30/10/2026
For anyone who doesn't know, BBE (Barely Breaking Even) is an independent London label and record store owned by Pete Ardakwah. BBE has released some of the best soul, funk, bougie, hip hop.. compilations, albums and 12's by producers such as Pete Rock, Roy Ayers, J Dilla, Louie Vega, Joey Negro and Will.I.Am They started as a club night and by early 2000's they had a neat little record label churning out some bad ass music too. The BBE office was in Holloway Road in North London and sometimes I would spend a few days in there organising their stock room or doing some admin just to help them out - got paid in records - as you do - Roy Ayers 'Ubiquity' is still one of my favourite albums of all time. They were churning out new releases and remixes by the dozen even back then!
I remember the day Roy Ayers 'popped in' the office.. he was a sooo cool!! Not long after that I put on a Blaxploitation party in the loft at The Egg club in London’s King's Cross and I was honoured to have Pete Ardakwah headlining for me - it was so awesome, we even had a roulette table and the music was ON POINT!! Another under-rated superstar DJ and super selector!
Fast forward 20 years, I hadnt been out in London for quite some time cos I had been living/stuck in the Ibiza bubble. I was with some friends, they took me to this really cool little party in Hackney - Grace Sands DJing, it was going off! Proper rammed! I didn't realise it was the BBE store until I saw Pete ..and Johnny 💫 Seriously??
Coming from that tiny office in Holloway Road - and seeing how far they had come really blew me away. It was bloody brilliant. It was a perfect example of pure unconditional love for good music ✨️
Now the store's under threat because of noise complaints from new neighbours in the area ffs. So please please please take a minute to go to their linktree The BBE Store and sign the petition.. and please donate if you can and share it about!
They've come too far to be beaten by this BS.. and we need labels and venues like this now more than ever 💜✨️
And vinyl needs us!!
The BBE Store
BBE Music
