Mac Dre
小简介 提到Bay Area可能很多人首先会想到的胖子E-40，其实Bay Area真正的旗帜是这个叫Mac Dre的家伙，无论是资历还是背景，E-40跟他差的都太多了。Mac Dre是来自Bay Area的Real Gangsta,连2PAC都视他为自己的偶像，并曾写歌向他至敬。 同大多数黑人小孩一样，Mac Dre儿时一直生活混乱的街区，健谈的他和不同肤色的人种都相处的很融洽，这也让他从小就了解了不同人种的想法，为他日后的写词功力打下了基础。Mac Dre是个很高产的rapper，但起处他的作品只在Bay Area广泛的流传，真正被全国范围认识是在他的独立厂牌Thizz Entertainment成立之后。他还自创了名为Thizzle Dance的舞步，这种舞步日后也成为了Bay Area的标志。 Mac Dre的一生几呼是在争议声中渡过的，他自己是黑帮Romper Room Gang的成员，这个帮派劣迹斑斑，经常抢劫店铺银行。Mac Dre就曾因抢劫银行而入狱五年多（事后很多人说是警察嫁祸），在狱中Mac Dre并没有闲着，他把自己的时间都用在了创作上，在歌词中他更加猛烈的攻击了陷害他的警察和他的敌人。在狱中错过了Bay Area黄金时期的Mac Dre出狱后并没有沉轮下去，而是连发数张高质量专辑，让全美都记住了Thizzle。 可惜的是Mac Dre在2004年一次演出过回回家的途中，被不明身份的人用AK47扫射而亡，又是一个死于非命的天才。事后很多人怀疑杀死Mac Dre是当时和他BEEF的Fat Tone。而且这个事件并没有因为Mac Dre而画上句号，在第2年，Fat Tone被一名叫Lee Danae Laursen的妓女所杀，而这名妓女又是受命于Mac Dre生前的好友Mac Minister，为Mac Dre报了仇的Mac Minister最终也不得不面对铁窗生涯。这一系列事件让两名rapper丧声命，一名rapper蹲了苦窑，虽然如此，Mac Dre的死直到今天仍然没有一个定论。貌似很多传奇rapper的死都是难解之迷 Andre Hicks (July 5, 1970 - November 1, 2004), better known by his stage name, Mac Dre, was a San Francisco Bay Area based gangsta rapper from Vallejo, California and considered one of the predecessors of the hyphy movement. During his career in the rap world, he worked with artists like E-40, Yukmouth, Snoop Dogg, and Keak Da Sneak. Career Mac Dre’s music gained popularity in the early to mid 1990s throughout the Bay Area, eventually receiving national recognition through his independent record labels Romp and Thizz Entertainment. He released many hit singles, such as “Too Hard for the Radio”, and most recently “Fellin’ Myself”. He was the creator of the “Thizzle Dance”, a popular dance which holds no specific standard. Hardship and controversy were staples of Mac Dre’s career. After recording his first three albums between 1989 and 1991, Mac was charged with conspiracy to commit bank robbery. His record label, Romp Productions, and his many references to “Romper Room” in his songs, coincided with a Vallejo robbery gang of the time calling themselves the “Romper Room Gang” and responsible for the robberies of many area banks and pizza parlours. Hicks was alleged to be a member of the gang. The rapper was sentenced to five years in prison in 1992. In prison, Hicks gained some notoriety by recording the lyrics to songs directly over the Fresno County jail 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.
