dee barnes

Dee Barnes Comments On Jay-Z Winning Grammy Named After Her Abuser Dr. Dre

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Jay-Z just won the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2024 Grammy Awards, an accolade with a difficult history to reckon with. That’s what Dee Barnes pointed out on Twitter upon hearing of the win, as she is the award’s namesake’s abuse victim. As such, this achievement does come with some baggage and a wider conversation on platforming these individuals, but it didn’t play out in the way that you would expect. As she suggests, she does not hold these actions against any one recipient of the Global Impact Award, especially not Hov, and expressed more concern with how the producer’s legacy erases his actions.

“The @RecordingAcad does not care about #ViolenceAgainstWomen,” Dee Barnes wrote of Jay-Z winning the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. “#JayZ received an award named after an #abuser and defended his wife in his speech while his daughter stood by his side.” As such, she seemed to suggest that the New York rapper actually fought back against the implications of this award by championing the females in his journey. While this is no easy fix for abuse or the tough discussion around these topics, it’s certainly something to focus on and emphasize, especially in a year in which almost every General Field nominee was a woman.

Read More: Kanye West Gives Jay-Z’s Now-Viral Grammys Speech A Seal Of Approval

Dee Barnes Speaks On Jay-Z’s Dr. Dre Global Impact Award

However, some folks on Twitter weren’t buying Dee Barnes’ interpretation, for one reason or another. Sure, some will always dismiss “cancel culture,” but those who condemn Dr. Dre’s actions think Jay-Z’s speech wasn’t enough to make up for them. “Another reason I’m unmoved by that speech,” a user replied to her aforementioned tweet about the Roc Nation mogul. “Nah, it gave what it was supposed to give,” Barnes responded, and it’s unclear whether this is a fully genuine take or sarcastic disappointment.

Still, her next tweet was definitely more clear in this aspect. “It wasn’t a slamming it was a call out! They gave him the mic and he rightfully caled them out. You can’t do that from home on the couch. FORGIVE HIS BROOKLYN!” For more news and updates on Dee Barnes, Jay-Z, and Dr. Dre, stay posted on HNHH.

Read More: Ice Cube Explains Dr. Dre Absence From N.W.A. Grammy Acceptance

The post Dee Barnes Comments On Jay-Z Winning Grammy Named After Her Abuser Dr. Dre appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Dee Barnes calls Dr. Dre An ‘Abuser’ After He’s Honored At Grammys

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It looks like Dee Barnes isn’t too thrilled about Dr. Dre being honored with the Global Impact Award at this year’s Grammys. The acclaimed journalist claims she was attacked by Dr. Dre back in 1991, during the time when she hosted Pump It Up! — a weekly hip-hop show that chronicled the growth of hip-hop into the art form it is today.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Barnes called out the Recording Academy in their decision in honoring Dre.

“Everybody wants to separate the art from the artist, and sometimes that’s just not possible,” she states. “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.” 

Barnes alleged Dr. Dre assaulted her at a record release party in Hollywood, following an episode of Pump It Up! that highlighted the tension between Dr. Dre’s N.W.A. and Ice Cube, who exited the group in 1989. While Barnes gives him the benefit of the doubt about the person he is now, she makes it very clear she isn’t happy.

“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.”

Barnes also brought up Dr. Dre’s own statements from The Defiant One’s documentary, where he says she’s a “blemish” on who he is as a man.

“Well, what do you do with a blemish?” she asks. “There’s a whole industry created—skincare lines and vitamins and rituals—to get rid of blemishes,” she continued. “And, in a sense, there’s a whole network to keep me hidden.”

It’s not only the Grammys where Barnes feels some type of way, it’s the Hip-Hop culture as a whole. While she had a great run in the 90s, she feels her image and brand have been tarnished because of the instances.

“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. Is this about his feelings? Is this about his legacy? Or is it about ego and toxic masculinity? What is it about? My whole history has been erased: as an artist, as a music journalist, and as a television host.”

To conclude, she brought up the missed opportunity that could have transpired, if she was able to sit down with Dr. Dre on camera and talk through their differences. 

“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.”

The post Dee Barnes calls Dr. Dre An ‘Abuser’ After He’s Honored At Grammys appeared first on The Source.

Dee Barnes On Dr. Dre’s Grammys Honor: “They Named This Award After An Abuser”

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Days after the Recording Industry honored West Coast Hip Hop pioneer Dr. Dre. former host of Fox’s Pump It Up Dee Barnes condemns the Grammys’ choice to honor Dr.Dre.

Barnes slammed the decision to honor the N.W.A. co-founder with the inaugural “Dr. Dre Global Impact Award” at the Black Music Collective honors ceremony. Barnes spoke to Rolling Stone about the decision saying, “Everybody wants to separate the art from the artist, and sometimes that’s just not possible…They named this award after an abuser.”

Shecontinued, “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.” She even said, “They might as well call [the honor] the ‘Ike Turner Award.’”

Barnes’ gripe comes from an alleged assault by Dr. Dre back on January 27, 1991 when Dre encountered Barnes at a record release party in Hollywood. According to Barnes, he picked her up by her hair and “began slamming her head and the right side of her body repeatedly against a brick wall near the stairway” as his bodyguard held off the crowd with a gun. After Dre tried to throw her down the stairs and failed, he began kicking her in the ribs and hands. She escaped and ran into the women’s restroom.

Dre pleaded no contest to the assault. He was fined $2,500, placed on two years’ probation, and ordered to perform 240 hours of community service and produce an anti-violence public service announcement. The lawsuit was settled out of court.

The post Dee Barnes On Dr. Dre’s Grammys Honor: “They Named This Award After An Abuser” appeared first on The Source.

Dee Barnes Calls Out Grammys For Honoring Dr. Dre With “Global Impact Award”

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At this year’s Grammy Awards, the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award was given to the Aftermath mogul, but Dee Barnes wasn’t applauding the honor. Dre’s award was a part of The Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective, and while fans believe he deserved the tribute, Barnes recalled her experience with the Rap giant back in 1991. It was then that the music journalist was in the thick of her career, often interviewing some of Rap’s most influential voices. At 19, she hosted the Hip Hop show Pump It Up! On the show, she highlighted the then-tension between N.W.A. and Ice Cube.

Barnes alleged that Dre confronted her about a segment on her show. She previously detailed the ordeal, stating, “He picked me up by my hair and my ear and smashed my face and body into the wall… Next thing I know, I’m down on the ground, and he’s kicking me in the ribs and stomping on my fingers.” More recently, Barnes spoke with Rolling Stone about the incident and seeing Dre receive an award holding his name.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK–OCTOBER 08: Host Dee Barnes (aka Sista D) and MC Lyte (aka Lana Moorer) appear backstage at the “Sisters In The Name Of Rap” concert and television special at The Ritz on October 8, 1991 in New York City. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives)
Read More: Dee Barnes Is “Triggered” After Dr. Dre’s Wife Denied Restraining Order

“Everybody wants to separate the art from the artist, and sometimes that’s just not possible,” said Barnes. “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.”

Barnes recognizes that Dre may not be the same person she interacted with. “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.’ She also mourned watching the Grammys Hop Hip tribute. Barnes mentioned that she and Dre can’t be in the same space. “I was thinking, ‘I would’ve been there. I would’ve been there on the red carpet.” She believed she “would’ve been interviewing some of those artists.’ In fact, I’ve interviewed most of them before.

Radio Personality Dee Barnes arrives at the Hennessy and Honey Collective party at The Vanguard on October 29, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/WireImage)
Read More: Dr. Dre Addresses And Apologizes For Dee Barnes Incident

She also addressed the blacklisting she received after reporting the incident to the police. Further, Barnes is working on a documentary about her experiences in the industry. However, several artists have shunned speaking with her. “The blacklisting I’ve faced still feels active, and it took me a long time to accept that,” she also revealed. “For the longest time, I was like, ‘That’s not what’s happening. It’s not that.’ But it’s definitely that. I see it. I’ve had plenty of people who will support me privately, but they don’t want it to be publicly known because of their business associations, dealings, or whatever.”

“I’m not the bad guy, but I am made into the villain,” Barnes added. “Very much like how they did Megan Thee Stallion during the trial against her attacker, Tory Lanez. I watched what happened to my little sister Megan, and it just was heartbreaking to me because we have not changed in all these years.”

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