Founded by Christopher Beckwith in 2020, HOOD ROCK RECORDS™ is a new independent record label based in New York, NY, with our initial releases by YOUNG JIMMY. We are excited to see new releases in 2025 from our new signe LIZA.

HOOD ROCK RECORDS is an independent label with the main goal of uplifting black American rock music while exalting music industry outcasts alike.

YOUNG JIMMY got his start on the music scene in NYC in 2006, backing rappers & rock bands. In 2007, an emerging artist from the AFRO-PUNK music scene (sparked by the Documentary), YOUNG JIMMY, played various shows as a backup guitarist in rock and hip-hop showcases. He was a proud and active presence during a scene that was created and built by the black Rock N Roll community (centered around punk rock).

After the AFRO-PUNK Festival took off in 2008 to mainstream success, James Spooner decided to part ways due to disagreements with co-owner Matthew Morgan over booking non-punk rock and non-black Rock N Roll acts. This rift within the Afro-Punk scene set off a chain reaction that led to the birth of HOOD ROCK RECORDS.

"Screenings turned into concerts and concerts turned into a festival. Afro-Punk the film morphed into AFROPUNK™ the brand and, as mainstream interest grew, the dangling carrot of capitalism lured me in. I wanted it to grow. I wanted all the Black weirdos across America feel what we were feeling in those rooms. But organic growth and corporate sponsorship don't go together. I made mistakes I couldn't turn back from, and before I knew it, there was nothing punk about Afro-Punk anymore. I bailed.

With me out of the way, AFROPUNK™ became a corporate international brand, promoting major-label hip-hop and R&B.

AFROPUNK™ did nothing to support the needs of the Afro-Punks." - James Spooner, 2022

Once YOUNG JIMMY™ realized that the black rock scene he was once a part of was dead, he forged his own path, becoming a solo artist navigating an industry that often shamed or shunned him for making rock music.

HOOD ROCK RECORDS is not only a label this is a cultural rebellion dedicated to the "outcasts," the "hood alternatives," and the "weirdos." This is a way of life dedicated to uplifting, promoting, marketing, recognizing, and releasing high-fidelity music and records for future fans and listeners. The current rock music industry is dominated by white men (The Appropriators) who don't often recognize its roots, and lacks diversity and inclusion in a culture created by Black Americans. HOOD ROCK RECORDS is an inclusive, authentic culture and music that will be heard loud and clear. Truth be told, rock n roll music is black American music and culture.

Address: P.O. Box 211148, Brooklyn NY, NY, 11221

General inquiries: info@hoodrockrecord.com