Mac Dre was one of the most popular and influential Bay Area rappers of all time with his versatile style. He epitomized the Bay’s “Hyphy movement” and helped popularize its “thizz” subculture.

Born Andre Louis Hicks on July 5, 1970 in Oakland, California, Dre grew up in Vallejo, where he would later rep North Vallejo’s Country Club Crest neighborhood (a.k.a The Crest or Crestside). His first release was the Young Black Brotha EP in 1988, which featured the single “Too Hard For the Fuckin' Radio,” a song that actually received radio airplay for its clean version. He released that and several EPs for Vallejo producer Khayree’s Strictly Business Records.

In 1992, Dre was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery as he refused to cooperate against his associates who were actually involved in the Fresno robbery attempt. Mac Dre recorded several songs over the phone from prison, with some being included on his first full-length album Young Black Brotha in 1993. Dre was released from Lompoc federal prison in the summer of 1996 and he released The Rompalation later that year. He also re-connected with Khayree to release the single “It’s Rainin' Game” in 1997. He subsequently moved up to Sacramento, where he established his Thizz Entertainment label. Dre would go on to release several albums and popular songs such as “Thizzle Dance,” “Feelin' Myself,” “Get Stupid (Remix)” and “Not My Job” among others.

Mac Dre was shot and killed in Kansas City, Missouri on November 1, 2004, while riding in a van on the highway hours after an altercation that occurred with the crew of Kansas City rapper Fat Tone. Fat Tone, who denied any part in the murder, was later shot and killed in Las Vegas, Nevada in retaliation. Several posthumous projects from Dre were released, including the joint album Da U.S. Open with his protégé Mac Mall in 2005, featuring the song “Dredio” with fellow Vallejo game-spitter E-40. Despite having little mainstream success, Dre was a star in the Bay Area underground scene, an extremely clever rapper and entrepreneur, and was generally loved by everyone who knew of him.

If you haven’t heard of him, Mac Dre is likely the best rapper you’ve never heard of. To get an idea of what Dre was all about, check out the documentaries “Ghostride the Whip”, “From the Ground Up” and the “Romper Room” episode of the series “American Gangster”.

Also known as, Mac Drizzle, Mac Dreezy, Mac Drevious, Thizzelle Washington, Mr. Furley, Thizz King, Pill Clinton, Ronald Dregan, The Make it Happen Cap'n…

R.I.P.