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It couldn’t have made for a more bizarre photo opportunity. Donning hardhats and carrying shovels were New York state governor David Paterson, who is at the centre of a scandal that alleges he pressured his aide’s girlfriend to drop domestic violence charges against the aide, and who has been allegedly caught "nuzzling" women other than his wife; New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is coming under fire for pushing a tax on sugary drinks in the city to raise money for the cash-strapped metropolis; rapper Jay-Z, whose tops hits include Dopeman, Nigga What, Nigga Who and So Ghetto; and Barclays president Bob Diamond. The event was to kick off the building of the Barclays Center, an entertainment and sports complex in Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards. The 675,000 square-foot development will be home to professional basketball team the Nets, of which Jay-Z is a part owner.
The eclectic crowd was a PR coup for the UK banking group, which is trying to build its US brand. Unfortunately, the local press preferred to focus on the demonstrations by Brooklyn residents angry at the development, and the make-up faux pas of shocking red lipstick fashioned by Beyoncé Knowles who attended the ceremony to support husband Jay-Z.