Mac Dre | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Andre Louis Hicks |
| Born | July 5, 1970 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Vallejo, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 1, 2004 (aged 34) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Discography | Mac Dre discography |
| Years active | 1989–2004 |
| Labels | Thizz |
| Website | legendofthebay |
Andre Louis Hicks (July 5, 1970 – November 1, 2004), known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper from Vallejo, California.[1] He was an instrumental figure in the emergence of hyphy, a cultural movement in the Bay Area hip hop scene that emerged in the early 2000s.[2] Hicks is considered one of the movement's key pioneers that fueled its popularity into mainstream, releasing songs with fast-paced rhymes and basslines that inspired a new style of dance.[2] As the founder of the independent record label Thizz Entertainment, Hicks recorded dozens of albums and gave aspiring rappers an outlet to release albums locally.[3]
On November 1, 2004, Hicks was killed by an unknown assailant after a performance in Kansas City, Missouri,[4] a case that remains unsolved.[5]
- ^ sfbg. "San Francisco Bay Guardian – News". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- ^ a b "An Oral History of Hyphy". Complex. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ^ Van Nguyen, Dean (June 2, 2014). "Vallejo rapper Mac Dre pioneered the hyphy movement". WaxPoetics. Wax Poetics, Inc. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
But no one touched the Bay area like Vallejo's Mac Dre. Responsible for recording dozens of records, unearthing new local talent, building a rap empire, and pioneering a whole new homegrown counterculture, Mac Dreezy changed the landscape of the Bay Area forever and earned legendary status among Bay Area locals.
- ^ "Rapper Mac Dre Killed In Kansas City". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ^ Gray, Madison (September 13, 2011). "Top 10 Unsolved Hip-Hop Murders". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved February 8, 2019.