Beats By Dr. Dre In The Forefront As Apple Confronts Dre’s Past

Amid rapidly rising allegations of his past, Beats By Dre co-founder Dr. Dre has found himself in damage control mode. Beats By Dr. Dre was acquired by Apple for $3 billion last year. The deal was the most lucrative in Apple history.

After the release of Straight Outta Compton, a biopic about the life of Dr. Dre as part of rap group N.W.A., negative feedback began to arise. Dre was confronted about certain potential aspects of the film being excluded. There was only a certain amount of time before Apple caught wind of the accusations and Dre’s controversial and sketchy past became an issue for the tech giant.

Dr. Dre, along with Apple, released statements Friday that addressed the matters. Dre apologized for his actions 25-years ago as Apple admitted they believe that the pioneer “has changed.”

Beats By Dr. Dre has become a staple in the gadgetry arsonal used by most music lovers. Since their inception in 2006, the popular headphones with the “b” logo have found their way onto the ears of celebrities and hungry consumers. Based on dollar sales from 2014, Beats Electronics, Bose, Sony, Skullcandy, and LG were the top 5 brands. Dr. Dre has created a musical monster.

The stranglehold Beats By Dr. Dre has on the market doesn’t seem to be fading. You can see teens, twenty-somethings, and hip older adults sporting the multicolored headphones inspired by Dre. The wave keeps rising.

According to a statement issued to the New York Times, Dre gave insight into his 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.”

The women at the center of the controversy with Dr. Dre, hip-hop journalist Dee Barnes, R&B singer Michel’le, and rapper Tairrie B, have all had their stories told throughout social media.

Beats By Dr. Dre has taken the audio world by storm. But will this undercurrent of abuse crack the foundation?

Dr. Dre is now a top consultant for Apple.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]