He took his shot \u2014 and hit nothing but net.<\/p>\n
A longtime street musician scored his dream gig with the Knicks last week when two Madison Square Garden execs happened upon his drumming performance outside the World\u2019s Most Famous Arena.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are the odds of you just walking past while I\u2019m here trying to bust my ass in the cold trying to pay my rent?\u201d Cornelio Joseph told the dazzled execs.<\/p>\n
Longtime busker Cornelio Joseph has been pounding the pavement \u2014 and his homemade snare drums \u2014 for years before catching his big break playing for the Knicks at MSG. Fabio Garcia<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, let me know if there\u2019s any opportunity for entertainment at the Garden,\u201d he told them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took my shot,\u201d he recalled to The Post.<\/p>\n
Days later, they texted him to perform at Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, where the Knicks were taking on the Philadelphia 76ers.<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/strong>I was freaking out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the Knicks to find me, this changed my life,\u201d he said after performing in front of 20,000 rabid fans Wednesday night. <\/p>\n The Panama-born Brooklynite has been performing with his handmade snare drums in subway stations and landmarks across NYC since he was a teenager, dreaming about his big break.\u00a0<\/p>\n The drummer shows off his signature \u201cManifest Jump,\u201d an acrobatic and musical feat that he said only a handful of people around the world can do. Lorena Moscoso<\/p>\n And whenever Knicks diehard Joseph, 33, whose stage name is Beat of New York<\/a>, played outside MSG, he wistfully dreamed what it would be like to play inside.<\/p>\n Joseph\u2019s bank account was in the red last week when the two MSG entertainment execs walked by the high-energy drummer, catching their attention with his \u201cU Can\u2019t Touch This\u201d interpretation of MC Hammer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want subway-themed street drumming,\u201d Joseph recalled of the assignment of his life, which meant using buckets for the show to create a subway vibe.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n He signed a contract for the performance over email for the full main timeout performance the Garden calls \u201cTonight\u2019s Entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI legit got down on the floor, stared at the ceiling and thanked G-d, crying,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n During his 80-second show, <\/a>he showed off his high-flying signature \u201cmanifesto jump<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Joseph wowed the 20,000 fans at the sold-out Knicks game. \u201cI made the most out of that joint,\u201d he said proudly. Emmanuel Agbeble @apmworldmag<\/p>\n The floor was shaking,\u201d Joseph said of his \u201cshow-stopping\u201d move, pulled off against the beats of Bad Bunny.<\/p>\n \u201cI made the most out of that joint,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n