for DJs all around the world.

Mark Ronson, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, Beastie Boys, and Justin Timberlake, are just some of the names that frequent the shop. I remember when Wyclef Jean came in during the time of his first album, The Carnival. The entire store, every wall, was plastered with his face. He gets to the counter to buy a huge stack of records, and my mom, who was always known as a tough woman, ID’s him. Not judging him or anything, but because she IDs everyone. He pulls a record off the wall, and holds his face next to it and says, 'here is my ID'. We all laughed. Then he asked me out, and when I was reluctant he asked, 'is that your mother', I said 'Yup! Sorry, I can’t'. Hahahaha yeah, there was no way my mom would let her teenage daughter go out with a rapper that she met at the store!.

In your opinion what has been the coolest thing to come through your shop / thing you had to keep / almost couldn't put out for sale:

When the Wu-Tang first started their careers, they brought their records here on consignment. No one knew who they were. They gave us a shout out on the credits of the Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) album. On Record Store Day this year, Mathematics and Cappadonna signed a copy of the new album and a copy of 36 Chambers. I can’t sell those. Everyday someone asks to buy it because we have it on display at the store!

What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into pursuing what you're doing?  

This industry isn’t for those who don’t want to work hard.

You've really got to love what you do, because we all work hard, and it’s not for the money. Don’t give up just because it’s hard.

What types of things are happening in your industry / with vinyl that you're excited or worried about?  i.e. innovation, or trends you're seeing.

We have seen vinyl go up and down so many times. In the 90s I was working here in high school and college and we totally thought that vinyl was on its way out. So many times we thought we were going to close down the vinyl department. But we didn’t have the heart to. In the 2000s, vinyl sales had really plummeted, and even DJs weren’t buying vinyl anymore. Each time, we are like, we got to close shop. Nobody needs to buy vinyl anymore. And each time, we pivoted to sell something else to keep us afloat, and low and behold, vinyl sales started going up again. It’s like the one medium that won’t give up. I love that about vinyl. It’s full of surprises and keeps getting better.

Who has been influential to you and your growth as a professional in this industry?

Mama Bear, my mom, Shirley. She is like the mom of everyone who shops at our store! She is famous for putting people in their place. There was a time she was known throughout the community as the Music Mom. But she is my actual mother, and a really strong, smart, hardworking woman.