Hip-hop producer and Apple employee Andre Young, aka Dr. Dre, has been all over the news the past week thanks to his hit new album Compton and the movie Straight Outta Compton, which chronicles his rap group NWA’s rise to fame in the late ’80s.
Not all the attention surrounding Dre has been positive though, as critics have lampooned the Dre-produced film for glossing over some of the less-savory bits of NWA’s history, like the time Dre beat up Dee Barnes and a few other women. In an effort to stem the backlash, the first billionaire in hip-hop released a statement this morning, apologizing to the women he’s hurt.
Here what the doc had to say about the past:
“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. 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 to The New York Times in support of Dr. Dre, saying he’s not the same person he used to be.
“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,” Apple said. “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 director F. Gary Gray, who was also present when Dre assaulted Dee Barnes during the filming of an episode of Barnes’ Fox show Pump It Up!, revealed earlier this month that an early script for the movie included the the assault scene. Ultimately the filmmakers decided to pull it because the movie “wasn’t about a lot of side stories.”
