Dr. Dre slams use of ‘Still D.R.E.’ by ‘divisive and hateful’ Marjorie Taylor Greene
Dr. Dre is slamming Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for using one of his songs in a video, blasting the Georgia Republican as “divisive and hateful.”
Greene shared an offbeat, stylized video with her nearly 2 million Twitter followers on Monday, showing her walking through the halls of the Capitol in slow motion while the 1999 Snoop Dogg-featuring hit “Still D.R.E.” plays in the background.
“I don’t license my music to politicians,” rapper and mega-producer Dre, who was born Andre Young, said a Monday statement, “especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one.”
In a scathing cease-and-desist letter obtained by ITK, the performer’s attorneys wrote to Greene that their client “has not, and will never, grant you permission to broadcast or disseminate any of his music.”
“One might expect that, as a member of Congress, you would have a passing familiarity with the laws of our country,” the letter said. “It’s possible, though, that laws governing intellectual property are a little too arcane and insufficiently populist for you to really have spent much time on. We’re writing because we think an actual lawmaker should be making laws not breaking laws, especially those embodied in the constitution by the founding fathers.”
The video was not visible on Twitter by Monday afternoon, with a message saying it wasn’t being displayed due to a “report from the copyright holder.”
A Twitter representative did not respond to a request from ITK for comment.
In a follow-up tweet, Greene shared a comment she gave to TMZ ripping Dr. Dre.
“While I appreciate the creative chord progression,” Greene said, “I would never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of the thug life and drugs.”
At one point in the nearly-two minute clip, Greene highlighted news coverage of a phone call she said she had with former President Trump on Friday during the contentious election for Speaker of the House. In a photo, Greene — who supported Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) bid for the Speakership — was seen holding up her cell phone to Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) with the caller identification reading “DT.”
A news report featured in Greene’s video also showed her snapping a selfie with McCarthy on Friday night after he won the Speaker’s gavel.
Dre isn’t the first musical artist to express opposition to their songs being utilized by a politician. Several musicians, including Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M., among others, criticized Trump’s presidential campaigns for playing their songs at political rallies.
—Updated at 8:39 p.m.
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