COMPTON, CA – Pioneering rapper and producer Andre Young, more commonly known as Dr. Dre, announced on Beats 1 radio today that he will be donating all of his artist royalties earned from his new album Compton, to help fund a new performing arts and entertainment facility in Compton.
“I’m honored that Mr. [Andre] Young has decided to make a significant investment in his community,” said Mayor Aja Brown. “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. Children in urban communities suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome in higher proportions than veterans and they need therapeutic outlets, which arts and drama has proven to provide. Compton is a special place and I believe this center will harness our ingenuity and transform our community from within for generations to come. I think it’s critical to note that people are not entitled to give. Entitlement is a disease that cripples empowerment. The key to harnessing investment is viability and return on investment. We look forward to working with Dr. Dre and his team to develop an amazing place for our community.”
Quoted in Rolling Stones Magazine Dr. Dre said of the announcement, “I feel it’s the right thing to do and I hope everybody appreciates the work I put into this album. We’ve reached out to Aja Brown quite a few times in the last month or two. I’ve been really trying to do something special for Compton and just couldn’t quite figure out what it was. She actually had this idea and she was already in the process of working on it. I said, ‘Boom, this is what we should do.'”
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Known as the “Hub City” for its unique position in almost the exact geographical center of Los Angeles County, Compton is a city of just under 100,000 that covers approximately 10.2 square miles. Compton is strategically located along the Alameda Corridor, a passageway of 25 percent of all U.S. waterborne international trade. The City is known for being home to several booming industries, among them transit and distribution, high technology, home and lifestyle products, metals, financial services, and textile manufacturing.
For more information, please visit www.ComptonCity.org. Follow the City of Compton on Twitter at @ComptonCityHall, Instagram at @ComptonCityHall and on Facebook at Facebook.com/ComptonCityCA. Now trending at #Compton and#myCompton.
South Bay Community News 