Who is the all-time favorite rapper of the Rare Candy boys? Without question, Mac Dre — also known as Andre Hicks, Ronald Dregan, Thizzy Marley, the Furly Ghost, Dre Van Halen — Bay Area legend Mac Dre influenced some of the biggest hip hop stars on the planet, yet to this day remains criminally underrated. Many a rap aficionado aren’t even aware he exists, but for a young Glen and Psi, no other artist came close to the impact of Dre.
19 years ago this Halloween, Mac Dre was murdered in Kansas City while on tour. Dre’s passing triggered an explosion of creativity in an already thriving Bay Area music scene, which coincided perfectly with our entrance into high school and growing obsession with hip hop. While we left no classic unturned — Black Moon, Busta, ODB, Erick Sermon and Redman, OutKast, UGK, the Pharcyde, Hieroglyphics, Slum Village — we knew instantly that Mac Dre was truly special, a one-of-one. Just watch his infamous self-produced film “Treal TV” to find out for yourself.
Anyone growing up in the Bay in the wake of Dre’s death will tell you how amazing of a place it was during the Hyphy era, with “Tell Me When To Go” getting nationwide play. It seemed Bay Area Hip Hop, a source of slang and rap trends since the beginning, would finally be cemented as a top-shelf rap region like Atlanta or New York. Yet the Bay always seems to revert back to the underground, a constant undercurrent of musical consciousness. Many forget that the Bay was the proving ground for superstar Tupac Shakur, who claims he learned “the game” from the region. Listen to Mac Dre with an open ear, and you’ll begin to understand what Pac meant.
Dre sold well over a hundred thousand records in street sales alone, without any major label assistance, as a young debut artist. His career was interrupted by a five year prison sentence (“don’t snitch!”), and while unfortunate for Dre and his fans, it’s not clear that we’d have gotten the Dre we know and love without this hiatus. Immediately upon release from prison, Dre went on an absolute tear, releasing classic after classic. His music became incredibly party-oriented, as if Dre knew that not only that he had lost five years of fun to prison- but that the ride might be cut short at any moment. Making up for lost time, MD’s sole focus became creating music and having fun with his friends and fanbase, which was growing rapidly. This infectious attitude, more than anything else, is what inspired the ethos of the Bay moving forward.
We at Rare Candy have been wanting to do this tribute episode for ages, and it’s finally here. In hilarious but not unexpected synchronicity, NBA legend Steph Curry just announced he is producing a documentary in honor of Mac Dre. The Dre tradewinds are blowing yet again, and we’re honored to be a part of it. Please consider becoming a contributing member of Rare Candy to get access to this incredible Mac Dre deep dive — we’re truly proud of it. And if any old photos of a young Glen and Psi in some Mac Dre tribute tall tees end up surfacing, don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Best,
Rare Candy
PS: here is a small curated dre-list of some of our all-time favorite Mac Dre tracks. Thizz in Peace! And really, check out Treal TV …
