Andre Hicks (July 5, 1970 – November 1, 2004), better known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper
Biography
Andre Hicks aka. Mac Dre was born to Wanda Salvatto in Oakland, California but moved to Vallejo, California while still a child. Under the stage name "Mac Dre", Hicks began his rap career in the early 1980s, gaining a greater degree of recognition in the late eighties and early nineties.
After recording his first three albums between 1989 and 1991, Mac Dre was charged with conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Hicks's record label, Romp Productions, and his many references to "Romper Room" in his songs, bore a similarity to a group of robbers targeting banks and pizza parlors who were active in Vallejo at the time called the "Romper Room Gang." Hicks, alleged by authorities to be a member of the gang, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery and was sentenced to five years in prison in 1992 after refusing a deal offered by law enforcement authorities that would have required him to inform on other gang members.
In prison, Hicks gained some notoriety by recording the lyrics to songs directly over the Fresno County Jail and Lompoc United States Penitentiary inmate telephone. His album, Young Black Brotha, was a result of such efforts, as well as guest appearances on fellow artists' songs, all while Hicks was still imprisoned. A later album, Back 'N Da Hood, was also made up of these prison-recorded songs.
After his release from prison in 1997, he released Mac Dre Presents the Rompalation. In late 1997 and early 1998 he recorded his album second album "Stupid Doo Doo Dumb". It was released April 28th, 1998. Following those albums, Hicks met with Executive Producer Bernard Gourley and recorded the album Rapper Gone Bad with production help from Tone Cappone, Lev Berlak, and Warren G. This started a new beginning for Mac Dre as he began to release albums steadily, building a huge catalog of music recorded at The Grill Studios in Oakland. In 2000. Mac Dre's audience was growing, and mainstream hip-hop stations were beginning to give Hicks' music more airtime. Hicks relocated to Sacramento, California in 2001, where he began a label, Thizz Entertainment.
He worked with well-known artists such as Keak da Sneak, E-40, B-Legit, Brotha Lynch Hung, Dubee, Mistah Fab, Rydah J. Klyde, Richie Rich, Lil Ric San Quinn, Mars, Yukmouth, PSD, Andre Nickatina, Mac Mall, Smoov-E (aka Eli Meltzer), Messy Marv, and Too Short. He also provided an uncredited hook to the track "Gotta Survive" from Young Lay's Black 'N Dangerous album that featured 2Pac.
On November 1, 2004, Hicks was killed in a freeway shooting without any known motive. He was in Kansas City, Missouri where he was performing a rap concert
Solo albums 1993: Young Black Brotha: The Album 1998: Stupid Doo Doo Dumb 1999: Rapper Gone Bad 2000: Heart of a Gangsta, Mind of a Hustla, Tongue of a Pimp 2001: Mac Dre's the Name 2001: It's Not What You Say... It's How You Say It 2002: Thizzelle Washington 2003: Al Boo Boo 2004: Ronald Dregan: Dreganomics 2004: The Genie of the Lamp 2004: The Game Is Thick, Vol. 2 2007: Pill Clinton 2008: Dre Day: July 5th 1970
Compilation albums & Remix albums 2002: Do You Remember? 2006: 16 wit Dre (with DJ Backside) 2006: 16 wit Dre, Vol. 2 (with DJ Backside) 2006: Uncut 2007: Starters in the Game 2008: The Dre Area 2008: What Iz Thizz 2008: For the Streets (14 Unreleased Tracks) 2011: The Last of the Treasure
Extended Plays & Cassettes 1989: Young Black Brotha 1991: California Livin' 1992: Back n Da Hood
Best Of Albums 1993: The Best of Mac Dre 2004: The Best of Mac Dre II 2006: The Best of Mac Dre Vol. 3 2008: The Best of Mac Dre Vol. 4 2010: The Best of Mac Dre Vol. 5
Collaboration albums 2001: Turf Buccaneers (with Cutthroat Committee) 2005: Money iz Motive (with Cutthroat Committee) 2005: Da U.S. Open (with Mac Mall) 2005: 15 Years Deep (with Da'unda'dogg) 2007: DreDiggs: Me & My Cuddie (with J-Diggs) 2007: Everybody Ain't Able (with Jay Tee) 2008: A Tale of Two Andres (with Andre Nickatina) 2009: Maccin' & Doggin' (with Da'unda'dogg) 2010: Tha Furly Ghost Vol. 2 (with Dubee) 2010: Tha Furly Ghost Vol. 3 (with Husalah)
