At FEATURE, we celebrate the stories and spaces that bring communities together. In this Hidden Gems series, we got to talk with the founders of Analog Dope, Rachelle and Charlie Luster. Inside this thoughtfully curated bookstore and vinyl shop in Las Vegas is more than a retail space—it's a cultural hub rooted in connection, creativity, and Black excellence.

FEATURE

What inspired the conception of Analog Dope?

Rachelle

The conception of analog dope was inspired by a feeling and the need to pull ourselves out of the digital construct world that we felt was separating us. Everything that's analog is tangible things you can touch, things that you can feel. We wanted to create a space that felt safe for people to come into and have these tangible things at their access and create a sense of connection and community.

FEATURE

Analog Dope, bridges, books, and vinyl, two timeless mediums. What drew you to combine these cultural staples in one place?

Charlie

What drew us to combine books and vinyl is the love for the two, how they are centering and grounding to people, how they speak to the soul of a person, and how they connect to other people. For example, the first time you hear a Lauryn Hill record, being able to relate to the love of that record with somebody else bridges a community, and brings a community together.

FEATURE

The Analog Dope store is rooted in celebrating Black culture and the African diaspora. How do you select books and records that reflect this purpose?

Rachelle

So we began our selection by understanding that we were a small space and we had to curate it with lots of intention and lots of love. We started off with our favorite things and things that cultivated who we are, books that we loved as kids and throughout our lives. We began there, and it started to grow, as we study and research and as cultural shifts and things happen in the world, we're drawn to books, and books just kind of, appear and show up to us as well. As we've grown, we get a lot of recommendations from the community around us. People ask for certain things, and that helps us to curate a lot as well. It was always very important for us to center black culture in this city because there are not a lot of spaces that do and safe spaces that have literature and forefront literature for the African diaspora and also other POC literature and authors as well.

FEATURE

As black women and LGBTQ entrepreneurs, what challenges or triumphs have you experienced in building Analog Dope, and what advice would you offer to others in similar positions?

Charlie

I’d say one of the biggest challenges Analog Dope has faced is keeping up with demand. There’s always a constant stream of new books being released every month, and people are quick to jump on them. If we’re not keeping up with that pace, it can become a problem.

Rachelle

I would say, every day, that we're able to unlock this door and show up as our best selves, is a triumph, because there are naturally, so many challenges that come with running a business. There's lots of behind-the-scenes. Of course, we have the funding challenges. We have the challenges of cash flow and just all the typical things that a new and small business will have. So as we face those and as we overcome them and creatively find ways to keep these doors open every time we walk in and we show up here for the community, it's a triumph.

FEATURE

You're not only business partners, but also life partners. How do you balance your personal and professional lives, while also and while also growing Analog Dope?

Rachelle

We're still learning every day, we're learning how to balance it out. I think one thing that we do well, just as life partners, is that we communicate really well. We check in with each other quite often, and as we do that, we get to know what each other needs, and maybe what we're lacking or need to pick up on. And you know, how can we support each other through this journey, through our personal journeys, as we grow and evolve as individuals, and then as we grow as a married couple, and then also as business partners, it takes a lot of communication, a lot of respect, checking in and checking our egos.

FEATURE

The idea of raising the consciousness of creative communities is central to your brand. How does Analog Dope bring that vision to life every day?

Rachelle

You know bookstores are a lifeline of a community. When you inject a bookstore and you inject literature into a community, I feel like you naturally raise the vibration of that community. When people walk in and they walk out with a book or a record, something that feels good or something that's good to the spirit and the soul, naturally, we're raising that vibration and consciousness for that community. And so as we curate with love and have the things that are in here for people, that's definitely how we do that. And we do that, like I said, with a lot of intention, a lot of love.

FEATURE

If analog dope were a track or a chapter, what would it's title be right now? And why a track or a chapter?

Rachelle

I’d say the title would be “We Got Y’all.” If you’ve seen Insecure by Issa Rae, you’ll know what I mean. It’s because we really do—we’re a hub for the community. We’re here to support, to uplift, and to provide what’s needed. So, yeah, “We Got Y’all.”