Dee Barnes Targets Recording Academy For Making "Choice" to Honor Dr. Dre

In a Rolling Stone interview, journalist and rapper Dee Barnes slammed the Recording Academy for honoring Dr. Dre at the 2023 Grammys.

Dee Barnes isn't backing down from Dr. Dre. The journalist and rapper recently spoke to Rolling Stone, where she slammed the Recording Academy for honoring the rapper, superproducer, and business mogul with the Global Impact Award. During the 65th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, the award was also named after the 57-year-old artist.

In 1991, Dr. Dre allegedly assaulted Barnes during an album release party at the former Po Na Na Souk Club in Hollywood. At the time, Barnes hosted FOX TV series Pump It Up! According to Barnes and witnesses, Dr. Dre pulled Barnes by her hair, slammed her head and body into a wall, and kicked her in her ribs while confronting her over a previous Pump It Up! episode where former N.W.A. member, Ice Cube, made remarks towards the group.

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

While Barnes admitted to Rolling Stone that she has not been in contact with Dr. Dre, she continued acknowledged his abusive past. Dr. Dre's former partner and singer, Michel'le, alleged that The Chronic artist was abusive during their relationship in the late '80s to early '90s.

“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," Barnes continued. "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.'”