The man behind the area is Max Pierre, who cultivated his New York City roots and love for hip-hop into an incubator for native creatives.
“I began a pizza store as a result of I’d make pizza for youths on the block. They’d name me pizza man,” Pierre says. “Then I used to be like hip-hop is my tradition. Let me simply create an area the place I can do all of the issues that I like and see how folks work together with it.”
The 48 yr previous owns greater than 30,000 information, too many to promote within the store. Instead, it advanced right into a one-stop store for vinyl, merch, drinks, pizza, and leisure.
Walk in, and to your left is a rack of T-shirts on the market; to your proper is a bar and report desk. Just need to hang around? There are tables for teams, quiet cushioned chairs towards the again, and even stacks of additional chairs.
“I began inviting buddies over; then it began morphing into what felt proper for the neighborhood,” Pierre says. “You can have a household dinner, play motion pictures for the youngsters whereas the adults sit round and play dominos, work through the day over espresso. It’s a house away from residence.”
Ok. Foxx, the noon DJ at 99 Jamz and Pierre’s longtime pal, walks into the store whereas Pierre is talking with New Times. She introduced some buddies after hours “to maintain the evening going.” Without hesitation, Foxx goes straight for the turntables, spinning heavy-bass hip-hop. Pierre puffs on a cigarette as he greets everybody with drinks. It’s virtually an automated customized.
“Max is probably the most progressive, progressive man that I’ve ever recognized. I imply that — he actually is,” Foxx says, noting the 15-year friendship. “I bear in mind I had probably the most legendary birthday celebration right here. My boy Pleasure P got here by way of, and we had a dance-off. It’s all the time a vibe.”
The cultural hub opened about 5 years in the past as one in every of Little River’s first companies earlier than its latest emergence into an arts district.
“We’re OGs, man. It’s a part of the neighborhood, minus the shiny issues which can be beginning to occur,” Pierre says, pointing to the expansion of company companies throughout town. “One day, folks will get up and notice shit is altering.”
His Haitian mother and father raised him in New York City earlier than he moved to Miami round age 28 to pursue leisure and hospitality. He based the gallery AE District, marketed for Opium Garden nightlife area, and was entrepreneur David Grutman’s first-ever rent.
In correct Miami customized, the menu at SimplyGood incorporates a traditional combo: guava y queso, however make it pizza. Other pies embody cheese, Margherita, pepperoni, breakfast, meat lovers, and mushroom and truffle.
In September, Pierre introduced on Queens-based report retailer Scorpion Records for a brief pop-up. SimplyGood now sells a set of Scorpion’s stock, focusing primarily on funk, hip-hop, Motown, rock, blues, and psychedelic rock. Scorpion’s homeowners Tido Cabrera, Lee Trice, and Casey Block, deliver a novel aspect to the store. With a eager sense of vogue, Cabrera owns the Brooklyn artwork gallery Eastern District and has styled garments for artists on Bad Boy Records, helmed by Sean “Diddy” Combs. Trice, a graphic designer and Deadhead, creates the Grateful Dead-inspired merch, together with visuals for Scorpion. Block is the mastermind behind Scropion’s musical scope.
“I really feel like these worlds of vogue and music are all the time linear,” Cabrera says.
Pierre and Cabrera first met in New York City whereas working with street-savvy menswear model Public School alongside designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne.
The identify Scorpion Records is rooted in tradition. Before the report store took over the area, Trice lived subsequent door to the unique Scorpion Cafe. The proprietor, a kindhearted, aged Romanian lady, supplied Trice the lease amid the pandemic.
“It was a Romanian dive bar, very underground, in all probability the one bar in New York you possibly can smoke cigarettes in,” Trice says. “The bar shared a wall with my house, so I might hear the music taking part in just about all evening.”
Authentic Romanian dishes like cabbage rolls and polenta have been served without spending a dime day by day. Inebriated fights between patrons have been anticipated.
“Every evening, she’d serve free Romanian dishes,” Trice says. “The motive she would feed folks was so they would not get so drunk.”
When the trio took over the area, it merely positioned the phrase “Records” over “Cafe” to avoid wasting a couple of bucks on what would’ve been a brand new awning. Thus, Scorpion Records was born.
After Scorpion gained traction within the northeast, they determined to merge the 2 manufacturers.
“Music is concerned in all the pieces culturally associated, regardless of the place you come from,” Pierre says. “It’s what all of us join with.”
Primary Project cofounder Chris Oh, who died in 2017, beforehand owned the area occupied by SimplyGood. The pair have been good buddies and met by way of a mutual appreciation of the humanities.
“This was his studio — God relaxation his soul,” Pierre says. “When he handed, I simply personally wished to maintain his legacy going, so I took this area.”
Both Scorpion and SimplyGood hope to protect the historical past of native expertise and tradition by way of comedy reveals, jazz nights, flea markets, and, quickly, domino nights.
“There’s this concept of what Miami is, however for me, it is a sure degree of authenticity that may’t be replicated,” Pierre says. “When you stroll into the unique Scorpion Records in NYC or SimplyGood right here in Miami, it is particular as a result of you possibly can really feel it. It’s not some gimmick.”
SimplyGood Miami. 212 NW 73rd St., Miami; 786-618-5905; instagram.com/simplygoodmiami.