Reggae 'Superstore' owner mixes business with family

Classic reggae fills the air as sidewalk traffic grooves to the tunes on Georgia Avenue. As customers step through the door of Reggae Unplugged Superstore, they passturntables that are setup by the window, while visions of men and women are seen gyrating on the muted 37-inch flat-screen T.V. displayed on the wall. An array of the latest fashions and autographed posters adorn either side of the store.Behind the counter sits Marvin Tackie, wearing waist-length dread locks that he has been growing about as long as he has been in the music industry. For over 13 years, Tackie has played reggae music at local D.C. clubs and lounges. He has successfully created his own sound in the genre called Knotty Dread. Influenced by the classic Bob Marley album, "Natty Dread," Tackie changed the spelling to signify strength, firmness and being "unbreakable."

Tackie, who is also known as DJ Jah Marvin, has experienced a lot of success as a DJ. He was awarded Best Reggae mix tape from the Southern Entertainment Awards in 2007. After launching reggaeunpluggedtv.com, Tackie opened up Reggae Unplugged Superstore located at 5804 Georgia Avenue, NW.

"I didn't have enough money to get the store," said Tackie. The store was previously owned by the Target Squad, to whom he sold his mix tapes. Through a lot of motivation, Tackie worked out a deal with the Target Squad and opened up shop on April 1, 2008.

Reggae Unplugged Superstore serves as an outlet store for his mix tapes and other various items from reggae DVDs and CDs, African and Caribbean flags and trinkets, magazines, and designer clothes from Blac Label to Cooyah, an upscale Caribbean clothing line.

"In this area, reggae music is not really that big," said Tackie's wife Aretha, also known as Jah Dawtah. "[People] listen to more hip hop and rap." The Tackies use their service to broaden the reggae industry in the DC area.

The road was not always this easy for Tackie. Having to deal with "the law" when he was younger taught him that selling drugs and going to jail was not the lifestyle he wanted to live. "I started realizing that to have someone to take even one day of your life and you just sit in jail is nonsense," said Tackie.

Tackie recalls making trips to New York in the frigid weather selling his mix tapes to most artists' worst enemy: 'bootleggers'.

"I hustled legally, he said, "I would press up a thousand, two thousand CDs and sell it to bootleggers because I knew they were going to bootleg it anyway."

The Tackies both agree that their family keeps them motivated and is a major benefit of entrepreneurship. "I can't work for anybody," said Tackie, "I've got four kids to feed and they have to eat." Aretha added that having a business of your own that you can pass along to your kids is also an advantage.

"Marvin is a great business person. He has a lot of businesses surrounding that [Knotty Dread] sound and they both are humble about it at the end of the day," said Sutherland.

So what do the Tackies have to say to aspiring entrepreneurs? "Just do it," they said. "It might be hard or to start off may be a lot, but you won't know what you can do unless you just do it, advises Aretha. Tackie ensured that anything that is desired is achievable, but persistence is a must.

Address: 5804 Georgia Ave NW Washington, DC
Phone: 202.722.4983