Dr. Dre Addresses Abuse Accusations With Apology, Apple Releases Supporting Statement

[4jasontv]

You wrote this screed about *this guy*...just so you know...

"Dr. Dre"

I do not think it could be any more clear that this guy was not pretending to have a Medical Degree or Advanced Degree of any sort and was using a Stage Name

You're Welcome. Please, do enjoy your weekend...I'm having a nice Rye now myself...

-K

Ha Ha! - That picture made my day. I was simply responding to a post that claimed that Doctors are pretentious if they want to be called doctor. I wasn't talking about Dre.

 

[UKPoliticsGuy]

So, you don't like rap from people that grew up in the ghetto, talking about things there. Gotcha. I bet you think that actors on TV are the same as the characters they portray. All of the nihilism in other genres gets a pass tho, but not this n****r sh*t...is that it?

You may apologise for vulgarity. I won't.

 

[TWD98j]

I'll just get the obvious one out of the way:
Beats by Dre.

Available in black and blue

 

[Sonmi451]

The director actually strongly disagreees with you, at least on paper. According to the director himself being interviewed about the making of the movie (emphasis mine):

Tupac is not in the movie because a sequel of Straight Outta Compton focusing on him and additional artists' careers is already planned.

I searched for Barnes in that article and nothing came up. Tupac actually was in the film. Very briefly.

 

[Sonmi451]

Did you beat up women in your 20's?

Did you grow up in the hood?

 

[kds1]

"Dr. Dre" is nothing but collateral baggage that came with the Beats Music purchase. I suppose Apple is trying to do the best they can with this burden.

 

[twigman08]

Funny the world we live in and all the hypocrites.
So many just flat out don't like Dr. Dre because he has "Dr." in his name when he isn't a Dr, or because he is into hip-hop music (which always seems to be a controversial music genre), or don't like his products, so they are going to ridicule him for what he did when he was a young person in his early 20's.

I will forgive him and accept his apology. If not I am being a hypocrite. One of my very best friends now that I would do anything and I would even trust my life in the hands of has been to prison. But now he is a great person, a very good father. It is absolutely wrong of me to judge him based on his past and not the person he is now.
Also respect Apple standing behind him

Don't like his products or music? Fine. But flat out hating someone because of it, I'll never understand.

 

[Solomani]

And I'll bet he's not even a real Dr., either.

Maybe the title Dr. is shorthand for Dropout.

 

[Solomani]

Receiving forgiveness in America is easy as long as you are rich and blessed by a socially liberal megacorporation.

I'm in America and I forgive Justin Bieber!

 

[0098386]

Did you grow up in the hood?

What's the hood? I grew up in a lower income area in Britain if that's what you mean. Are you attempting to normalise domestic abuse?

 

[flat five]

In other news, Julius "Dr J " Erving isn't a real doctor either.

Why do I get the feeling that some people in this thread have a problem with Dre's colour...

Seriously, guy grew up and became a decent citizen. Cut him a break.

heh.. fwiw.
Dr. J was a childhood idol of andre's .. hence Dr. Dre.

 

[0970373]

For the record, Dee has stated that she's happy it wasn't portrayed in the movie. Also, this isn't some "dark secret" being covered up in ANY way. It is a *well known* incident, albeit from 25 years ago.

This also was NOT the first time he's publicly acknowledged or apologized for these things...

I'm well aware of her article and of Dee Barnes. She said she was happy they didn't show a depiction of her getting beat up and she did wish it was acknowledged. in some way in the movie.

And yes, it is known. I remember when it happened. Which is why it's baffling that something that was such a big deal in the community at the time and still widely discussed in many circles, if under hushed tones in fear of Dre hearing about people talking about it, was completely left out. It's a big part of hip hop history. But the younger generation probably didn't know a thing about it.

And the times he has apologized were: under court order and when this movie is being released. He fought Dee in court so that he wouldn't have to pay her, dragged it out then he had her blackballed in the industry.

 

[Sonmi451]

What's the hood? I grew up in a lower income area in Britain if that's what you mean.

Did you grow up in Compton in the 70's - 80's? No, you didn't. Your situation is not the same as Andres.

 

[0098386]

Did you grow up in Compton in the 70's - 80's? No, you didn't. Your situation is not the same as Andres.

Oh I knew that was coming. There's always a "not good enough" attitude with some people. But yeah, I think it's gross that someone in 2015 accepts and normalises domestic abuse. I'm not sure why you're so okay with it.

 

[0098386]

And the times he has apologized were: under court order and when this movie is being released. He fought Dee in court so that he wouldn't have to pay her, dragged it out then he had her blackballed in the industry.

I'm confused as to why people are celebrating this man, if what you posted is true. That's verging on evil (fighting to not pay to a domestic abuse victim).

 

[0970373]

I'm confused as to why people are celebrating this man, if what you posted is true. That's verging on evil (fighting to not pay to a domestic abuse victim).

He eventually did have too pay her but only after a long court battle and for much less than she should have gotten. It's all true.

Dre has contributed greatly to hip-hop and music in general. He's created super stars, launched careers. Even if you're not a fan of his music, you have to take a look at his greater body of work and acknowledge that. (But it is also well known that he's stolen or paid for beats from young producers trying to make a name for themselves and claimed them as his own.)

It is ok to acknowledge his contributions to music WHILE admonishing him for his history of domestic violence. Beating women up was not a one time thing for Dre.

I will say that growing up in black in Compton during that time is not something you can easily compare to other low income housing. (In the case of Britain vs US - cops in the UK don't carry guns.) It certainly doesn't excuse him for his behavior though. But all the more reason for him to truly apologize and perhaps use this opportunity to speak out against domestic violence so as to stop the cycle in some families.

 

[flat five]

Oh I knew that was coming. There's always a "not good enough" attitude with some people. But yeah, I think it's gross that someone in 2015 accepts and normalises domestic abuse. I'm not sure why you're so okay with it.

who is accepting and normalizing domestic abuse?

 

[bigpics]

That's a real apology. No excuses, admits fault, and shows that he's trying to be a better man.

I admire that he realizes that he made a mistake, and respect him for working to be a better man.

I don't know what he's done in the last 25 years, but I hope that it shows him progressively becoming better.

I hate stories like this... it brings out the self righteous (i have done no wrong) hypocrites. Seriously some of the people posting act as if they live a perfect life with no wrong.

I wasn't aware that Dre ever tried to pass himself off as this good moral Christian person.

A point that's not coming out in the thread (I went thru about half) is that Dre has just made a **** ton of money out of a self-serving biopic that failed to acknowledge how much a part of his life (and the prevailing "life style" in part of his rapper sub-demographic) this kind of violently misogynistic behavior was...

...I certainly hope he's less of a creep 20 years later, but what's happened here is that now he apologizes and Apple supports him and many leap to his defense here...

...and the movie will be on video on demand for eternity with all of these episodes forever unacknowledged by its (mostly impressionable) viewers....

...so well-played by "the Doctor"...

 

[Solomani]

But yeah, I think it's gross that someone in 2015 accepts and normalises domestic abuse.

This is where your logic fails you. Dr. Dre is far from "accepting" or normalizing domestic abuse. In fact, by giving a public apology, he is doing the opposite… he is rejecting it, and admitting that such acts were a mistake (of his past). The ONLY contention that remains now is whether an apology (no matter how sincere) is good enough. Maybe he should have gone one step further IMHO, which is to raise funds or make a donation to a charity that specifically supports victims of domestic violence. You know the saying "actions speak louder than words".

But steering away from Dr. Dre as the specific example…. I'd agree with you that the "culture" of ghetto rap music does tend to embrace misogyny. This is not just a "black ghetto" thing, since Eminem (a highly successful white rapper) is the poster child for misogyny. And from what I know of Eminem, he won't be apologizing any time soon.

 

[0098386]

He eventually did have too pay her but only after a long court battle and for much less than she should have gotten. It's all true.

Dre has contributed greatly to hip-hop and music in general. He's created super stars, launched careers. Even if you're not a fan of his music, you have to take a look at his greater body of work and acknowledge that. (But it is also well known that he's stolen or paid for beats from young producers trying to make a name for themselves and claimed them as his own.)

It is ok to acknowledge his contributions to music WHILE admonishing him for his history of domestic violence. Beating women up was not a one time thing for Dre.

I will say that growing up in black in Compton during that time is not something you can easily compare to other low income housing. (In the case of Britain vs US - cops in the UK don't carry guns.) It certainly doesn't excuse him for his behavior though. But all the more reason for him to truly apologize and perhaps use this opportunity to speak out against domestic violence so as to stop the cycle in some families.

Absolutely, on all points. His contribution to music is huge. There's no way he could have set up Beats, or joined Apple if not. My contention is more the image manip

The whole bit about where I was brought up was only addressed to that other user though, I'm not parading it around and I'm not using it to level with him. Someone asked me a question and I answered it. Though, no matter what I said with people like that you can never give a right answer. I was just entertaining them.

This is where your logic fails you. Dr. Dre is far from "accepting" or normalizing domestic abuse. In fact, by giving a public apology, he is doing the opposite… he is rejecting it, and admitting that such acts were a mistake (of his past). The ONLY contention that remains now is whether an apology (no matter how sincere) is good enough. Maybe he should have gone one step further IMHO, which is to raise funds or make a donation to a charity that specifically supports victims of domestic violence. You know the saying "actions speak louder than words".

But steering away from Dr. Dre as the specific example…. I'd agree with you that the "culture" of ghetto rap music does tend to embrace misogyny. This is not just a "black ghetto" thing, since Eminem (a highly successful white rapper) is the poster child for misogyny. And from what I know of Eminem, he won't be apologizing any time soon.

My normalising abuse point isn't at Dr Dre, he's horrible for other reasons (trying to prevent his victims from compensation). It's aimed at those people here normalising it.

 

[0098386]

who is accepting and normalizing domestic abuse?

All those here making excuses for him, have you not seen the abuse apologists here?

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

This is where your logic fails you. Dr. Dre is far from "accepting" or normalizing domestic abuse. In fact, by giving a public apology, he is doing the opposite… he is rejecting it, and admitting that such acts were a mistake (of his past). The ONLY contention that remains now is whether an apology (no matter how sincere) is good enough. Maybe he should have gone one step further IMHO, which is to raise funds or make a donation to a charity that specifically supports victims of domestic violence. You know the saying "actions speak louder than words".

But steering away from Dr. Dre as the specific example…. I'd agree with you that the "culture" of ghetto rap music does tend to embrace misogyny. This is not just a "black ghetto" thing, since Eminem (a highly successful white rapper) is the poster child for misogyny. And from what I know of Eminem, he won't be apologizing any time soon.

And let's go further and say it's not just a rap thing. Rock music probably has just as much of an extensive history of misogyny.

 

[flat five]

All those here making excuses for him, have you not seen the abuse apologists here?

i thought it was dr.dre who was apologizing.
i read maybe the first 5 pages and didn't see anyone normalizing and accepting domestic abuse.. are you sure you're reading things at face value instead of putting your own twist on it?

 

[robbyx]

Because it was known, because the victims spoke out and he said nothing.

I'm surprised you're not aware of public acceptance with repenting ones crimes. You should certainly look up on it and fill that gap in.

Unlike you, I don't get off on this embarrassing apology culture we've become. You are not even remotely equipped to judge Dre's level of repentance. But by all means, keep on judging.

 

[Sonmi451]

Oh I knew that was coming. There's always a "not good enough" attitude with some people. But yeah, I think it's gross that someone in 2015 accepts and normalises domestic abuse. I'm not sure why you're so okay with it.

There you go again... making up arguments for things I never said. There's always one of you in these threads.