‘Straight Outta Compton’ Release Prompts Candid Talk From Dr. Dre On Dee Barnes Assault, Misogyny

In promotion of the release of Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A. members Dr. Dre and Ice Cube were interviewed by Rolling Stone, answering questions about past violence toward women, misogynistic lyrics, and public statements.

Straight Outta Compton has proven to be a massive hit, and is on track to bring $57 million in box office receipts during its first weekend, placing it within the top 150 highest-grossing opening weekends for any movie ever.

Compton Rapper Known For Violence Against Women

Dr. Dre has twice been accused of assaulting women. Each of the reported incidents occurred back when the original album Straight Outta Compton was still fairly new. The first was against fellow rapper and TV host Dee Barnes. The second involved Dre’s wife Michel’le, with reports stating that he not only beat her, but also shot at her.

The rapper was remorseful when questioned about the incident by Rolling Stone in anticipation of the Straight Outta Compton release and gave a straight answer.

“I made some f***ing horrible mistakes in my life. I was young, f***ing stupid. I would say all the allegations aren’t true – some of them are. Those are some of the things that I would like to take back. It was really f***ed up. But I paid for those mistakes, and there’s no way in hell that I will ever make another mistake like that again.”

Dre’s real name is Andre Romelle Young and he was born in Compton, California, a city in south-central Los Angeles that has become notorious for the presence of gangs and the N.W.A. album, Straight Outta Compton. “Straight Outta Compton” was also a hit single from the album.

Ice Cube, on the other hand, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson and was also born in Compton, was less diplomatic.

“If you’re a b***h, you’re probably not going to like us. If you’re a h*, you probably don’t like us. If you’re not a h* or a b***ch, don’t be jumping to the defense of these despicable females.”

At the time Straight Outta Compton was released, N.W.A. was seen as a departure from the rap and hip hop of performers like Public Enemy and RUN-D.M.C., who, while seeking change, were perhaps perceived as being too moderate by the enigmatic rappers from Compton. An entirely new musical genre was spawned by N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton, and gangster rap in general. Acts like the Wu-Tang clan followed and never once looked back.

Straight Outta Compton: Born Out Of Frustration

Apart from generating huge interest among fans, N.W.A. created huge controversy in Compton, and nationwide, with songs like “F*** The Police.” Ice Cube had this to say about the conditions that led to N.W.A. creating the widely appreciated Compton style.

“You had to see why we did the music. We were living [in Compton] in the middle of dope dealing, gangbanging, police brutality, F***ing Reaganomics, and there was nowhere to escape.”

[Photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]