Former rapper and TV personality Denise “Dee” Barnes opened up to Gawker.com about the savage beating she suffered at the hands of music mogul and serial domestic abuser, Dr. Dre.
While ‘Compton’ made history at the box office this past weekend, the film’s success is overshadowed by the specter of domestic violence looming over Dr. Dre’s head.
Many critics have noted the lack of attention paid to accusations of violence inflicted on women by Dre in Straight Outta Compton. Director F. Gary Gray managed to white wash Dre’s shameful history of abuse — as if it never happened.
That doesn’t sit well with Barnes, who agreed to watch Straight Outta Compton, and reflect on it for Gawker.com.
Barnes was relieved that ‘Compton’ skipped over her brutal assault on the floor of the women’s restroom at the Po Na Na Souk nightclub on January 27, 1991.
“The truth is too ugly for a general audience,” said Barnes. “I didn’t want to see a depiction of me getting beat up… But what should have been addressed is that it occurred.”
Barnes added:
Dre, who executive produced the movie along with his former groupmate 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. In his lyrics, Dre made hyperbolic claims about all these heinous things he did to women. But then he went out and actually violated women. Straight Outta Compton would have you believe that he didn’t really do that. It doesn’t add up. It’s like Ice Cube saying, “I’m not calling all women bitches,” which is a position he maintains even today at age 46. If you listen to the lyrics of “A Bitch Iz a Bitch,” Cube says, “Now the title bitch don’t apply to all women / But all women have a little bitch in ‘em.” So which is it? You can’t have it both ways. That’s what they’re trying to do with Straight Outta Compton: They’re trying to stay hard, and look like good guys.
More from Sandrarose.com:
