Mac Dre

小簡介 提到Bay Area可能很多人首先會想到的胖子E-40，其實Bay Area真正的旗幟是這個叫Mac Dre的傢伙，無論是資歷還是背景，E-40跟他差的都太多了。Mac Dre是來自Bay Area的Real Gangsta,連2PAC都視他為自己的偶像，並曾寫歌向他至敬。 同大多數黑人小孩一樣，Mac Dre兒時一直生活混亂的街區，健談的他和不同膚色的人種都相處的很融洽，這也讓他從小就瞭解了不同人種的想法，為他日後的寫詞功力打下了基礎。Mac Dre是個很高產的rapper，但起處他的作品只在Bay Area廣泛的流傳，真正被全國範圍認識是在他的獨立廠牌Thizz Entertainment成立之後。他還自創了名為Thizzle Dance的舞步，這種舞步日後也成為了Bay Area的標誌。 Mac Dre的一生幾呼是在爭議聲中渡過的，他自己是黑幫Romper Room Gang的成員，這個幫派劣跡斑斑，經常搶劫店鋪銀行。Mac Dre就曾因搶劫銀行而入獄五年多（事後很多人説是警察嫁禍），在獄中Mac Dre並沒有閒着，他把自己的時間都用在了創作上，在歌詞中他更加猛烈的攻擊了陷害他的警察和他的敵人。在獄中錯過了Bay Area黃金時期的Mac Dre出獄後並沒有沉輪下去，而是連發數張高質量專輯，讓全美都記住了Thizzle。 可惜的是Mac Dre在2004年一次演出過回回家的途中，被不明身份的人用AK47掃射而亡，又是一個死於非命的天才。事後很多人懷疑殺死Mac Dre是當時和他BEEF的Fat Tone。而且這個事件並沒有因為Mac Dre而畫上句號，在第2年，Fat Tone被一名叫Lee Danae Laursen的妓女所殺，而這名妓女又是受命於Mac Dre生前的好友Mac Minister，為Mac Dre報了仇的Mac Minister最終也不得不面對鐵窗生涯。這一系列事件讓兩名rapper喪聲命，一名rapper蹲了苦窯，雖然如此，Mac Dre的死直到今天仍然沒有一個定論。貌似很多傳奇rapper的死都是難解之迷 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.