Puff Daddy, aka Puffy, aka Diddy is back and still Diddy-bopping. The party king born Sean Combs threw a huge bash at Pacha in New York City for the release of his Bad Boy mixtape, MMM. With over 600 people packed into the Midtown Manhattan spot, DJ Richkidd made sure everyone was hyped as they waited for the man of the hour. Hot 97’s Funkmaster Flex got on stage as well to take over the ones and twos while the legendary DJ Redd Alert stood to the side, bopping his head. Then, a few minutes shy of 2:30 a.m., Diddy took the stage with a bottle of Green Apple-flavored Ciroc in hand (the vodka brand’s latest flavor to be released).
Diddy, who returned to his original moniker last year, made his entrance with one of 2015’s anthems, Travi$ Scott’s “Antidote.”
“What’s up New York?” he screamed at the crowd. “Check this out. I didn’t come here to stay in the VIP. When you come to a Diddy party, it’s a New York party, I’m gonna party with y’all. Can I party with y’all?” he continued as he was met with echos of “yeahs” from the crowd. “And I’m gonna have a good time with y’all. We gonna drink and we gonna smoke. We gonna have a good time.”
Diddy continued to do some of his infamous dance moves as he proved to still be a man of the people by dapping up audience members and joking with the crowd. And as he rapped “It’s All About the Benjamins,” he confidently held out the mic to the audience as they finished his first verse for him with “ballers, shot callers, brawlers.” He also made sure to play some “New York s—,” and gave a birthday shout-out to Jay Z with “Public Service Announcement.” playing out in the background. And naturally, Flex played some Biggie hits. “Put one hand in the air if you miss The Notorious B.I.G.,” said Flex before he dropped Biggie’s “Hypnotize.”
The business mogul returned to the VIP after a few songs only to appear every so often as a Bad Boy affiliate, Vaughn Mack, got on stage to perform some energetic dance moves made for a turn-up. Diddy has released a slew of songs over the past two years, including “Workin,” “MMM (Money Makin Mitch)” and the Pharrell-assisted jam “Finna Get Loose” before the drop of his mixtape, MMM. But it’s No Way Out 2, the follow-up to his 1997 effort, that fans are looking forward to next.
As for Pacha, the nightclub will be closing its doors in January — but a party with Puff Daddy is sure-fire way to go out with a bang.
