One of the 25 Most Influential People in Music In 2025

Here are the activists, pop stars, producers, scholars, and executives who are currently creating real change in the music industry

25. Clifton Muhammad and Connie AndersonOwners and operators, The Record Track

The Record Track has been in South Chicago since 1990. But when his uncle Wister Adriane—who owned and operated the music store—died, Clifton Muhammad inherited it. He and his wife Connie Anderson ran the store as is until the pandemic forced them to shut down. Rather than reopen as a traditional record shop, Muhammad and Anderson decided to try something new: Transform it into an economic and social anchor for the neighborhood. The Record Track reopened in October 2024 and now serves as a community-based music education center for the largely Black and Latin community, where the poverty rates reach up to 51%.

Anyone who wants to learn to play a musical instrument can do so with interactive, video-prompted training, hands-on lessons, instruments provided. Then Muhammad and Anderson refer students to other local instructors at a partnered music school. Muhammad and Anderson will eventually start booking musical acts reflective of the blended community in the outdoor venue they’re planning.

Written by SPIN Staff | January 9, 2025

https://www.spin.com/2025/01/the-25-most-influential-people-in-music-in-2025/