A tiny red carpet with glaring white lights against the step and repeat, which showed repeatedly the logo’s of brands that Jay-Z goes to bat for – D’usse and the 40/40 Club – was placed outside the downtown Manhattan sports bar owned by Rihanna’s mentor. Inside, her 777 Tour, which had her touching seven countries in seven days with a bevy of reporters following her every move on a Boeing 777, was about to end with her official album release party.
Invitees came early despite Twitter “reports” that she was still shaking hands and kissing babies at Best Buy Theatre in Midtown around 8 p.m., which made her late to her intimate show at Webster Hall. Still, no one expected Rihanna to arrive on time – especially after the reports that the 777 Tour suffered from logistical challenges with timeliness being the main suspect. Instead, they marveled at the thought that she might arrive in something stunning with her now signature red lip. They also thought about the guests who might arrive through the doors. While at the bar, getting my third D’usse and Pineapple, I overheard one guest ask: “Is Jay Z going to arrive…maybe even Chris Brown. I know J. Cole is coming. He’s in town, right?” Well, one out of three ain’t bad.
Rihanna’s mentor and boss, Jay-Z, arrived to the party around midnight presumably waiting for the woman of the hour. He sat in the far corner of his private suite in the VIP area, which was guarded by two burly security guards and a velvet rope. Jay looked quiet, observing the room, and all of those people trying to get in his orbit.
Basketball Wives’ Laura Govan sat on the pool table, Maxwell chose the couch while Tyson (the model) busied himself by walking around. Statuesque model Jessica White in a wide brimmed hat lounged like she owned the place while Ty, Jay’s best friend introduced media to label people. AJ Calloway bounced from the tiny red carpet to inside with an entourage (since when did…nevermind.) while reality stars Jennifer Williams and Olivia snapped pics with celeb bloggers.
By the time I left (after 2 a.m.) Rihanna still hadn’t arrived although Instagram proved she had actually made it inside. These days just the thought of Rihanna will still get people in the room.
The Fab Empire's Joi-Marie on the tiny red carpet
