Now that the 2023 Grammys is in the rearview mirror, Dee Barnes is slamming the Recording Academy’s decision to honor Dr. Dre.
Specifically, Dee—who says Dre violently assaulted her in 1991—is bashing the decision to honor the rapper with the inaugural “Dr. Dre Global Impact Award” at the Black Music Collective honors ceremony.
Dee Says This Artist CANNOT Be Separated From The Art
During a sit-down with Rolling Stone, Dee—who hosted a show called Pump It Up! back in the day—addressed the decision by straight-up saying that, while “everybody wants to separate the art from the artist,” this sometimes is “not possible.”
She also proclaimed, “They named this award after an abuser.”
“Everybody wants to separate the art from the artist, and sometimes that’s just not possible…They named this award after an abuser.”
Dee continued, pointing out that this “wan’t just a one or two-time thing.” She also admitted that he may not be “the same person now,” though she has no idea, as she’s “not around him anymore.”
“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 also spicily remarked that they “might as well call [the honor] the ‘Ike Turner Award.’”
Dee Spoke On Being ‘Blacklisted’ From The Industry
After speaking her mind about the Recording Academy’s newly-established Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Barnes went on to address how she and Dre just “can’t seem to coexist in the same space.” Additionally, she said that the “blacklisting” she’s faced “still feels active.”
“The blacklisting I’ve faced still feels active, and it took me a long time to accept that. 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.”
She added that, while she’s received support from Black women in journalism over the years, she feel as though “the support is not there” when it comes to members of the rap community.
“As far as people in hip-hop and the community, the support is not there. Someone had recently said that ‘hip-hop wasn’t good to Dee. Hip-hop might have been good to other people, but it wasn’t good to Dee.’ And I was sad because it’s true.”
As her interview began to wind down, Dee remarked that she was “made into the villain” and compared her situation to that of Megan Thee Stallion. As a result, she faced numerous hardships over the years, including a 3-year stint where she was “unhoused.”
However, she revealed that her “financial life is just now stabilizing,” and she’s “back in the game as a journalist.”
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