Dr. Dre

*Dr. Dre released his first album in 16 years a week before the N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton” killed at the box office with its $60.2-million opening weekend.

Dre’s “Compton” was not the movie’s soundtrack but the timing of its release helped move 295,000 units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music. It topped the R&B/hip-hop chart for the week, coming in at No. 2 in overall album sales.

Not surprising that music by N.W.A saw an increase in sales as well. The LA Times reports that the group’s 1988 release “Straight Outta Compton” sold nearly 8,500 copies in the week that ended Aug. 13, more than double the prior week. It landed 30th on the overall album chart. Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” and “2001” also saw a boost in sales of 95% and 86% respectively during the week. Best-of compilations from N.W.A and Ice Cube also earned notable increases.

“Ever since anyone’s been talking about the movie, people have been going back and rediscovering [the music] and consuming it in a lot of different ways,” Nielsen analyst David Bakula said. “You’re probably going to notice it even more this week as people see the movie.”

Dre has been heavily promoting the album and the movie on his radio show “The Pharmacy,” which airs on Apple’s new global radio station Beats 1.

“Finally the butterflies are gone,” Dre said on his most recent “Pharmacy” episode. “It’s so crazy when you’re waiting for something this massive to come out. I think I was much more nervous about the album.”

Dre’s “Compton” is available only through iTunes and Apple Music for the first two weeks of release.

In related news, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube continue to distance themselves from the wrongful death lawsuit that was filed against Suge Knight by the wife Terry Carter, the man Knight is accused of running over and killing with his truck during an altercation he and another man had with Knight after leaving the set of a promo commercial being filmed for the film back in January.

Lilian Carter’s lawsuit also names Universal Studios, Dre and Cube as responsible parties because it claims they failed to provide adequate security.

Dr. Dre and Ice Cube have filed a countermotion, claiming “there is no justification” for pinning Knight’s “outrageous and criminal attack […] that took Carter’s life” on them , The Root reports.