The Paradox was a

South Baltimore South Baltimore is a neighborhood in the Southern District of Baltimore, located to the west of the neighborhood of Riverside and south of Federal Hill. Its boundaries are marked by East Ostend Street (north), Light Street (east), Race Street ...

dance club from 1991 to 2016. It was originally a home to

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...

, but later on got more of a hip hop feel. The club was founded by Wayne Davis.

History

The Paradox was an important gathering place for Baltimore's DJs, producers, and dance music fans. The sound system was developed, designed, and installed by Richard Long of Richard Long & Associates (RLA) and Dave Soto. The club marked important events in the careers of many notable

Djs A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...

and Promoters in the Baltimore Club Music scene such as

K-Swift Khia Danielle Edgerton (October 19, 1978 – July 21, 2008), better known by the stage name K-Swift, was an American DJ, MC, radio personality and entrepreneur. Early years Born to Joseph and Juanita Edgerton, K-Swift was raised in Randallstow ...

, Scott Henry, Leroy Burgess Jr., Scottie B and Charles Feelgood. The Paradox closed its doors permanently in 2016, following a social media announcement by club owner Wayne Davis in October 2015. This news came less than five years after a full renovation of the club, which aimed to draw larger crowds. Despite its apparent success and popularity within the community, the Paradox struggled to make a profit in its later years, particularly due to dwindling alcohol sales. The location which the Paradox occupied will be taken over by Hammerjack's, another long-standing hallmark of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

's music scene—although notably less focused on the club music the city is known for. As of 2020, the new Hammerjacks incarnation has yet to open.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paradox (club) Nightclubs in Baltimore 2016 disestablishments in Maryland 1991 establishments in Maryland