Mac Dre

Mac Dre
Background information
Birth name Andre Louis Hicks
Also known as Mac Dre, Furly, Silky Slim, Mac Dreezy, Pill Clinton, Al Boo-Boo,Ronald Dregan, Thizzy Marley
Born (1970-07-05)July 5, 1970
Oakland, California, U.S.
Origin Vallejo, California, U.S.
Died November 1, 2004(2004-11-01) (aged 34)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Genres Hip hop, Hyphy, West Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap
Occupation(s) Rapper, Record Producer, Screenwriter, Movie Director
Years active 1984–2004
Labels Thizz Entertainment
Website http://www.legendofthebay.com

Andre Louis Hicks (July 5, 1970 – November 1, 2004), better known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper and record producer, founder of Thizz Entertainment record label, and the now defunct Romp Productions.[1][2]

On November 1, 2004, Mac Dre was fatally shot and killed by an unknown assailant after a performance in Kansas City, Missouri.

Early life and career

Andre Louis Hicks was born in Oakland, California on July 5, 1970 and moved to Vallejo at a young age, growing up in the Country Club Crest neighborhood, also known as The Crest, and attended Hogan High school. When asked about his childhood, Hicks stated: "Situations came out for the better most of them, I went through the little trials and the shit that I went through."[3] Hicks first adopted the stage name MC Dre, but altered it to Mac Dre because he considered the name sounded "too East Coast-ish"[3] Hicks recorded his first three EPs as Mac Dre between 1989 and 1992.[1]

Robbery conviction

In 1992, Hicks was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, and was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison after he refused the deal which was included informing law enforcement about his partners. At the time of his conviction, Hicks owned the record label Romp Productions.[1] While imprisoned in Lompoc, Hicks obtained his G.E.D., stating that: "I had nothing else to do, I had to go back and get mine". While awaiting trial, Hicks would record an album over the phone, and claimed that he taught rapper X-Raided how to record over the phone.[4] Hicks was released from prison in 1996, having served four-years.[1]

Post prison

During his time in prison, "Mac Dre Presents: The Rompalation" was released in 1996. After his release from prison in 1997, he recorded his second album Stupid Doo Doo Dumb. It was released April 28, 1998. Following those albums, Hicks met with Executive Producer Bernard Gourley and recorded the album Rapper Gone Bad with production help from Tone Capone, Lev Berlak, and Warren G.

In 1998, Hicks relocated to Sacramento to distance himself from his home neighborhood in Vallejo, and began embracing the heavy party lifestyle in an attempt to make up for time lost while imprisoned. Hicks started a new record label, called Thizz Entertainment, a larger label with the ultimate goal to help people find a way out of the street life.

Death

Hicks and members of Thizz Entertainment were scheduled to perform in Kansas City on October 31, 2004. Allegedly, there was a payment dispute with the club promoter, leading to Hicks leaving the show and heading back to his hotel room. In the early morning hours of November 1, 2004, on U.S. Route 71, unknown assailants in a stolen black Infiniti G35 began shooting at the white van in which Hicks was a passenger. The driver crashed the van and was able to get to a phone to call 911, but Hicks was pronounced dead at the scene from a bullet wound to the back of the neck from an AK-47 round. No leads to the perpetrator have ever been found, and the case currently remains unsolved.[5]

Hicks was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.[6]

Discography

Main article: Mac Dre discography

Solo albums

Extended Plays

Compilations

Collaboration albums

Movies


See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 http://www.mac-dre.info/biography.php
  2. ↑ sfbg. "San Francisco Bay Guardian - News". Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 530NorCal. "Mac Dre - Ghetto Celebrities Pt. 2". Youtube. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  4. ↑ 530NorCal. "Mac Dre - Ghetto Celebrities Pt. 1". 530NorCal. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  5. ↑ Bulwa, Demian (2011-06-24). "VALLEJO / Rapper Mac Dre slain in Kansas City / This time rumors of his death are true -- he was killed in a freeway shooting". SFGate. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  6. ↑ "Andre Mac-Dre Hicks (1970 - 2004) - Find A Grave Memorial". Retrieved 9 March 2015.
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