The Recording Academy will honor hip-hop pioneer Dr. Dre with a high-profile award during the 2020 Grammy Awards, and many music honchos are feeling some way about that.
“Dre breaks boundaries and inspires music creators across every genre,” said Deborah Dugan, the incoming President and CEO of the Recording Academy. “His evolution as a producer solidifies him as a leader of the pack within our industry, and we watch in amazement as he continues to shape the future of music.”
Unfortunately, Dre’s history of violence against women has some insiders giving the side-eye to Grammys organizers.
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You recall how in the early-90s, Dre beat up then-MTV veejay Dee Barnes at a nightclub in Los Angeles and later bragged about the incident.
“When Dre was trying to choke me on the floor of the women’s room in Po Na Na Souk, a thought flashed through my head: ‘Oh my God. He’s trying to kill me,’” Barnes previously said of the attack, per Digital Music News. “He had me trapped in that bathroom; he held the door closed with his leg. It was surreal. ‘Is this happening?’ I thought.”
Barnes also questioned why the attack against her (and other women) wasn’t documented in the film “Straight Outta Compton.”
“Dre, who executive produced the movie along with his former group mate Ice Cube, should have owned up to the time he punched his labelmate Tairrie B twice at a Grammys party in 1990. He should have owned up to the black eyes and scars he gave to his collaborator Michel’le. And he should have owned up to what he did to me. That’s reality. That’s reality rap.”
Meanwhile, multiple executives have expressed their reservations about Dre’s Grammy honor to Digital Music News. According to the outlet, however, none are willing to speak out against it publicly.
Dre did apologize for his actions, saying that he regretted some of the things he did when he was young. He did reach a settlement with Barnes after the incident, but no word if he ever personally apologized to her.
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