Kedar Massenburg, BLU Realty’s Alon Chadad and the Avery
Kedar Massenburg, the former Motown Records president who launched the careers of Erykah Badu and D’Angelo among others, recently rented an approximately 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment overlooking the Hudson River at the Avery on the Upper West Side, The Real Deal has learned.
Massenburg and his broker, Alon Chadad, co-founder BLU Realty Group, would not disclose the rent, but said Massenberg did not negotiate on price. Comparable apartments in the condominium at 100 Riverside Boulevard rented in the last month for about $9,800 per month, Streeteasy.com shows.
Massenburg, who currently runs Kedar Entertainment and represents R&B artists Ginuiwine and Joe, was born in Flatbush, and owns homes in Miami and Saddle River, NJ. Massenberg told The Real Deal he’s been commuting to Manhattan from New Jersey for the last 17 years, but now that he has three children, he wants to open them up to the culture and “the melting pot” of New York City.
Massenburg and Chadad had been looking at apartments along Riverside Boulevard, including Trump Place, the Aldyn and the Rushmore. Massenburg was interested in living near the water because it provided a good juxtaposition to the “bustling” city. “I also liked the camaraderie at the Avery,” Massenburg said. “The Rushmore is nice but it felt a little bit colder. The Avery was subdued and cozier.” He moves in Aug. 1 on a one-year lease.
The music executive said he is looking to buy at least 3,500 Square Feet On Riverside Boulevard within the next 18 months, “but wanted a little taste before [he] spent $5 million.” He’s currently working on new releases from Joe and Sisqo, and he represents Reverend Al Sharpton who is working on a documentary.
Chadad, who earned praise from Massenburg for his entrepreneurial spirit and “not being overbearing,” represented the owner and the tenant in the transaction. He also said that he recently placed Jay-Z’s partner Mikkel Eriksen in a full floor at the Rushmore, but declined to comment further on that transaction.