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Compton, CA mayor Aja Brown[/caption]
Industry mogul
Dr Dre was previously under fire from certain Black colleges when he and
business partner, former Intescope record exec Jimmy Iovine (pictured), made a whopping $70 million donation for a wing at
USC in Los Angeles. The University of
Southern California certainly has an impeccable reputation as far as an educational institution but it's also a predominately white college. The donation drew ire from several black colleges who felt they needed the funding more and should have been considered before
USC. While it is Dre's
business what he does with his money, who can deny a major part of his early
success with N.W.A and beyond was putting Compton on the map while using it as a backdrop for his youth. The city has seen a recent resurgence on the international music map from one of the industry's most recent
success stories Kendrick Lamar.
In an interview with
Zane Lowe on Beats 1 Radio (of course) the Compton producer said he spoke to
Compton Mayor Aja Brown about
ways he could give back to the city that gave so much to him. As a result Dre states “I have decided to
donate all of my artist
royalties from the sale of this album ("Compton") to help fund a new performing arts and entertainment facility for the kids in Compton.” KUDOS Dre, those kids have to be through the roof with excitement.
“Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre,” inspired by the N.W.A. biopic “Straight Outta Compton” which opens Aug. 14, will be released today. The reviews of the album have been really good thus far as
Apple Music subscribers got the chance to stream the album yesterday in its entirety. As far as the city of Compton is concerned, Mayor Aja Brown chimed in on Dr. Dre's generosity. “I’m honored that Mr. Young has decided to make a significant investment in his community. He clearly has a heart for Compton, especially our youth. I believe this performing arts center will provide a pathway for creative expression, exposure and training to the myriad of industries that support arts, entertainment and technology — while providing a much-needed safe haven for our youth.”
