This year, Joe Budden proved to be a jack of many trades. Since his retirement from rap, the New Jersey native has rebranded himself with ‘The Joe Budden Podcast and venturing off to other platforms.
A few weeks following his abrupt leave from Complex’s daily Hip-Hop show Everyday Struggle, the Highline Ballroom announced the New Jersey rapper, mogul and, media personality will present “Oh, What A Night,” a three-month residency showcasing emerging artist, comedians, and performers. Budden is calling on all types of musicians, artists, dancers, comedians, and content creators to hone their crafts for one night in one of Manhattan’s hottest spots.
In a promotional video for the showcase, Budden says, “On this one night, I just wanna highlight the creators, I wanna highlight the people that build things from nothing; whether that be comedy, whether that be art, whether that be music. There needs to be somewhere where creators can come and own their craft. To hit that stage and perform. The essence of it all. Live music. We wanna bring all of that back. I feel there’s probably been a void in New York; and for all the amazing people that are here, we should be able to see it. So I’d like to see it.”
We were in attendance for the inaugural show on Monday, January 22 which included a slew of singers, comedians, music by Haitian-American Jackson Chery’s live band IET Band, artist H.I.M, who debuted his first EP in 2017, and comedian Donnell Rawlings, whose credits include Chapelle Show and The Wire. It was definitely a mature and sexy night as guest dined and sang along to covers like Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu Sade, and Adele.
