Dr. Dre to donate Compton album royalties to youth arts centre

Dr. Dre says he will donate royalties from his new album to the city of Compton for a new performing arts facility.

In an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 Radio, Dre said he spoke to Compton Mayor Aja Brown about ways to give back to the city with the release of his first album in 16 years.

The rapper, whose real name is Andre Young, said Thursday he "decided to donate all of my artist royalties from the sale of this album to help fund a new performing arts and entertainment facility for the kids in Compton."

Released Friday, Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre is inspired by the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which opens Aug. 14.

Dre said he hopes "everybody appreciates all the hard work I put into this album."

'Has a heart for Compton'

"I'm honoured that Mr. Young has decided to make a significant investment in his community," Brown said in a statement.

"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."

Brown added that the center would be a therapeutic outlet for youth suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.