Up Early! LoveBabz LoveTalk Welcomes King Kenney (Grails Record Store)

·23 min·2 clips

A marketing executive turned record store owner explains why he opened Grails in downtown New Haven.

The episode begins with host LoveBabz welcoming King Kenney early in the morning at his record store. Kenney explains he returned to New Haven because the community embraced him. He describes his career transition from marketing executive and CMO to opening Grails record store. Kenney reveals he's been a collector for 25+ years and wanted to create a space for music discovery through conversation rather than just online sales. He chose downtown New Haven's Chapel Street location because it's a cultural mecca near Yale and museums. The store name 'Grails' comes from the collector term for hard-to-find records. Kenney stocks about 3,000 records with plans to expand to 5,000-7,000, featuring creative categorization like 'soul food' instead of traditional genre labels. He describes the store's aesthetic with lounge areas, high-fidelity audio, and music-related films playing. Store hours are 11 AM to 7 PM Monday through Saturday, with Sundays off. Kenney emphasizes the store as a third space where people can hang out, play games, or study. He discusses being one of few Black-owned businesses downtown and partnerships with other local entrepreneurs. Success is defined not just by sales but by music discovery moments and community engagement. The store hosts listening sessions like an upcoming Beyoncé Lemonade anniversary event. Kenney mentions DJs frequent the store and he hopes to feature more local Connecticut artists. He describes the store as intergenerational, welcoming everyone from six-year-olds to serious collectors. The conversation touches on his Howard University background and HBCU connections in New Haven. Kenney explains his vision for the store as similar to a museum gift shop where art is accessible. He plans to add merchandise and host album release events for area artists.

As heard by us

A New Haven record store defines itself through its bins, its room, and the care behind both.

A return to New Haven becomes a clear look at what a record store can be when layout, language, and hospitality are treated as part of the same work.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get a New Haven record-store visit where the bins matter, but the welcome around them matters just as much.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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