Xtraz2
Superstar
Series delves into death of Bay Area rap icon Mac Dre
By Tony Burchyns
Posted: 09/08/2013 01:00:52 AM PDT
Love him or loathe him, Vallejo's Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks will be featured in an episode of TV One's "Celebrity Crime Files" on Monday night.
The controversial gangster rapper, whose criminal past is revered, reviled and disputed, was gunned down in Kansas City, Mo. on Nov. 1, 2004 in what remains an unsolved case.
In a phone interview last week, the show's producers told the Times-Herald that Hicks' story -- already legendary in Bay Area hip-hop lore -- had been on their "radar" for some time because of the mystery and intrigue surrounding his death. They were also compelled by disagreement over Hicks' jailing in the 1990s for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Hicks denied the charge, claiming he was set up because of lyrics he wrote mocking the Vallejo police.
"A lot of his people were dying to tell his story," executive producer Robert Katz said. "Unlike some of the other episodes (in the series) it is told in the voices of his friends."
Now in its second season, the series explores the lives and headline-grabbing downfalls of prominent entertainment figures -- from the fatal shooting of Sam Cooke to the mysterious disappearance of former professional basketball player Brian Williams, also known as Bison Dele.
Considered one of the predecessors of the "hyphy" movement, a style of music and dance known for its infectious energy, Hicks -- who had ties to Vallejo's Romper Room street gang -- released more than a dozen albums before his death at age 34. He also started his own label, Thizz Entertainment, which brought new recognition to Bay
Area rap.
The episode features friends and labelmates of the rap icon going back to his early days, as well as Bay Area music writers and other hip-hop figures.
"That's unusual for us," Katz said. "Most of our stories ... you don't get that kind of
cooperation."
The episode explores theories behind Hicks' death, including whether it was a random act of violence, a targeted killing or a case of his notorious past catching up to him.
"We have first-hand accounts of that evening," Katz said. "It's one of the most complete tellings of that evening we have
seen yet."
The show airs at 6 p.m. Monday on the cable network.
Contact staff writer Tony Burchyns at tburchyns@timesheraldonline.com or
(707) 553-6831. Follow him on
Twitter @tonyburchyns.
By Tony Burchyns
Posted: 09/08/2013 01:00:52 AM PDT
Love him or loathe him, Vallejo's Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks will be featured in an episode of TV One's "Celebrity Crime Files" on Monday night.
The controversial gangster rapper, whose criminal past is revered, reviled and disputed, was gunned down in Kansas City, Mo. on Nov. 1, 2004 in what remains an unsolved case.
In a phone interview last week, the show's producers told the Times-Herald that Hicks' story -- already legendary in Bay Area hip-hop lore -- had been on their "radar" for some time because of the mystery and intrigue surrounding his death. They were also compelled by disagreement over Hicks' jailing in the 1990s for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Hicks denied the charge, claiming he was set up because of lyrics he wrote mocking the Vallejo police.
"A lot of his people were dying to tell his story," executive producer Robert Katz said. "Unlike some of the other episodes (in the series) it is told in the voices of his friends."
Now in its second season, the series explores the lives and headline-grabbing downfalls of prominent entertainment figures -- from the fatal shooting of Sam Cooke to the mysterious disappearance of former professional basketball player Brian Williams, also known as Bison Dele.
Considered one of the predecessors of the "hyphy" movement, a style of music and dance known for its infectious energy, Hicks -- who had ties to Vallejo's Romper Room street gang -- released more than a dozen albums before his death at age 34. He also started his own label, Thizz Entertainment, which brought new recognition to Bay
Area rap.
The episode features friends and labelmates of the rap icon going back to his early days, as well as Bay Area music writers and other hip-hop figures.
"That's unusual for us," Katz said. "Most of our stories ... you don't get that kind of
cooperation."
The episode explores theories behind Hicks' death, including whether it was a random act of violence, a targeted killing or a case of his notorious past catching up to him.
"We have first-hand accounts of that evening," Katz said. "It's one of the most complete tellings of that evening we have
seen yet."
The show airs at 6 p.m. Monday on the cable network.
Contact staff writer Tony Burchyns at tburchyns@timesheraldonline.com or
(707) 553-6831. Follow him on
Twitter @tonyburchyns.
Bruhs can somebody upload it here. I dont fukk wit cable plus today where im at nobody got tv 1 
This shyt wont play for me
