With a new album after 16 years years and a top-grossing biopic out recently and a billion-dollar deal with Apple last year, Dr. Dre is having a good run; but with him in the spotlight, even the things he'd rather forget are being brought out into the open.
"Straight Outta Compton" is a biopic about Dr. Dre's hip-hop group, N.W.A. This means it went way back into the past to not only chronicle the group's journey but that part of Dr. Dre's life as well. The biopic topped the box office, opening with $56.1 million, so it must be good. Critics, however, are saying it's so good that it glossed over Dr. Dre's history of physically abusing women.
Dr. Dre has been dismissive about this part of his past, only talking about it vaguely when confronted, but he faced the issue straight on this time, issuing a statement to The New York Times.
According to him, he was just a young man who drank too much 25 years ago, in over his head and had no real structure in his life. However, he acknowledges that those reasons does not excuse what he had done. He said he's been married for 19 years but is still working every day to be a better man for his family, doing everything he can do he doesn't turn back to the man he was before.
"I apologize to the women I've hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives," he added.
Apple, who made Dr. Dre an executive after acquiring Beats Electronics, said that it believes he is sincere.
"After working with him for a year and a half, we have every reason to believe that he has changed," said the company.
Dr. Dre's dark past involves incidents Dee Barnes, a hip-hop journalist covering the scene at the height of N.W.A.'s fame; Michel'le, Dr. Dre's former girlfriend and R&B singer; and Tairrie B, a rapper who was label mates with Dr. Dre under Ruthless Records.
In 1991, Dr. Dre repeatedly slammed Barnes against a wall after confronting her about an N.W.A. segment on her show. He was charged with assault and battery, didn't contest and was sentenced to probation, community service and a $2,500 fine. He also had to make a P.S.A. against domestic violence and settled a civil suit with Barnes out of court. Michel'le and Tairrie B never pressed charges against Dr. Dre.
Photo: Jason Persse | Flickr
