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The Star Went Out for Burgers

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The Scene: Thursday’s West Coast premiere at Mann’s Chinese of New Line Cinema’s “Who’s the Man?” Calling this a premiere was a misnomer. It was more a screening tied into a radio station promotion. “It’s like a regular movie showing,” said Tan Huynh, 16, of Long Beach, whose friend won tickets from KKBT-FM. “Except there’s stars, and that breaks it out.”

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Who Was There: The film’s leads, Doctor Dre and Ed Lover (best known as the hosts of “Yo! MTV Raps”); director Ted Demme; plus 1,200 guests including Heavy D, Ice Cube, Vanessa Williams, Ronnie DeVoe, George Jackson, Doug McHenry and Polly Draper.

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The Post-Premiere Scene: There were competing post-screening parties at two Century City clubs, Tripp’s and Zinfandel’s. Both were put on by promoters at the venues. Both said they were the official party. Both charged guests $15 to enter. In a sense, it was a benefit premiere. Whoever got the money benefited.

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The Competitors: Claujia Bretas at Tripp’s said her party was done in association with Uptown Records and Rap Pages magazine. She described her affair as “a little more upscale quality of an evening.” Over at Zinfandel’s, promoter Chris Brazil said Dre and Lover “came to us to promote the party.” In the best Hollywood tradition, he had the stars, so his party had the edge.

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The Buzz: “What’s going on? How come I can’t get in? You want money !?”

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Chow: “There’s no drinks and no food, and they just played the same Janet Jackson song four times,” said comedian Doug Bady at Zinfandel’s. There was a cash bar, but Doctor Dre was pained by the lack of edibles. At 1:30 a.m., he slipped out Zinfandel’s back door and took his limo to cruise for burgers. When he came back, there was still such a crowd blocking the front door, he called it a night.

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Quoted: “It was like a secret police interrogation at the door,” said musician David Was at Tripp’s. “They kept asking, ‘You don’t know what list you’re on?’ Like they wanted a voice print.”

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Fashion Statement: At the Tripp’s party, one guest was turned away at the door because he was wearing running shoes. Is there any male in the rap music world who doesn’t wear running shoes?

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Media Watch: The MTV cameraman, Jeffrey Nichols, while covering the arrivals, uses a technique in which he bobs and weaves as he lifts, shakes and tilts the camera. He also wears roller-blade knee-pads in case he wants to hit the ground for an up-angle shot. He describes himself as “the human dolly-cam.”

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