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, Thizzelle Washington |
Born |
Oakland, California, U.S. |
July 5, 1970
Origin | Vallejo, California, U.S. |
Died | November 1, 2004 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
(aged 34)
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.
On November 1, 2004, Mac Dre was fatally shot and killed by an unknown assailant after a performance in Kansas City, Missouri.
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." Hicks first adopted the stage name MC Dre in 1984, but altered it to Mac Dre the following year because he considered the name sounded "too East Coast-ish". Hicks recorded his first three EPs as Mac Dre between 1988 and 1992.
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 included informing law enforcement about his partners. At the time of his conviction, Hicks owned the record label Romp Productions. While imprisoned in Lompoc, Hicks obtained his G.E.D., stating that he "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. Hicks was released from prison in 1996, having served four-years.
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.