Rapper, producer, and entrepreneur Dr. Dre won a special Grammy Award this year, but the news of his award has been met with scrutiny, particularly from journalist and hip-hop culture figure Dee Barnes.
On Sunday, during the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, Dr. Dre was honored with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.
In light of his recent Grammy win, she has written an op-ed addressing the assault and the music industry’s response.
“Everybody wants to separate the art from the artist, and sometimes that’s just not possible. Most people without a knowledge of [Dr. Dre’s] history are going to say, ‘Oh, he must deserve that. He must be such a great person for them to put an award in his name.’ But they named this award after an abuser. It wasn’t just a one or two-time thing; these are choices. The first time, it’s maybe a mistake. The second time, okay. The third time, it’s a choice. I’m not saying he is the same person now, though. I don’t know. I’m not around him anymore. I haven’t talked to him. But to name an award after someone with that type of history in the music industry, you might as well call it the ‘Ike Turner Award.'”
“What I find most frustrating about the entire thing is that [Dre and I] can’t seem to coexist in the same space… they have to keep one of us out of sight while they’re honoring another because one of us makes the other look bad.”
“I shouldn’t have to suffer by not being able to exist in a space and in a culture that not only did I grow up in but that I contributed to in a major way,” she continued.
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Barnes went on to discuss reconciliation for the assault, writing recounting how she endured migraines for a year after Dre slammed her head into a wall.
“When I think of what atonement looks like for Dre and me, I think of a missed opportunity where we could have sat down together on camera and hashed it out,” she wrote. “I think that would’ve begun a journey of healing; he’s coming face to face with me, and I’m coming face to face with him. I’ve put out the olive branch. Black women and grace, you know how we are. It wasn’t accepted. But I think that’s going to be the only thing to turn the tide, so to speak — if we have a come-to-Jesus moment in person, in public. Because everything happened publicly, it’s got to have closure publicly.”
Barnes hosted a hip-hop show hosted Pump It Up! Dre brutally assaulted the journalist on January 27, 1991, before an album release party. During a segment on her show, she aired a clip showing the tension between Dre and former N.W.A group member, Ice Cube. Barnes explained Dr. Dre was angry about the segment and assaulted her. He choked and punched her in the face inside of a public restroom.
Police were called, and a warrant was issued for Dre’s arrest. The producer was charged with assault and battery. He ended up paying a $2,500 fine and serving a two-year probation sentence with community service. They eventually settled out of court.
