With the release of his first LP in over 15 years and the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton hitting the promo tour hard ahead of its release this month, the spotlight is shining brightly on Dr. Dre at the moment and some of the more sinister elements of his past are making the rounds once again.
And by “sinister elements” I mean a history of beating the shit of women, which old mate seemed to have a bit of a problem with during the 90s, with former music host Dee Barnes penning this piece for Gawker in which she calls out producers of Straight Outta Compton, for excluding the time she was horribly beaten by Dre in the movies storyline.
Dre was charged for the incident in a party in 1991, in which he took out his frustration with a piece Barnes helmed for her show Pump It Up! by physically assaulting her, ending up with 24 months of probation and 240 hours of community service.
Having mostly ignored any and all accusations of further violence against women, including from singer and mother of his children Michel’e, Dre has now finally spoken about his past, releasing an apologetic statement to NY Times, putting the blame on being “young” and “drinking too much”.
“Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did. I’ve been married for 19 years and every day I’m working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I’m doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again.”, says Dre in the statement.
“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.”
Apple has also released a statement about their business partner Dre stating “Dre has apologized for the mistakes he’s made in the past and he’s said that he’s not the same person that he was 25 years ago. We believe his sincerity and after working with him for a year and a half, we have every reason to believe that he has changed.”
Straight Outta Compton hits Aussie cinemas September 3rd.
Watch: Straight Outta Compton – Official Global Trailer
