Dr. Dre's Son Curtis Young: "You Can't Get Out Of That Giant's Shadow"

Curtis Young also discusses not being cast as Dr. Dre in the forthcoming N.W.A biopic, "Straight Outta Compton."

As he works on making a name for himself in entertainment, Chris Young, one of Dr. Dre’s sons, says that the task is difficult.

"You can’t get out of that giant’s shadow,” Young says during an interview with XXL. "So I’m still in his shadow—and because of him, I have the Young name, and the Foundation—but what I understood was, he paved the road that I gotta walk down regardless, so I need to brand myself as an artist to understand that. And by me saying that, I mean I have different entities besides music, so that’s what helped me kind of stay out of his shadow, because I’ve got things that he’s not doing. Kind of like how he’s got the headphone thing, I’ve got other things.”

Young has rapped as Hood Surgeon and has appeared in a few independent films, though he was not cast to portray his father in the forthcoming N.W.A biopic, Straight Outta Compton.

"I actually tried out for the role, ’cause the casting company called me,” Young says. "But my father wanted somebody with more acting experience, and I haven’t been acting for a long time, so I’m happy for the guy that got the role. It’s one of those things where we want what’s best for the movie and for the film. I had a lot of fans that were upset about it, but whatever’s best for the film, that presents it in that light, then I’m for it."