J. Cole partied with New York City ahead of his 27th birthday tomorrow. The Roc Nation rapper joined friends and family at Webster Hall on Thursday night, treating fans to a special performance of his platinum single “Work Out.”

He addressed those who doubted the song, which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. “When I put this shit out, I had ni**as very close to my circle doubting me and they didn’t know what this song was about, so six months later we platinum, gold album,” he told the cheering crowd.

The festivities continued after he exited the stage. “New York City, I love the shit out of ya’ll,” he said. “We still got a little bit of time left. Let’s get fucked up, let’s celebrate in this motherfucker.”

Cole is gearing up to shoot a video for “Nobody’s Perfect,” the third single off his debut Cole World: The Sideline Story. The Colin Tilley-directed clip will co-star Missy Elliott.